The Raúl E. Esparza "Spread the Love" Thread, Part Four — Page 26

What a wonderfully rich interview! I'm very encouraged by his comments on and analysis of Leap of Faith:

"Leap of Faith in particular has some of the best music I have ever come across, I think Alan (Menken) is at the top of his game, I don’t know, it’s like this shaman , some Gospel man from the South, I don’t know what, I don’t know what he’s doing but it’s not Menken! You can’t get to the end of the show without weeping, in joy. And joy is not something that’s generally a part of life; I mean exploding joy, real joy, earned joy. I don’t think I’ve ever played it. That kind of happiness that we all want in our lives, and that’s what this thing ends up being. And it’s got this sort of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ thing in there, this sort of sense of American kinda size and loss and belief and hope. And it just kinda creeps in there and it just pulls your heart and goes “Urrrrh!” And that’s new for him. To do a show that’s entirely about and faith, particularly the way the country is right now…."

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I hope that's truly what the audience will see and experience, too.

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Updated On: 5/24/08 at 08:00 PM

I am very happy about the LEAP OF FAITH news, and Raul's enthusiasm for the music of it. I guess he would be especially pleased if the LEAP out of town site were Chicago. I still don't know how I feel about the Wes Craven thing, but it must make some kind of sense to him to do that now, when he is otherwise so much in demand.

He's filming Pushing Daisies in July; it's not going to be airing until next fall.

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Updated On: 5/24/08 at 10:40 PM

He's filming Pushing Daisies in July; it's not going to be airing until next fall.

Did someone say otherwise?

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As would I!!


As long as it happens AFTER I get back from Paris.

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Yay for the movie!

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Honestly, if it IS in Chicago, I would consider going. If it's in California, no way. I am not getting on a six-hour plane ride for a musical that I can see at home a few months later. (I have a really big fear of flying.) Two hours, in a city I've always wanted to go to, where I can visit a handful of friends, would be a different story.

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Updated On: 5/25/08 at 11:59 AM

The only time I've ever been on a flight that long was when I went to London about eight years ago. It was totally worth it, but around hour four, I was like "OH MY GOD GET ME OFF OF THIS PLANE NOW." I can't sleep on planes, either. I think next time I go on a flight that's more than about three hours, I'm going to have to look drugging myself.

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I've just flown to and back from SF this week. It really is a long ride for a domestic flight! Towards the end, I kept thinking "hey, I could be in London by now!". However, I once took a Greyhound bus from NYC to Chicago and it took 15 hours (including 3 hour lay-over in Cincinatti)!! Gawd, that was fun.

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Updated On: 5/25/08 at 01:02 PM

Heh, I'm the same way. I have no problem with flying, but the whole nonsense with the check-in, going through security, dragging carryons to the far ends of the earth because your gate always seems to be the farthest from the terminal, then having to drag around all your bags around every time you want to go get food or go to the bathroom (because even though you just went through security and they found nothing, any unattended bags magically turn into bombs)...ugh. I haven't flown for a few years, but unless the out-of-town tryout will involve full-frontal Raul that won't be included on Broadway, even he isn't worth it.

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It's so ridiculous. :P

And trains aren't better... one time I took an Amtrak from Grand Central to Boston and it got stuck (I think we were either in Conneticutt or Rhode Island). We had to wait about an hour and a half - two hours for another train to come and bring us to Boston. Fun times, everyone, fun times.

I'd consider flying to see Raul in a show if and only if I had the means to afford the tickets (for the plane), as well as money for food, transportation, etc. But those chances are slim, unfortunately.

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Updated On: 5/25/08 at 02:26 PM

That would be terrible! Now you guys are making me paranoid....I have a noon flight on Tuesday from Richmond to New York and tickets for a show that night.

Updated On: 1/24/09 at 05:37 PM