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Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

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#1

Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:43pm

I never cared for Mother's Younger Brother from Ragtime. I felt like he was a very serious character but that he was being used as comic relief at the same time, and it just wasn't working, especially with the voice-cracking delivery on the OBCR. Then, I saw Bobby Steggert at the Kennedy Center, and he completely stole the show for me!

I always hated Eponine in the musical version of Les Miserables, although I liked her in the novel. She always struck me as so whiny, and she takes up so much stage time that could be used to develop Cosette-- a much more important character in the book. Hopefully, I find an actress who changes the way I feel about her someday. Though Les Mis is probably my favorite musical, I feel sick every time I have to hear "On My Own."
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
#2

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:53pm

Hmmm, I usually don't see that many different casts.

But, the character of Glinda in Wicked... I loved the performances from all the actresses I've seen but never truly liked the character until Alli Mauzey played it, if that made sense.
2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5 May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot
#5

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 10:04pm

I like the Manoel Felciano/retarded adult Toby leagues better than the Edward Sanders/"consi'ah yahself well in" Toby.

I hated the Baker in Into the Woods until I saw a local production that made him a lot less of a cuckholded, neurotic wimp.

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08
#6

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 10:11pm

Although I love Shelley, I thought Jan Neuberger squeezed more humanity out of Madame Morrible. I enjoyed both ladies, but Jan sort of re-christened it when I caught her in it.

I also saw Laura Benanti's understudy in "Gypsy!" and thought she brought more restraint and fragility to the second act, and not in an inappropriate. I thought her take on the character, by the end of the play managed to be even more believable. Laura handled the sex siren aspect of the character better though - wow! Wow wow! :::wipes up dribble:::
2010

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)

#8

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 10:57pm

Katie Rose Clarke (Wicked Tour) made Galinda a much more dynamic character for me. I was tired of the shallow Galinda. Katie really did a nice job with this role.
"i had no idea billy elliot was about one boy's triumph over epilepsy."-FindingNamo
#11

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:11pm

To be honest, the original interpretation of the Emcee in Cabaret does nothing at all for me. I find it to be bland and pointless... but then this little genius by the name of Sam Mendes met up with another genius by the name of Alan Cumming, and the character of the Emcee was recreated into an iconic symbol of the broadway stage. My main problem with the original Emcee was that he was just a puppet, Alan/Mendes's Emcee was a highly sex driven, fammanine (sp?), physically comedian. Finally, the Emcee found a personality.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
#12

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:11pm

I didn't not like Herbie, but I do think Boyd Gaines made him more of a fully developed human character.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad
#13

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:13pm

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Here's some pictures just to give you a little taste of it.


Original Emcee

"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
#16

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:34pm

I agree with the Emcee. I often ponder how in the world Joel Grey won a Tony and an Oscar for that performance. I appreciate it for what it is and I suppose in those days it was more shocking, but I found his performance, at least in the film, to be very tame. I also find it fascinating that Joel won for best featured actor and Alan Cumming won best actor. I'm not exactly sure how or why that happened, and it may have something to do with the producer's campaigning and what not, but I think it does sort of play up the reinterpretation of the character and how Joel was just sort of there and Alan's Emcee was much more brooding and omnipresent.
#17

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:46pm

It's really unfair to compare either to the other, because they're essentially totally different characters.

But I really think you're missing the point with Grey's emcee. The character is totally a puppet. A sort of mindless, automat. He doesn't seem to think for himself; it appears he is subservient to someone else or an ideology.

I mean...this is a show about Nazism!

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 11:46 PM

#18

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/15/09 at 11:47pm

Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls.. Jenna Russell's interpretation in the West End production of it totally changed that role in my eyes

also

June and Louise -- Leigh Ann Larkin & Laura Benanti
.. enough said.
"Art matters. You make it happen, and it becomes a priority, not on the periphery, absolutely essential to life." -Alice Ripley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The sitting together of notes, the sitting together of words has by their very nature a puzzle aspect. It's the creation of form out of chaos." - Stephen Sondheim
#19

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:40am

And, since this is a similar topic, as far as Actors I never liked until I saw them in a certain role, which is what I originally thought this thread was about, I would say Stephanie J. Block. I purposefully avoided the Wicked tour when she was on it and used to HATE her voice. Then, I saw her in 9 to 5 and was blown away. I love her now. It was funny how my opinion of her changed so totally after I saw her as Judy.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#20

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/16/09 at 1:45am

Roger in Rent always annoyed me until i saw Will Chase's interp

and although i've only seen one production of bare, i've heard several recordings and never liked nadia until i saw the show in chicago. it wasn't the greatest production, but the actress that played nadia found so much depth for the character that never seemed to be there before.
#23

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/16/09 at 2:25am

... but then this little genius by the name of Sam Mendes met up with another genius by the name of Alan Cumming, and the character of the Emcee was recreated into an iconic symbol of the broadway stage. My main problem with the original Emcee was that he was just a puppet

1) Part of the whole point is that he is a puppet.
2) Are you saying Harold Prince isn't a genius?

I love both interpretations. They both make for a radically different show, but both are equally powerful.
"One no longer loves one's insight enough once one communicates it."

The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.
#25

re: Characters You Never Liked Until You Saw A Different Interpretation

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:51am

Hamlet! I never used to like the dithery little nonce, but then David Tennant had his unfortunate back injury. And it was unfortunate, and it was a shame, but for me, it was far from the worst thing in the world to ever happen - understudy Edward Bennett was awesome enough that he managed to make me like the little toad! None of the others I've seen have managed to achieve that, so it's a special gift Bennett has. He also made me not *completely* hate the ending of A Midsummer Night's Dream. How ridiculously likable can one man get?!
Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:51 AM

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