Can't believe Leap of Faith nominated, but Raul Esparza not- Page 2

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:53pm

I am sorry but Ghost is a FAR more creative musical and the material much stronger than Leap of Faith, same goes for Bonnie and Clyde.

Also this year is gonna be one dull telecast if its just the nominated shows performing.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 9:09pm

Any chance we might get a cast recording now? I would imagine that the list of nominated best musicals that didn't receive a cast recording is a small one. Updated On: 5/1/12 at 09:09 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:49pm

I know you are being sarcastic/gloating, CPD, but here is your answer: I’ve actually been away for the better part of the season, working out of town, and haven’t seen the vast majority of the nominees, including Leap of Faith –- so I really don't have much to say. The last time I saw Leap of Faith was more than two years ago, and I thought it had tremendous potential –- but it sounds like it’s a very different show now. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you had imagined them.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:00pm

I'm actually not gloating (too much). When this latest version of LOF was announced I thought the Raul should have flipped them the bird. He's given so much time and effort to this show and now they were bringing in mechanical creators to get it up fast and there was a real chance it could flop and embarrass those involved. He deserved better, I too thought this show had potential 6 years ago when I first heard Mr. E singing some of it. But the pot boiled way too long without a solution. I kinda wish Taylor Hackford had stayed, we might have seen something fresh instead of what's at the St. James right now.

[Copperfield2]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:05pm

I'm afraid not that many people find Bonnie and Clyde or Ghost creative. If Bonnie and Clyde were so wonderful it would still be running. It's hard to say how long Ghost will run.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:24pm

Well, thanks, it's appreciated. My show just opened so I am actually heading home to see it (and a few other things but not nearly enough to get caught up) this weekend. I have some opinions on what it seems like has happened to the show, but I'm trying not to go in with too much preconception. I'm curious to see where it's ended up, even if the end result after all of the hard work and all of the waiting is a disappointment. We shall see.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 1:29am

Raul sang well but didn't exactly come up with a convincing character. So I don't think
its wrong that he wasn't nominated. I think Leap of Faith was on to something (okay they didn't quite get it) and that is why it was nominated. The ensemble was terrific in that show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 5:47am

Totally agree that it
1. Shouldn't have been nominated
2. Is suprising to get no other noms and still be nominated.

It's more the 2nd thing that puzzles me more. How can it be one of the best if nothing about it was the best?

Lastly, as said in another thread, I don't really think this nomination has done the production ANYTHING but cost it more money -- to force it to stay open another month. They are scrambling for a few million dollars to be able to keep it open, which just doesn't make any sense to me. Let it die with 'some' dignity.

[ken8631]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 8:01am

Aren't average ticket prices for this show still in the twenty something dollar range? For a "Best Musical" Tony nominee? Is this unprecedented?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 8:15am

Well, considering that the nominations were just released yesterday, there is no way it cold impact sales yet.(Although nominations seldom make a discernable difference.)

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 8:38am

Back in 2003, there was a similar situation in the play category. Say Goodnight Gracie was nominated for Best Play, but received no other noms. Even more astounding was that it was a one-man show with Frank Gorshin playing George Burns, and Gorshin was not nominated.

[ken8631]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 8:42am

I'm assuming it didn't win? I could look it up, but I'm too lazy for that....

[Hank]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 1:13pm

Seeing what Raul is doing these days would be just about my only motivation to going see this show, which btw I never got around to.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 1:25pm

So looks like Swingin' on a Star was the last time for this to happen?

And it was nominated just so it could tour! Just like Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass. Clearly they would have sold out in Duluth.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 1:27pm

Raul has done and continues to do some amazing work on LOF. He should not be attacked so viciously by people. The role is almost impossible to conquer with material in almost every scene, a ton of singing, choreography etc. etc. What do people want? He didn't write the piece for God's sakes.

[EatTheBrownie]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 2:23pm

"Raul has done and continues to do some amazing work on LOF."

Your opinion, one that's in the minority. A lot of people think he's really miscast and doing absolutely nothing up there.

"He should not be attacked so viciously by people."

He's a Broadway star with a track record of being amazing on stage. He's not amazing in this show. Fans have every right to be disappointed. Thanks for telling us we have to accept mediocrity. Bad show or not, he could be a lot better up there.

"The role is almost impossible to conquer with material in almost every scene, a ton of singing, choreography etc. etc."

And yet, I'm sure, a handful of other actors would do a better job with it. Norbert Leo comes to mind as well as John Stamos. Raul is not charming, not funny, low energy, and Brantley is onto something with his second-rate Tina Turner impersonator comment about his voice in the show. The material isn't Sondheim. It's Alan Menken, dear.

"What do people want? He didn't write the piece for God's sakes."

A decent performance by a Broadway performer with a reputation of being engaging to watch no matter what the project. Raul is phoning this show in. People have the right to expect the world from an above the title name and have every right to be disappointed if that person doesn't deliver. It's called fame, my dear, and there are responsibilities that come with it.

[ken8631]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 2:28pm

Actually I thought his performance was great in this show, which wasn't great. He IS the reason to go see the show!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 2:30pm

I found him unlikeable -- and I continued to not like him. And if you don't like the protagonist, there isn't much hope for a show.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 3:20pm

EatMe... DEAR

[ken8631]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 4:55pm

I assume the people who don't like him in LOF also didn't like him in "Company". I thought he was also very good, if not excellent, there as well.

Also actually liked "Taboo".

[GatorNY]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 5:28pm

I just got back from the show and I thought he was brilliant. I think he deserved a nomination. I've not seen anything like Jonas' Soliloquy in quite some time. That alone was worth the price of my TDF ticket. I haven't seen Jordan in Newsies or Lewis in Porgy, but I would definitely say Esparza was better than Raines in Follies. As you will no doubt point out, these are of course, only my opinions. I'd actually love to see it again.

The show has some problems for sure. The first act just seemed to be visually sort of messy to me, with the tent going up and all. The second act worked well, and on the whole, the show really moved me. Maybe it's because I'm on the third day of a juice cleanse and all raw food diet, like Cameron and Mitchell on Modern Family. Yes, parts of it were kind of "corny" but I have no problem admitting that sometimes I like that kind of thing, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

[ken8631]

Posted: 5/3/12 at 8:26am

I'm still upset about it. Almost think the Tony voters have it in for him or something. Seems that people here either think he is great or horrible, not many in the "lukewarm" category....

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/3/12 at 2:04pm

I was surprised too, considering how good he was in it in LA...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/3/12 at 2:11pm

Yes, parts of it were kind of "corny" but I have no problem admitting that sometimes I like that kind of thing, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

"Corny" as in cheesy or "corny" as in Carol Channing?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/3/12 at 5:43pm

I disagree that Raul is the reason to see the show. He was literally my least favorite part. The reason to see the show is Jessica Phillips who, along with Leslie Odom, Jr, is the only one making the most of the material. Raul is even more self-aware in this role than he usually is. And Jonas' Soliloquy is a cheap knockoff of every other 11 o'clock ballad ever.

I don't know why people are so amazed that the show was nominated but Raul wasn't. Raul got terrible reviews. There were at least 7 men who were better reviewed than he was this year, and 5 of them were nominated. The show nomination was just that they needed to fill a spot. Leap of Faith got better reviews than Ghost. Its reviews were on par with those of Bonnie and Clyde, which is long closed. Spider-Man 2.0 had better reviews than Leap, but I doubt anyone on the nominating committee wanted to put that up for the top prize. And Lysistrata Jones lasted for such a short amount of time that I doubt it had a serious chance at a nomination. What's to be confused about?

Updated On: 5/7/12 at 05:43 PM