Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play? - Page 3
Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
CT2NYC
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/7/17
#50Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 2:33pm
Lin-Manuel Miranda said: "First of all, I wake up changing diapers, and don't start rapping til after lunch.
I'll leave it to you all to debate where Hamilton goes in the all-time pantheon (Valjean and Frankie Valli are ROUGH, and I'd put Hedwig up at the top) but my two cents: You know the old line how Ginger Rogers does everything Astaire does, but backwards and in heels? That's Aaron Burr in this show. Burr's track is more physically demanding and Hamilton's is more vocally demanding in my opinion. And Lafayette/Jefferson and Angelica are tied for trickiest verbal passages.
Okay, carry on, happy Sunday!"
Lin has spoken. I guess that answers that question!!!
#51Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 2:42pm
Lin-Manuel Miranda said: "First of all, I wake up changing diapers, and don't start rapping til after lunch.
I'll leave it to you all to debate where Hamilton goes in the all-time pantheon (Valjean and Frankie Valli are ROUGH, and I'd put Hedwig up at the top) but my two cents: You know the old line how Ginger Rogers does everything Astaire does, but backwards and in heels? That's Aaron Burr in this show. Burr's track is more physically demanding and Hamilton's is more vocally demanding in my opinion. And Lafayette/Jefferson and Angelica are tied for trickiest verbal passages.
Okay, carry on, happy Sunday!"
Well that settles that argument
#52Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 3:11pmIs one of? YES! Is it THE? No.
Alex Kulak2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/16
#53Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 3:57pm
Love or hate the show, I don't think anyone can deny that Evan Hansen is one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging musical theatre roles ever written.
Mediamaven2
Featured Actor Joined: 4/28/16
#54Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 4:09pm
RicardoMagon said: "But then why not just re-install the 8 shows a week after he left the cast?"
Why ‘re-install’ if it was never that way to begin with? It would be a matter of changing it after the show’s originator in the role had his go for a year. Javier performed 1x a week alternate to LMM; only seems right that when he takes over the role there’s similarly an alternate for him. And besides, with all the multiple productions going on around the country (and the world), it’s a pretty good grooming ground for up and comers /future Hamiltons.
#55Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 4:27pm
Alex Kulak2 said: "Love or hate the show, I don't think anyone can deny that Evan Hansen is one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging musical theatre roles ever written."
I think it's up there but I wouldn't go quite that far. I think Ben Platt was good at making it seem like it's hardest role ever written with his taking out those articles talking about how much he is suffering during the run of the show. A little melodramatic if you ask me. Evan Hansen is no Evita Peron
John Adams
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/1/13
#56Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 5:04pm
"one of the most demanding male roles"?
Yes. But I think there are some equally demanding roles (for different reasons):
- Don Lockwood in Singin' In The Rain - rarely leaves the stage and is constantly dancing in almost every scene, plus numerous costume changes
- John Adams in 1776 - again, in rarely leaves the stage, and has a very similar intensity as Hamilton.
- Harold Hill in The Music Man - always on stage
- Michael in I Do! I Do! - It's a 2-person show and you have to learn to play the saxophone (if you don't know how already...)
Tag
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/19/05
#57Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 5:07pm
Bobby Child in Crazy for You - a true triple threat role, onstage for almost the entire show
Oak2
Leading Actor Joined: 8/11/16
#58Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 5:08pm
The most demanding role is "Terms of My Surrender" because there's no worse thing the world can ask of you in a performance than to actually be Michael Moore and exist.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#60Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 5:56pmI didn't think so! But my memory these days.....
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#61Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 6:04pm
Wait, is "Lin-Manuel Miranda" actually Lin-Manuel Miranda?
#62Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 6:13pm
^ Scanning back over any other comments in his profile, all indications are..... yes, it is he. Warm feels cascaded over me when I realized.
#63Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 6:20pm
Holy crap! Did the real Lin-Manuel Miranda just comment on my thread?! Holy ****!!!!
Shh_413
Stand-by Joined: 4/24/18
#64Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 9:03pmAlex Kulak2 said: "Love or hate the show, I don't think anyone can deny that Evan Hansen is one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging musical theatre roles ever written."
I think a lot of the difficulty in the role itself is also on the fact that the actor playing the part is usually on the younger side, and thus, less experienced in shows with long runs singing and acting-wise, compared to parts usually played by veteran actors like Sweeney Todd. But, I agree, even an adult would find it difficult to play Evan.
#65Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 9:38pm
That can't actually be Lin-MM right?
#66Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 9:47pm
definitely looks like him from his previous posts
am i the only one completely starstruck by Lin-Manuel Miranda posting for the first time in four years just to chime in on the difficulty of the role... pretty cool thing to see.
#67Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 9:56pm
gypsy101 said: "definitely looks like him from his previous posts
am i the only one completely starstruck by Lin-Manuel Miranda posting for the first time in four years just to chime in on the difficulty of the role... pretty cool thing to see."
Your welcome 
#68Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 10:11pmLin just crashing in and giving us straight facts. Love it!!!
schubox
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/16
#69Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 11:35pm
BroadwayConcierge said: "Per the script ofHamilton, during "Quiet Uptown,"Hamilton is supposed to be emotional but nothing too exaggerateduntil Eliza sings her one line—and then he is supposed to utterly shatter.
Of all the Hamiltons I've seen, Luwoye has definitely displayed the most emotion during the song up until Eliza's line, but his "shattering" thereafter is especially grueling and heartbreaking to see. So, "Quiet Uptown" doesn't necessarily call for cry-singing.I think it's reallyup to the actor to figure out the best way to make Hamilton's pivotal emotional change work after Eliza's moment."
I saw Lin twice and both times he looked emotionally exhausted by the end. In One Last a Time and It’s Quiet Uptown he was sobbing and seemingly overcome with emotion.
#70Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/3/18 at 11:45pm
In terms of pure physicality, Spongebob is a pretty demanding role. The amount of upper body strength you have to have to do that entire volcano scene is insane- it's no wonder Ethan Slater's arms look like that. I know he's also spoken in interviews about having to do contortion training and gymnastics as well to make sure he can fully embody a cartoon character the way he does. I know it's definitely not up there in terms of emotional/vocal strain, but physically it's gotta put you through the wringer!
#71Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/4/18 at 12:49am
Lin popping into this thread reminded me of this scene from ANNIE HALL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJ8tKRlW3E
#72Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/4/18 at 1:37amBeen a long travel day and I should be asleep, but glad I saw this - it’s pretty cool that LMM posted here! Okay, nite-nite!
#73Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/4/18 at 3:34am
S394206H said: "In terms of pure physicality, Spongebob is a pretty demanding role. The amount of upper body strength you have to have to do that entire volcano scene is insane- it's no wonder Ethan Slater's arms look likethat. I know he's also spoken in interviews about having to do contortion training and gymnastics as well to make sure he can fully embody a cartoon character the way he does. I know it's definitely not up there in terms of emotional/vocal strain, but physically it's gotta put you through the wringer!"
Doing that SpongeBob character voice has got to be extreme taxing on the vocal chords.
Mediamaven2
Featured Actor Joined: 4/28/16
#74Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/4/18 at 11:45am
BroadwayConcierge said: "Wait, is "Lin-Manuel Miranda" actually Lin-Manuel Miranda?"
Well as someone who has followed him on twitter for some time it’s clearly his writer’s ‘”voice” - witty and smart and written like a writer. (As clearly I am not, but I know one when I read one!).
Totally in keeping with his fun egalitarian personality - to chime in with his thoughts! Gotta love it, and him.
#75Is Hamilton one of the most demanding male roles to play?
Posted: 6/4/18 at 12:12pm
Broke out into a full smile today at school seeing that the actual Lin Manuel Miranda wrote on this thread! He’s totally the coolest.
Videos