Joey Lawrence in Chicago
Joey Lawrence in Chicago
Joey Lawrence in Chicago#1
Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:02pmA friend of mine saw Joey last night in Chicago, he said he was pretty bad, but just looking at him, was worth the ticket price. He also said that the actresses playing Velma and Roxie were terrible singers and dancers. He didn't like the cast, but he enjoyed the show a lot, and told me that Joey signed for everyone at the stage door. There were about 12 people waiting for him. Any other reviews of him?
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#2
Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:08pm
Havent seen him--- (Bebe didnt even make me want to revisit "Chicago"), but DID see the promo poster the other day--
Has anyone seen it? Something looked really odd ! Looked like they glued his eyebrows on. Just looked very strange !
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#2
Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:49pmnever mind.... Updated On: 5/8/07 at 04:49 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
Featured Actor Joined: 12/14/03
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#5
Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:54pmThey need to add a shirtless scene during his run, think Boy From Oz....
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#6
Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:56pmI think he looks like Yul Brynner from the pics. or is it just me?
Leading Actor Joined: 1/29/07
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#7
Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:57pm
I just saw it last night too, and I don't know what your friend is talking about. I really enjoyed him.
I didn't know who Joey Lawrence was before they announced his Chicago run, so I wasn't expecting much, but he really surprised me. The greatest thing about him was his fantastic stage presence and his general enthusiasm, which helpful him a lot since he's trying a role that has been done before by so many actors. His singing style is different but pleasurable. His whole character and the delivery of the lines were fantastic—they were fast and funny, and he was far from "going through the motions" ...you could tell he really is an actor, and he views this as a genuine character in a play, not just a part in a "show." He also added a lot of little dance moves for himself during "All I Care About" and "Razzle Dazzle," and I think the amount of fun he appeared to be having with the role transferred to the audience as well.
One tricky thing about Chicago is it lacks the same type of lavish spectacle, glitz, and awesome experience that tourists and others are guaranteed in other long-running shows. Actors run the risk of looking tired when stepping into such a well-established show that is so contingent on the talent and the enthusiasm of the performers. With Chicago, the actors have to serve as the Phantom's magically-appearing lair, the "Be Our Guest" fireworks, the proportionally giant garbage on the walls of the Winter Garden theater, the... um... I don't know... what's another example? ...those gaudy Mama Mia costumes... or the Lion King costumes, I guess. My point is that not just any performer can make Chicago the kind of boisterous night out that it should be. Joey Lawrence did it, and he stayed true to the framework.
I also have to disagree with your friend about Roxie and Velma. Bianca Marroquin is easily my favorite Roxie. She was the first I ever saw, and she has even won several awards for the role. She's played Roxie numerous times in New York, not to mention in Mexico and the U.S. tour, but she had a break from the role beginning this fall and just recently joined again after Bebe left, so it's not like she's tired or stale or anything. She's absolutely adorable with a beautiful voice, and her dancing is top-notch. She adds just enough of herself to the role to make it fresh and exciting without going overboard to skew the material. Her monologue is outstanding.
Brenda Braxton is a frequent Velma and a lot of fun to see. I believe she's been there for over a year now, with only a 6-week break or so this past winter. It's a fine part and I wouldn't mind seeing someone else do it for a change, but she's still a favorite. I particularly love her smoky voice and her sly looks. And she's funny too. Thanks to her gorgeous smile and her hilarious, understated ad-libs, she simply gets more laughs than any other Velma I've seen.
Now, moving on because I have a lot of time on my hands... for the past eight months or so, the supporting roles have been filled by my perfect triad of all three favorites, what I call "The Three R's" ...meaning Roz Ryan, Rob Bartlett, and R. Lowe in the roles of Mama Morton, Amos, and Mary Sunshine. "When You're Good To Mama," "A Little Bit of Good," and "Mister Cellophane" are already usually my favorite parts of the play anyway because you get to see three usually seasoned performers just come out, take hold of an empty stage without a lot of choreography or engineered razzle-dazzle, and just give the audience their number. These three never disappoint with their singing or their humor, and they win us (or, at least, me) over every time.
There have also been a few recent additions to the ever-changing ensemble to keep them fresh. I was there the night the uber-flexible Michael Cusumano joined at the end of March, and last night, a great new blonde Swing filled in as Annie. Her bio wasn't printed in the Playbill yet and I can't find my insert, but I remember her first name was Angel. I'll just say that Melissa Rae Mahon now has some competition in the beautiful, long legs-from-here-to-yowza contest. I could go on and on about how great each member of the company is (both when on stage and when I creep them out by recognizing them elsewhere), but I'm sure everyone has already stopped reading this never-ending post by now.
Since I started reading this board, I've noticed that a lot of people give Chicago a hard time, and I haven't quite figured out why. You resent that they occasionally allow non-theater personalities to play the roles, and you think all your work at summer theatre camp make you more deserving? You assume that just because it's run ten and a half years, it must be tired and worthy of closing? You genuinely don't like the material? You are bitter over it's continued success when your beloved Company is failing to draw in similar crowds? You had a bad experience with a cast member? Okay, I don't want this post to turn from a positive review to a negative rant, so I'll stop now. My point is that my friends all enjoy the cast, and my friend from last night and I both thought Joey did a great job. Anyway, I’m very sorry if someone had a bad experience with Huey Lewis (yes, I thought he might suddenly drop dead on stage) or Melanie Giffith (yes, I hoped she might suddenly drop dead on stage), but the company is in fine form right now, so if you like the show in general, go see it now.
(P.S. Those "you" questions weren’t directed at anyone specifically... just in general to the people who like to put down Chicago on the board. I know muscle was only relaying opinions from his friend.)
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#9
Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:58pm
Joey Lawrence has morphed out of his hotness (I was totally into him in Blossom) into some shaved, plucked, over-tanned metrosexual that is oddly a-sexual ala Secrest. I like my men like men. I almost guarantee Lawrence waxes his legs and bikini area. I'd never pay to see that.
PS "Bianca Marroquin is easily my favorite Roxie." I totally agree. I've seen her several times on tour and she is divine.
Broadway Star Joined: 1/23/06
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#10
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:05pm
"He also said that the actresses playing Velma and Roxie were terrible singers and dancers."
Brenda Braxton a terrible dancer!? I have to see that to believe that. She is one of the best. Did he see her understudy? I mean everyone can have an opinion but that is kind of shocking.
Leading Actor Joined: 1/29/07
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#11
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:09pmIf he really did see it Monday night, as I did, he saw Brenda Braxton. Only the roles of Annie and the Hunyak were understudies.
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#12
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:13pmSo nice to hear that Michael Cusamano is working. I always expected to see him pop up in Hairspray as one of the nicest kids in town.
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#13
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:46pm
oh man, I forgot about Blossom!
thanks for the review, I was waiting for someone to post who had seen the show
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#14
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:55pmI find Joey to be a good singer, dancer and actor, and I have never seen Brenda or Bianca, so I am just saying what my friend told me. He is very critical, he still said he enjoyed the show. He also saw other shows, and I disagree with his opinions.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/19/05
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#15
Posted: 5/8/07 at 5:59pmBianca is fantastic, Brenda not so great, she could step up her vocals.
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#16
Posted: 5/8/07 at 6:13pmI adore Biana Marroquin as Roxie! She's my favorite Roxie! Brenda is fine (same for Roz et al). Joey...why the baldness? Not hot at all.
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#17
Posted: 5/8/07 at 6:18pm
I saw this this past Saturday matinee. Joey is good and will get better. Although HOT, he's just a little too young to fit in the role 100%. Bianca was fantastic. She had a very youthful energy. Brenda was dreadful. She really seemed to phone it in. She acted like she didn't want to be there at all, as did most of the ensemble.
After the show I was a little upset that Joey ran out a different door. There were only 5 of us there waiting for him. It would have taken him like five minutes to say hi and sign. Glad to hear he signs other times though.
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#18
Posted: 5/8/07 at 6:29pm
I think he looks like Yul Brynner from the pics. or is it just me?
I think he does, too.
It was awesome. - theaterkid1015
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#19
Posted: 5/8/07 at 7:25pm
I haven't seen Bianca Marroquin (I'll give my "favorite Roxie" award to Michelle DeJean), so I can't really comment on her. I thought Brenda Braxton was just "eh." She was good, but nothing special.
She acted like she didn't want to be there at all, as did most of the ensemble.
Agreed about Brenda, but I disagree about the ensemble. I've seen the show twice now and they seemed to be enjoying themselves both times. They seemed to step it up the second time I saw the show (maybe because it was right around a cast change - Robyn Hurder and someone else joined the ensemble, and Carol Woods [I think!]was Mama). I didn't think anyone seemed like they didn't want to be there.
Speaking of Robyn Hurder... is she still with the show?
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#20
Posted: 5/8/07 at 9:48pm
"Speaking of Robyn Hurder... is she still with the show?"
Yep! She's there until either June 1 or July 1. I believe she said July when I asked her but for some reason I can't remember which. But she is definitely still there :)
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#21
Posted: 5/8/07 at 9:50pm
Joey Lawrence on Broadway. It's like my dream come true!
I can't wait to see this when I get to NY.
Also, thank god for Chicago's Monday night perfs!
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#22
Posted: 5/8/07 at 9:52pm
Thanks! I was going to ask when I saw the show last week, and I didn't go. Oops.
I'm actually really curious to see Joey Lawrence.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#23
Posted: 5/8/07 at 9:57pmAnd to add to the Branda discussion, I saw her twice and I'll give her this: she's consistent. She wasn't my ideal Velma and I thought she was just ok, but her performance did not change one bit.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
re: Joey Lawrence in Chicago#24
Posted: 5/8/07 at 10:35pm
So, he does not take his shirt off?
Maybe they can get him for BROADWAY BARES.
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