Alexander Gemignani = Awesome

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 4:37pm

I'm doing this for no particular reason. Maybe because Sunday is closing tomorrow and I'm sad or maybe it's because I just came across an 'Alex at Feinstein's/appreciation' thread from back in May a few minutes ago and now I'm majorly bummed that I didn't get to participate in it, lol. So yeah, to get on with it..... I think Alex is amazingly talanted (and a sexy bitch). I've liked him since Assassins, I loved his scene stealing in Sweeney, and I think I was one of the few people who truly appreciated his Boatman and Dennis. As always, I'm looking forward to what he does next...

And I posted the headshot below for no other reason besides the fact that it always makes me laugh. He looks nothing like that and he probably hasn't since he was, what would you guys say? 17? 18? :)







edit: hot linking, bad me. Updated On: 6/30/08 at 04:37 PM

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 6:01pm

He sure does equal awesome! I'm glad he has a love thread.
And holy sh*it! That picture! I've never seen it before, and thus my jaw drop when I clicked on this thread! LOL.
I adored his boatman, and sadly didn't get the chance to tell him at the stage door because I got there too late.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 6:46pm

Could he have possibly originated his greatest role this week...Magical Phil?!?!

[Weez]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 6:52pm

Yes, yes he is. I've grown attached to him via the medium of the 'Sweeney Todd' and 'Assassins' cast recordings, and was very pleased to see him as Valjean. I don't think I'll ever get to see all the Broadway performers that I'm busy fangirling from this side of the Atlantic, but it was nice to knock at least him off the list. :)

[OpenDoors]

Posted: 6/28/08 at 7:32pm

I have been a fan of Alex's from the time he was in Sweeney Todd.
I have a question that I think many will be able to answer: Can someone explain 'Magical Phil'? Not everyone here went to 'Dont Quit Your Night Job' and it's not up on Youtube yet.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 1:26am

He's a really nice guy at the stage door. He's also getting married soon. I overheard him talking to one of the other stag door-ers.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 1:58am

I am totally smitten with Alex G. Such an amazing performer. I will always regret not having a cast recording of him in Les Mis. If you haven't seen the Great Performances version of Passion at Lincoln Center, I suggest you watch it. He is amazing in it.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 2:37am

He's also getting married soon

Yeah, but it's funny because he said that same exact thing last summer. Seems like *someone* is a bit lost in time, lol...

Anyway! Yes, definitely try to find Passion: Live from Lincoln Center. And while you guys are at it, rent South Pacific: Live from Carnegie Hall, it's kind of a major train wreck but Alex is a lovely Stewpot. :)



Updated On: 6/29/08 at 02:37 AM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:35am

I congratulated Magical Phil tonight at the stage-door of SUNDAY, and asked him what he's doing next. He doesn't know for now, but given his pattern of tackling the entire Sondheim cannon, I would LOVE to see him as Charley in the Roundabout revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:50am

Definitely. Alex + Merrily We Roll Along = all kinds of awesome.

I wonder how many people have addressed him as Magical Phil since Thursday night, lol. By tomorrow he's going to be like, 'Yeah, haha. Now shut the f___ up.'

[jennyish]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 1:29pm

Love him! I was one of the few who thought he was AWESOME in Les Mis, and I liked him in SUNDAY as well. His Boatman was weird, but Dennis was great.

[philly03]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 2:34pm

"I will always regret not having a cast recording of him in Les Mis."

Me too. The revival cast as a whole was just amazing -- every last piece. Well Daphne....besides some of her I Dreamed a Dream but anyway! I bet they would have made one if there wasn't 3873875874 English recordings of Les Mis available! Oh well.

And who didn't think he was a great Valjean? I hadn't heard anything bad about him! He really was terrific. Maybe not the best, but one of my top 3 :)!

"His Boatman was weird, but Dennis was great."
I got to agree. His boatman was kind of bizarre (I thought I was alone on this!), but he really was an excellent Dennis!

My only regret is never waiting around for him at the stagedoor. I saw Les Mis with him twice last year...and he never came out within 30 minutes. I don't know what it was maybe just those two nights, but when I saw Drew Sarich as Valjean he came out in like 10 minutes!? Was he slow with the Sunday stagedoor? I couldn't when I went .

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 2:36pm

And who didn't think he was a great Valjean?

ME.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:20pm

Oh LC. :p I was seriously going to put a disclaimer in my first post, like : 'Lizziecurry not a word from you!' but I decided against it. It wouldn't be a true Alex love thread without you hating on it.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:26pm

*

Updated On: 6/29/08 at 03:26 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:26pm

I wasn't going to say anything until someone asked.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:34pm

LC, say something about what his hand movements were like as Valjean, lol.

I did love his Valjean for the most part, but he was a little characaturist and over the top at times. And he was really great and seemed to hit a stride for a while during his run but then I saw him in his last month with the show and it was pretty obvious that he was not happy there.

But you guys, Boatman is SUPPOSED to be bizarre. He is strange and awkward and socially inept and he doesn't belong and he is a fish out of water. He's his own island, as is George, and that's why they have a natural affinity for each other. It's kind of the point.
Updated On: 6/29/08 at 03:34 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:36pm

Say something about what his hand movements were like as Valjean, lol.

Are we talking "Lin-Manuel in ITH" odd? 'Cos a rapping Valjean would be HILARIOUS!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:43pm

Can I talk about the stomach cramps instead?

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 3:50pm

But, but... he was feeling his shame inside him like a knife!

:p

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 4:42pm

He was too young to be Valjean. I'm sorry, but he was around the same age as older Cosette. Just weird to me.

And I know that there have been other young Valjeans. I don't like that, either.

I also didn't feel the emotional depth of the character. It was like he was just singing the notes. And, frankly, there have been better-sung Valjeans, as well.

Updated On: 6/29/08 at 04:42 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 5:23pm

The revival had some of the youngest Valjeans! Was Gemignani the second youngest to John Owen-Jones (that was a while ago that he was the "youngest")? And Drew Sarich is in his young thirties I believe, but he certain looked younger than Alex.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 5:27pm

I think he was. Gregory Calvin Stone is in that range, too.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 8:43pm

I think Alex was.... 27 when Les Miz started? Yeah that's hella young but he looked a lot older and he carried himself well so it worked. It was harder for Drew, I think. His voice is so youthful and he just sounds like a teenaged kid a lot of the time. And when he's in full makeup and wiggage he looks super young.

Sorry totally off tangent. I just pirated my own thread, lol. Anyway! Can someone please post some stage door pics of Alex from this afternoon?

[jennyish]

Posted: 6/29/08 at 9:58pm

Oh, I know the Boatman as a character is supposed to be weird. I meant it as a description of Alex's performance; should have been more specific. "Mannered" would have been a better word. I didn't feel like there was any meaning or emotion behind his lines. But then I was pleasantly surprised by his Dennis.