Darren Criss in Hedwig- Page 8

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 4:40pm

"It's an eye-rolling problem that extends beyond him…"

A lot of us have become more familiar with eye rolling since you joined… today.

[unapologettically]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 4:42pm

""It's an eye-rolling problem that extends beyond him…"

A lot of us have become more familiar with eye rolling since you joined… today."

 Such flattery! I like you, too!

[SDV]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 5:01pm

I think I was watching Michael in Hedwig the other day, and saw it there. My mistake, my apologies.

no worries, Jane! Cerveris or Hall?

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 5:26pm

Cerveris. Never saw Hall.

[notalwaysontime]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 6:22pm

"The only reason Darren has had to say he's straight in a ton of interviews is because he played a gay teenager in Glee and so every single interviewer asked about his sexual orientation."

 Not to mention the uncomfortable, disrespectful degree to which fans of Kurt and Blaine would not just ship Darren and Chris, but push "crisscolfer" onto them. tbh, I think he keeps saying it in hopes that some of them will get it through their heads and stop saying really inappropriate things to the two of them. (An Example being the fan who tweeted a very graphic pronographic drawing of Chris and Darren to them once)

Updated On: 5/1/15 at 06:22 PM

[snl89]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 6:23pm

Sorry to randomly pop in after years of not posting (I've been lurking though! As someone who's a big Broadway AND Darren fan, I do appreciate seeing opinions from regular theater goers who are coming at it primarily as fans of the show itself).

But after reading these last few pages I just couldn't hold off anymore on saying: 

"The only reason Darren has had to say he's straight in a ton of interviews is because he played a gay teenager in Glee and so every single interviewer asked about his sexual orientation."

^THIS. 

It baffles me when some people can't pick up (or maybe just refuse to) on the fact that it is virtually always the interviewers who hammer in the "he's straight! He's a straight guy playing gay!" thing. 

I have watched a whole bunch of Darren interviews through the last few years, and the one and only time that I can think of where he even remotely might have come across as "playing up the straight" was the recent playbill interview where he mentioned checking out girls, and honestly, I don't think that if he did happen to be gay and said he checked out guys, that people would find anything wrong with that. 

I've also never seen him actually refer to himself as a "gay/queer straight guy"... I know that he explained, right after he had first started on Glee, about his upbringing and the fact that he had a lot of queer cultural influence (which is true- he grew up doing theater in SF and hung out in The Castro, I mean really now), and again, I can think of exactly one video where the interviewer basically suggested he was quite a "queer straight guy" and he agreed, and that's it. 

The point is: Darren himself very, very rarely ever brings up his sexuality OR being "a queer straight guy" on his own. Practically every time I have seen these arguments that he "won't stop mentioning how straight he is", it is very clearly the interviewer who brings up the question, and I have to wonder what people expect him to do... refuse to answer? 

When he first came on Glee he explained that he wanted to make it known he was straight simply because he felt like it would leave him in a better position to be an ally than if he was unnecessarily evasive about it.  

 

ANYWAY. 

I was enjoying reading this thread when it was actually people giving their opinions on *gasp* his performance in the show and not trying to find reasons to make him out as some "frat boy douche". Any chance it could get back to that? 

I for one love hearing him sing these beautiful songs :) I definitely got very attached to JCM's voice on them, so even for me as a big Darren fan it took some getting used to hearing Darren's versions, but after a few listens I can appreciate Darren's take on them vocally a lot. 

The accent does need work, for sure, but in fairness I think JCM just makes it SEEM a lot easier than it probably is! So I'm sure he'll get there. I'm sure he'll grow in the role acting wise as well- I really can't imagine it's at all easy following up the brilliance that is JCM's Hedwig! Like... how can you even come close to that, especially in terms of his brilliant comedic timing and ability to play off the audience?

 

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 6:37pm

Who cares if he's gay or straight? So what? 

jeebus

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 9:13pm

I don't know that I think he's right for the role, but I enjoyed the sound of him singing the songs, albeit in clips somewhat out of context. Before his GLEE fame, when he was just an indie YouTube guy with an acoustic EP, he had a very light, airy indie-pop voice. Glee tried really hard to make him into a louder, more forceful presence, but it looks like he's reverted to his natural stylings more in this show. Whether it works for the character or not, I don't know...

[hedheading]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 9:21pm

I genuinely can't believe how much judgement is being passed based off bootlegs in this thread. I had the fortune of seeing two of the Hedwigs live (Andrew and Michael) and the boots of both of them don't compare at all to what I heard in person. I mean I guess if it's all you have to go on..... but I don't think we should judge so harshly on some low quality boot recordings. just my opinion. 

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 12:35am

"Who cares if he's gay or straight? So what? 
jeebus"

 

Seriously.

[steven22]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 12:40am

Any discount codes out for this now?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 1:19am

I'm definitely planning to wait til like late June early July to see Darren, give him so time to get into the groove of things.

 

super curious to see the grosses for this week, also super bummed they reverted back to matinees on saturdays and no late shows (whomp)

[chewy5000]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 7:37am

Oh Steve, dear, you won't be able to distract us that easily.

[alliesinger]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 10:21am

"Guys, chill.  You all said you'd be cool today, so please."

 Excellent comment! Points to you. 

[timisimaginary]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 11:15am

maybe someday we'll be able to see a straight person play a gay role without being accused of being secretly gay. it's funny how it never happens the other way. i can't recall anyone ever accusing NPH of being secretly straight after he played a raging straight guy on tv for several years.

[RussT2]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 1:06pm

I've never seen Glee, and I had no idea who Darren Criss was until he was announced to be taking over for JCM. After JCM's last performance I was invited to go backstage with my bf and also to the after party. It was pretty crowded and Darren was getting a plate of food and we started chatting about his nail polish. He was very sweet (and tiny!) and my gaydar did not ping. At all. He was IMHO very nice and friendly. Even when I ran into him later on my way out he was cool, took my phone so he could take some selfies with me. Who cares if he's straight? So what. It's ACTING. I'm going to take my nephew to see him in the show next month. He's a big GLEE and Darren Criss fan.

Updated On: 5/2/15 at 01:06 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 1:29pm

OY STOP WITH THE IS HE GAY OR STRAIGHT and enjoy this stunning day!

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 3:04pm

Getting back to the topic of this thread has anyone seen him after his opening and if so how was he?

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 4:13pm

I don't know but he does always like a warm hand on his opening.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 4:15pm

Gay or straight, who doesn't love a good scrim job?

[SweetLips]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 5:51pm

Straight to gay story. A straight friend of mine[ a motorcycle cop] was cast as the lead in The Rocky Horrror Show. As he had never had a m/m experience he felt it would add 'reality' to the role if he 'tried IT' so he asked me.   After a few drinks for courage, we did, and he went on to get rave reviews and has since been back for further tuition---go figure--what is he now?? Confused,bi ?? Let's ask Philly.

I THINK this has something to do with this thread--doesn't it?

[Monty12112]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 10:28pm

I saw Darren tonight in Hedwig.   I thought he did a good job.  The only other Hedwig I have seen was NPH.  They both had their own styles and I did not get any sense that he was trying to imitate anyone but bring his own interpretation to the character (in a good way).  The show was very enjoyable.  A job very well done Darren!

 

In case anyone was wondering about stage door.  By the time I left the theater there was a mob of people waiting at the stage door (mostly young girls). 

Updated On: 5/2/15 at 10:28 PM

[karen24]

Posted: 5/4/15 at 1:35pm

For the poster who was asking about discounts: there is a discount up now on Broadwaybox.com. "Tickets just $49 - $89; Valid for performances through July 18, 2015."

I got tickets to see this at the matinee on 5/16. I have never seen this live before, only the film. I'm sorry I didn't get to see JCM in the role on Broadway - I live upstate and couldn't work it out. But I'll be interested to see what Criss is like. I am a little nervous about being surrounded by screaming Gleeks (I will admit I enjoyed him on Glee, but as I'm 55 I'm not exactly swooning over him the way the young girls are!) However, my son ushers at Blue Man Group and says he has lots of experience dealing with teenage girls and he'll help fend them off if necessary

I'll be happy to report back and let you all know my impressions. (Also seeing Something Rotten that night which should make for an interesting day of theater!)

 

[pitfever]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 8:18pm

Well, this reviewer, plus a few people on the comment section, loved it.  That's good to know... :)

http://www.thebacklot.com/review-darren-criss-takes-on-hedwig/05/2015/

 

 

 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 9:45pm

FYI, John Cameron Mitchell told Out.com that he's especially excited that Darren Criss is taking over the role of Hedwig because Darren's a musician and he's from San Francisco. Mitchell says: “He grew up in the gayest city in the world, and it’s rubbed off. He’s the sweetest, hippest straight queer boy on the block.”

Darren Criss makes Out.com's Hot List

Updated On: 5/7/15 at 09:45 PM