Darren Criss in Hedwig — Page 15

I ended up deciding to put my grudges against Darren to the side, and saw the show the night of the Supreme Court news. And I have to say, I was really happy I made the decision. Darren really surprised me, especially vocally. Though I wouldn't say that overall he was a "great Hedwig" but definitely a "good one" for sure.

My biggest issue with Darren's performance was his comic timing. Maybe it's because my past Hedwig's were MCH and JCM, both whom I thought got the comedy aspect of the role like complete bosses (along with the rest of the role, obviously), but Darren's comedic efforts felt very rushed. It seemed pretty obvious that he was suffering from the fear that he'd forget his lines, and thus raced through them at rapid speed, and in the process missed a few of the punchlines. He did though do an incredible job when it came to the dramatic aspects of the role, and was easily the angriest Hedwig I had seen. Also his overall performance when taking on Tommy was brilliant. He skyrocketed to my favorite Tommy that I've seen thus far, and brought new energy into that section of the show.

I also have to say that, next to JCM, Darren seemed the feel the most comfortable when taking on the "Punk Rock" energy of the role, probably due to his age. I really enjoyed whenever he would go into the more "hard" production numbers, like "Angry Inch" and "Exquisite Corpose". He definitely shined during those. Sadly, I think he was (like most have said) at his weakest during the slower songs, especially "Origin of Love". Was never truly terrible, but he didn't shine as much there as he did in the more upbeat/angsty numbers.

Overall, Darren was vocally a beast, and tried his hardest. Nothing to write home to mom about, but wasn't as bad as I expected, nor as bad as what he seemed to be doing during his first few performances. Now I'm beyond excited for Taye, who I know will take a while to get comfortable in the role, but I have hopes of bringing new energy into the show - and if Alan rumors are true, my #1 dream Hedwig will be crossed off the list.

Updated On: 7/21/15 at 11:43 AM

Thanks for doing all the work and sharing these numbers. I wanted to compare each actor's run but was too lazy in the end.

Curious how things will develop.

I hold no grudge against Darren. I wouldn’t say I am a fan of his, since I only paid attention to him after he was cast in Hedwig, especially since he preceded Taye (and I am a fan of Taye). But I do believe credit should be given, when earned. As I said before, being a college student, I couldn’t afford the trip to NYC to see the show. So based only on my listening to a couple of the audios of Darren, and watching the bootlegs videos of JCM (both off-Broadway and in the Broadway role) and of NPH, AR, JCM and DC, I personally think Darren was very, very good overall. So I stand by my personal view that he was “great.” (I couldn’t find a bootleg video of MCH, but I heard he was great in his dramatic acting; didn’t hear how funny he was until I read dfrillsnedit’s post, but I believe it.)

I preferred Darren’s dramatic acting over that of NPH and AR. I agree that his portrayal of Tommy is brilliant, the best behind JCM, in my opinion (again, didn’t see a bootleg of MCH). His singing was great, in my opinion, conveyed more emotion than NPH and Andrew. He sounded lovely (and emotional) in the slower ballad-type songs. I felt touched listening to them (“Wig in a Box,” “Wicked Little Town” and “Origin of Love” in particular touched me). I actually loved Darren’s “Origin of Love,” and one of my Hedwig friends agreed, that she thought he did wonderfully on it (she has seen NPH a couple of times in the role, AR once in the role, JCM six times, and DC three times; she’s a lucky New Yorker). I also agree he did the rock songs as well as they could be done, wonderful energy from him. But I respect if others disagree on the issues of dramatic acting and song performances, since it is highly subjective (not to mention grudges against and favoritism of the various actors do play a role).

I agree with you, dfrillsnedit, that Darren’s comic timing wasn’t as good as the others. I thought JCM and Neil especially were very funny. But I still laughed quite a bit during Darren’s bootleg. He didn’t fail to be funny overall, he just needs to improve.

Dfrillsnedit, I noticed you felt his Tommy portrayal was “brilliant,” and that he did “an incredible job” dramatically. You also stated he brought “new energy into that section [the Tommy section] of the show.” You said he was “vocally a beast,” and that he shined during the rock songs. Yet, you felt Darren’s performance was “nothing to write home to mom about,” just not “as bad as I expected.” This is really interesting to me, because reading your earlier statements about how his Tommy was “brilliant,” that he did “an incredible job” in his dramatic acting, I would say that is indeed a performance that Darren should be proud of. For me, the reason why I love this show the most is because of how it really touches me, how Hedwig’s struggle really touches me. The last 20 minutes of the show are the most important to me and thus the part that lingers in my memory, because of the emotional impact that is permanently made during that part of the show. Likewise, the emotional aspect of the music and whether the actor succeeds in touching me emotionally through his song performances are critical to whether or not I feel the actor has managed to connect emotionally with me in his portrayal of Hedwig. But I do realize for others, the comedy may be more central than what I consider to be the climax of the story line, which takes place in the last 20 minutes.

Amazing2, you may be opening a can of worms by asking why some folks hold a grudge aginst Darren. I'm sure some of the reasons are not even based on his actual performance in Hedwig. I prefer to focus on his performance in this musical. I agree with you, that I find it sad how others have attacked Darren in this thread, and that he is very talented. I hope he returns to Broadway again.

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 08:11 PM

John is the master. No doubt about this. I’ve seen others state this, and I agree with them, that in some ways, it’s unfair to compare the other actors, including Darren, to the master. Most Hedwig fans believe that none of the other Hedwig actors compare with John. But I do feel that Darren was a great Hedwig. Also, I don’t feel that the fact that Darren altered how he played Hedwig (angry versus less angry) depending on the night, reflects badly on Darren. Theater changes from night to night; this is something often intentionally chosen by the actors on the stage.

SingMeToSleep, thank you for taking the time to calculate the figures.

I agree with all the factors that you identify (the actor who plays Hedwig, the time of the year, including whether it is a high or low time for tourists and theater fans, the impact of the new shows. I agree, that as the show goes into the Fall (with Taye) and beyond that it will be more clear whether the show is sustaining a downward trend. I'm sure that the drop in Glee’s popularity also affected Darren’s numbers

I do believe that the new shows (the majority of which came out on or after March 15, 2015) have impacted the numbers for Hedwig in 2015, which affected Darren’s numbers and a few weeks of John’s numbers. As a fan of Taye, I am concerned they may affect Taye’s numbers. Seven of the 13 new shows in 2015 made their first appearance on Broadway in the month of March. Four of these seven new shows made their first appearance on March 15 (An American in Paris, Finding Neverland, Hand to God, and The King and I).

During John’s run, during the week ending March 22, the numbers went down more than just some. They took a significant dip. In the preceding week (ending March 15), he brought in a gross of $604,849. The following week ending March 22, he brought in a gross of $421,691, a difference of $183,158. So the show took in 30% less than the prior week. Compare this to the gross weekly amount for the week ending in January 4, 2015 of $777,340 (I’m guessing the numbers increased in part because of the winter holidays) and the gross weekly dollars for the following week ending in January 11, 2015 ($626,117), when the show had a drop of 20% less gross weekly dollars than the preceding week (this was during Michael’s run). So the timing does suggest the new shows that made their first appearance on March 15 significantly impacted the numbers for the week ending March 22.

The difference in gross % potential between the week ending March 15 (79.85%) and the week ending March 22 (55.67%) was 24.18%, the largest drop between two weeks within a single actor's run for the time Hedwig has been on Broadway. The difference in capacity (percentage of seats sold) between the week ending March 15 and the week ending March 22 was 18.9%, the second highest drop in attendance between two weeks within a single actor's run (the highest being between the week ending August 31 and the week ending September 7, which was 23.3%, during Andrew’s run).

Updated On: 7/27/15 at 02:45 AM

"^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SAdNuhZT3M"

I shot that video, my YouTube ID is IndieCabaretNYC. Alan comped me a ticket and allowed me to film that entire performance as long as I sent him a couple of dvds. It was a late night show at Joe's Pub on a Monday night around 11:30. Besides the Hedwig medley he did a wide range of songs that showed his range. He really would be a great Hedwig.

Ok, sorry cascade, I misunderstood. I've always liked it when stage actors make interesting changes on different nights of performances.

I'm glad that you are seeing Taye too, cascade. I hope to see your comments on his performance in the Taye thread. Yes, I hope Taye can bring in good numbers, since he is pretty well known. If the numbers are not as good as expected, I agree that it won't be a bad reflection on Taye, but rather as you said, that the show is further in its run, competing with the new shows.

RussT2, that must had been such an enjoyable experience, filming Alan. Thanks for posting that video.

Updated On: 7/22/15 at 04:14 PM

This isn't a fan board (except broadly for fans of Broadway). I come here for honest assessments of shows and performances. That includes harsh opinions expressed harshly (and positive ones expressed gushingly). I put all these opinions in the hopper along with my own history and taste, and decide what to see.

And I thought Darren's performance was one of the worst professional live performances I've ever seen. Embarrassing is, in my opinion, completely accurate. Others disagree. This is fine. This is life. This is art. All this hand-wringing about why people don't like Darren and making it out to be some personal attempt to "tear him down" is tedious and belongs on a Darren fan board. If I only wanted to read positive opinions a particular show or performer, I'd skip this place. That's not what it's for.

Also, Sami7, to you specifically, you're admittedly a Glee fan who only came to Hedwig because of Criss. Consider the possibility Darren's critics genuinely see things differently than you--no need to ascribe ulterior motives. We just didn't like his performance. That doesn't change or lessen your enjoyment of his performance. I have no interest in doing that.

It's a big wide world out there with lots of opinions, and people can have perfectly good reasons for disagreeing with yours. People who can't handle that without making up weird motivations for other people's opinions should probably stay away from these boards.

. . . I’m not even a “Darren fan,” but snide comments made in an attempt to offend are tedious too. I come here for honest opinions expressed analytically, which I am seeing in the Taye thread. Some in this thread seem to go out of their way to offend and insult, as if they find it amusing to do so. But of course it's their right to voice their views. Frankly, whenever they post, I think it backfires on them, because it diminishes their credibility. It creates an impression that the person who is posting is basing his/her views out of personal bias. Darren’s performance was one of the worst professional live performances ever seen by you? You are entitled to your opinion of course. Hyperbole does come to mind when reading the wording. When one speaks so extremely, I read the rest of this post with a grain of salt, much as I would if someone gushed that Darren is absolutely the most perfect actor devoid of any flaws who was ever viewed in a live performance. No one in this thread or any other thread ever has an ulterior motive for bashing a celebrity? This is the utopia of anonymous internet boards then. Especially in the case of a person whose post is very strongly worded, bias will be suspected. This goes for statements made against other performers beside Darren. Yes of course people may have good reasons to critique Darren or any other performer. But when one uses highly charged, malicious language with the knowledge that it will likely offend, rather than to calmly discuss the performance, then I give little, if no, credit to the person expressing his or her opinion. If one cannot handle people questioning the rationale for one’s post due to their choice of language, then perhaps one may want to word it in a way that is less overwrought, less hyperbolic, less of a broad, all-encompassing statement. Or perhaps just learn to deal with it, as Darren fans are learing to deal with some of the statements that have been made in this thread. Or perhaps just stay away, as has been suggested to Darren fans. Again, Darren fans, do not let it bother you.

Updated On: 7/23/15 at 02:22 AM

Mariel9, thank you for expressing that. I've kept most of my detailed opinions about DC's Hedwig to myself as criticism of him seems to inspire his fans to create detailed psychological profiles of those who don't like this performance. I'm a dedicated Hedhead, never saw DC in anything before this and I found his performance to indeed be embarrassing. It is not hyperbole on my part. I found myself slipping down in my seat watching him, cringing at many of his choices. It broke my heart to see my beloved show in his hands, truly.

But that's my opinion. I'm certainly entitled to it and there are many who disagree with me, including Stephen Trask who has spent the last three months on Twitter waxing DC's ass. There's much more I could say about my history with this show and why it is so dear to me, but why should I have to tell my life story to explain why I didn't like one person's performance?

Updated On: 7/23/15 at 11:01 AM

". But in the end I think, especially with this particular show, it comes down to a visceral response. "

This.

There is nothing "wrong" or "right" with a visceral response either way, because if that is the thing than all praise of fans who had a strong connection with Darren Criss performance should be also discounted.

Your fave is unfairly maligned? Try telling Maria Callas or Patti Lupone fans that.
I understand personal reactions to scathing reviews ("an embarrassment", "the worst ever") but sorry, even when my faves get them I can dismiss them as in not agreeing, which is fine, but I don't have to rationalize a whole conspiracy to discount them. I thought Matthew Broderick was simply horrible in his last show and I don't think I have to apologize for it.

"Loving" or "hating" a performance is as much a theater going experience as anything , that's why live performances are thrilling and risky that way because of the audience. So all this talk of "consensus" or "general thinking" leaves me cold as if any criticism or praise outside of some established norm is automatically suspect. I know some theater buffs who can't stand Audra's singing.

Coddling the Darren Criss fans so that they can perpetuate the myth that their favorite is the only unfairly maligned performer out there and that any strong negative reactions is because of a specific ax to grind is tedious.

Updated On: 7/23/15 at 12:33 PM

I find nothing wrong with a visceral reaction. We all have it when watching certain performances by certain actors. But one's visceral reaction often varies according to different parts of the show. To make a broad statement that the entire performance is an embarrassment smacks of hyperbole to me. I may have a visceral reaction to a performer's dramatic acting as being primarily negative, but that his comic timing is good. I may have a visceral reaction that I love the way a certain actor performs Wig In A Box, but dislike the way he performs Exquisite Corpse. I may like the way an actor does improvisation, but dislike how he performs certain scripted parts. The statements of some people in this thread strike me as extreme and hyperbolic. That's my opinion. I'm not going to "coddle" them by not stating my opinion.

skies, I have no problem, and I would be surprised if Darren's fans do not either, with people disliking DC's performance. No one is asking for a unanimous consensus on this. You misinterpret what I have said if you think that is my point. I'm talking about the way one expresses his or her opinion. I tend to value opinions that at least give the appearance of some objectivity and that are not emotionally-charged. I tend to find it embarrassing (on behalf of the person posting) when one expresses himself/herself in a way that is highly charged, knowing full well that it will offend, rather than be informational. You don't like an actor's interpretation and execution of his interpretation of Hedwig, fine. But don't pretend that saying an actor's performance is an embarrassment and that he "can't get out of this show fast enough for me" is not phrased in such a way to achieve offense, as opposed to phrasing it differently by stating that you felt his performance was inferior or lacking.

I'm not interested in a competition of which celebrities are most unfairly maligned. I have never stated DC is the most attacked performer on this board. To do so would be hyperbolic, which I try to avoid. Of course other performers have received vitriolic insults. No one has argued otherwise. DC fans have been treated the opposite of being coddled. It's laughable to say others have coddled them in this thread. Rather, it seems that those who engage in an insulting choice of words are the ones asking to be coddled, because of how offended they seem that anyone would dare to question their rationale for the extreme way they choose to express their opinions.

I didn't watch Glee or follow it. I have no idea what happened within the Glee fandom. I'm also someone who didn't follow Darren, except to follow how he was doing in Hedwig (and that is primarily because he preceded Taye, who I am a fan of). I wouldn't say I am a "Darren fan." Speaking for myself, with no knowledge of what happened within the Glee fandom or what kind of treatment Darren received before he performed in Hedwig, I find the way some people express their opinions in this thread to be offensive. It's my right to call them out, just as it's their right to phrase their opinions in whichever way they choose. Hedwiginch, I agree that I personally don't care if someone doesn't like Darren's performance. I never expected a consensus about this, or a consensus about any of the Hedwig actors. I merely object to the way certain people express themselves in this thread, which is a manner that appears designed to offend, and which is to be contrasted with the way people have expressed their views in the Taye thread, which is stated in an even manner. If people are going to be outraged because they believe Darren fans are being coddled, then I'm saying that those people should not expect to be coddled either. It should not be a surprise when people call them out when they phrase their words in such a way that will cause offense. Hedwiginch, I agree, I think we (those who are Darren fans, those who hate his performance in Hedwig and wish to express their hate in certain ways, and myself, who is neither) should try to not get our feathers ruffled.

Updated On: 7/23/15 at 05:45 PM

The problem is Phan2, they actually do object to any negative comments on his performance. Personally I don't give a flying fig about Glee and it's fandoms when it comes to Hedwig.

When someone posts what they didn't like about Darren Criss performance we've gotten a refutation as to why the peformance does work mutliple times on this thread as a counter point. Which is OK I guess, but let's not pretend they welcome any dissenting opinions.

Again, I don't see why opinons have to follow within your prescribed category. I've seen fans gush about every aspect of Actor X's peformance and seen fans bash every aspect of Actor Y's performance. If someone , as I've read here, says that Darren is the best Hedwig with the best singing and acting and the prefer him to NPH, for example, that' s fine. They don't have to follow your box. If someone tells me that Patti Lupone walks on water, f*** it I'm taking that as gospel. If they trash my Lupone, well I sure as damn don't agree but whatever.

Of course I don't' like when a fans opinion is presented rudely (I should know with what my faves go through) and one has the perogative to dismiss it, but again, that's not unique to Darren. Someone saying they find his performance embarassing is THEIR opinion, and of course it's up to you to rationalize that is beyond rude and beyond normal rational comprehension, even for a "non Darren" fan like yourself.

BTW your take on a "visceral reaction" split up into different parts to be compartmentalized actually is to me the antithesis of the term.

Updated On: 7/23/15 at 06:14 PM

@Carlos..... Yo se lo que fue que te gusto. So don't even try it.