Andrew Garfield wants to return to Broadway with SUNDAY IN THE PARK
Posted: 2/28/22 at 9:54pm
Feb. 28 - Looped, Feb. 28 - Next to Normal, March 4 - Hair, March 11 - A Little Night Music, March 24 - Time Stands Still, April 6 - La Cage Aux Folles, April 10 - Anyone Can Whistle (City Center), April 10 - Looped, May 9 - Enron, May 15 - A Little Night Music, May 15 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Little Night Music, June 20 - A Little Night Music, June 23 - Red, June 23 - Sondheim on Sondheim, July 13 - A Little Night Music, July 18 - The Grand Manner (Lincoln Center)
Posted: 2/28/22 at 9:55pm
I realize it was just a few years ago that they did a very limited run of this with Jake Gyllenhal and Annaleigh Ashford, but I would love to see Garfield in that role, and IMO the more Sondheim on broadway, the better.
Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:02pm
Andrew was just last week on Graham Norton saying how he’s not sure he’d be up for a stage musical.
Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:03pm
Bigserver1 wrote in part: ".the more Sondheim on broadway, the better."
Amen.
Would love to see Annaleigh back.
Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:07pm
Garfield is obviously an incredibly talented actor, but I'm not sure he has the vocal chops to take this role on. There's clearly a bit of pitch correction giving him a hand in TTB. If the rumors of him playing Franklin Shephard in Merrily are true, I think that role is more suited to his vocal abilities.
Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:40pm
Andrew trained vocally for TTB. He learned to sing the songs he was to sing, nothing else. He’s not a trained singer nor a natural singer so singing 8 times a week, especially a principal role AND a Sondheim score is unrealistic. Just because he mentioned it doesn’t mean he’d do it if it’s offered. This is why Emily Blunt won’t ever do a stage musical. She knows her vocal abilities are limited and singing on stage 8 times a week is far beyond what she’s capable of.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 12:10am
Love Garfield, but no. Not as George.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 12:38am
No, he wouldn't hold a candle to Jake Gyllyenhaal, that was close to perfection. and I'm still pissed the film didn't get the greenlight
Posted: 3/1/22 at 12:42am
Posted: 3/1/22 at 7:31am
SouthernCakes said: "I didn’t find Jake close to perfection at all. Actually didn’t really care for Annaleigh either. And I say that as a big fan of both. I’d rather see Carmen Cusack and Andrew. I don’t think it’s that vocally demanding of a show for George. I’m a singer and think it’s def more of an acting role. It stays pretty baritone, no?"
Garfield might make a good Arthur in CAMELOT
Posted: 3/1/22 at 8:45am
Sunday was supposed to open at the Savoy before Covid hit, maybe producers could tempt him with the idea of playing George in London if the transfer ever happens
Posted: 3/1/22 at 8:58am
SouthernCakes said: "I don’t think it’s that vocally demanding of a show for George. I’m a singer and think it’s def more of an acting role. It stays pretty baritone, no?"
I’m inclined to disagree, but then again, I played the role when in youth theatre when I was 17, so I’m sure that factored into it. Plus I was naturally more of a baritenor at the time, and the role is on the high end of that range, with several Gs and F#. Saying that now, I guess it doesn’t sound so bad - by the time I finished college I didn’t have much trouble with Gs, but at the time it was difficult. It was also made more difficult by the fact that George’s highest and most difficult notes sort of come out of nowhere, so it’s difficult to lead up to them.
Not to mention, it’s a deceptively relentless role. Almost always onstage, and while a lot of that is spent silently observing, there’s also quite a lot of singing and emotional acting. And while it might not be a bunch of belted high notes, it’s still difficult material. It’s very intricate music, and requires a lot of hard-earned precision.
I remember being pretty pretty exhausted physically, emotionally, and vocally by the time I got to the final scene, at which point I STILL had to do Lesson #8 and Move On.
But like I said, I was 17, so take that how you will.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 9:35am
He was attached to the MERRILY headed to NYTW, but heard he'd since left it. Shame, cuz I think that role would fit him well and not be as vocally taxing perhaps as George.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 10:03am
Again, check out his comments on Graham Norton’s show. It sounded like a live musical definitely isn’t something that was going to happen any time soon.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 11:18am
Dollypop said: "SouthernCakes said: "I didn’t find Jake close to perfection at all. Actually didn’t really care for Annaleigh either. And I say that as a big fan of both. I’d rather see Carmen Cusack and Andrew. I don’t think it’s that vocally demanding of a show for George. I’m a singer and think it’s def more of an acting role. It stays pretty baritone, no?"
Garfield might make a good Arthur in CAMELOT
"
Mordred perhaps.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 11:30am
He is an excellent actor, but my ears are still ringing from his high-pitched screeching and flailing about as Prior Walter. There was much to like about that performance, but also much to criticize.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:59pm
JayElle said: "Bigserver1 wrote in part: ".the more Sondheim on broadway, the better."
Amen.
Would love to see Annaleigh back."
No thank you - thought Annaleigh was wrong for Dot and did not like her performance at all. Now bring on Carmen Cusack and Jake!!!
Posted: 3/1/22 at 6:05pm
Agreed. Ashford is great, but I didn't care for her in this role either. I want Cusack and someone else, Josh Henry?
Posted: 3/1/22 at 7:02pm
Settle down Mr Garfield.
Posted: 3/2/22 at 12:45am
SouthernCakes said: "I didn’t find Jake close to perfection at all. Actually didn’t really care for Annaleigh either. And I say that as a big fan of both. I’d rather see Carmen Cusack and Andrew. I don’t think it’s that vocally demanding of a show for George. I’m a singer and think it’s def more of an acting role. It stays pretty baritone, no?"
Baritones have done it, but I believe it goes up to Ab4 and generally lives in a tessatura right in the typical baritone pessagio. It’s typically a tenor role. An untrained baritone would definitely have difficulty singing it.
Posted: 3/2/22 at 12:53am
Jordan Catalano said: "Andrew was just last week on Graham Norton saying how he’s not sure he’d be up for a stage musical."
Have that taped and planning on watching it later today.
Posted: 3/2/22 at 1:45am
Vocally, I don't think it's demanding. The way like a Elphaba or Evita would be. It's a lot, sure, but I can't think of any Sondheim shows that are vocally demanding. It's an actor heavy rule. I don't think you need a super strong singer.
Posted: 3/2/22 at 3:27am
If demanding means hitting the highest notes or singing the loudest then maybe it’s not that kind of demanding (though of course there are moments throughout the cannon), but I think Sondheim is demanding in a different kind of way - such as navigating complex and unusual melodies, rhythms, harmonies especially when there is multiple people singing at once. And especially if you’re trying to achieve perfection, as Sondheim apparently did. I could list a lot of examples but on the topic of Sunday Dot is a good example, that title song “there are worse things” is not speaking but actual tuned notes and to be able to hit the pitch of each note accurately and maintain the right rhythm is not exactly a walk in the park (pun intended). Or Passion Fosca the Melodies in Eg I Read are quite striking and something that really has to be learned well because the melody does not flow in an obvious way that songs such as Defying Gravity do. Or the quartet in Sweeney with Anythony/Johanna/Turpin/Beadle is notoriously difficult to get right.
Because Sondheim casts on Broadway are always so professional and often have worked with Sondheim who apparently was a perfectionist it all looks so well done and easy but I realised after watching amateur or some regional shows and looking through the sheet music that it really can be a struggle.
Posted: 3/2/22 at 7:42am
At present, the only big stars I'm yearning to see in this show are Bradley Cooper and Gaga, who could not be more ideal for it.
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