Ladies and Gentleman....Taye Diggs is your next Hedwig- Page 13

[Phan2]

Posted: 7/24/15 at 7:00pm

I hope Taye settles into the role soon.  It does seem, based on some of the comments here, that he has a great deal of potential, with some people commenting on his beautifully soulful and unique delivery of the songs, and the sadness he brings to the role that others have commented upon.   I know he has not been involved on Broadway for quite some time, so he must be adjusting to stage acting again.  Taye himself had commented that he has talked to Darren several times before while Darren was in the role, and watched some of Darren's performances, so it does sound like they were communicating before Darren left.   I imagine John must be available to help too.    I'm hopeful that he'll settle in the role soon.  quizking101, ethan231h, and timrobb1414 stated they are seeing him next week.  Hopefully, things will be much improved by then. 

Updated On: 7/24/15 at 07:00 PM

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 7/24/15 at 7:01pm

If you read my message, it was because I thought Darren did something remarkable with Tommy.

Besides, that's how I've seen it done in the past - Andrew mentioned getting advice from Neil and then gave advice to Michael, for example.

[Phan2]

Posted: 7/24/15 at 7:11pm

It's so great that each Hedwig actor passes on advice to the following Hedwig.  It really seems that the actors who have played Hedwig have been supportive of each other.  I know Neil commented very positively on Taye's promo photo and he wished Darren good luck before Darren's run.  HedwigOnBway also listed Darren's tweet of good luck to Taye.  I'm sure John is always there to help each and every Hedwig.   

Updated On: 7/24/15 at 07:11 PM

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 7/24/15 at 7:25pm

^Not to mention MCH filling in for JCM for a week so that JCM could recover from his knee injury. The Hedwigs do seem to be a very supportive group. 

[Phan2]

Posted: 7/24/15 at 7:29pm

MaddieBB12, yes, that was just so great of Michael to help out when John hurt his knee and needed some time to recover.  

Updated On: 7/24/15 at 07:29 PM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 1:02am

what did darren do with tommy? I wanna know!! Did he characterize the characters differently to make it easier to understand? That would have been good so that people know he plays a different person in the end. I have to admit, i was a bit confused about the ending and had to research the show when i got home lol

also, Taye is a really good looking guy, but I'm sorry, he just looks terrible in that wig and makeup. They really couldn't have changed it to make it look better on his skin tone? That bubblegum pink and baby blue and platinum blonde hair on that dark skin? terrible

Updated On: 7/25/15 at 01:02 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 3:05am

I thought Darren had a new bit of physicality after he was Tommy, and into Midnight Radio, where he ran his hands over his chest and torso like he was sort of reconnecting with Hansel after so many years, which made the moment where he refuses the wig more powerful when I saw him. That was the only thing I didn't recall from the previous Hedwigs... although aside from JCM, I only saw each other one once.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 8:44am

If Tommy is singing Wicked Little Town reprise, is it Hedwig who takes over right after that to sing Midnight Radio, or what? Curious to hear what some theories are.

[WickedLittleRentHead]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 9:41am

My interpretation was always the Wicked Little Town Reprise is Hedwig dreaming that Tommyfinally gives her what she needs in regards to the appreciation for what she did for him. It's Hedwig coming to terms with all of the hurt and pain. Then Midnight Radio is Hansel finally realizing he is enough as himself. That despite all of the pain he has been through that he doesn't need another person to complete him. He is enough on his own. 

Again, just my interpretation and I am a newb HedHead.

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 9:49am

"My interpretation was always the Wicked Little Town Reprise is Hedwig dreaming that Tommyfinally gives her what she needs in regards to the appreciation for what she did for him. It's Hedwig coming to terms with all of the hurt and pain. Then Midnight Radio is Hansel finally realizing he is enough as himself. That despite all of the pain he has been through that he doesn't need another person to complete him. He is enough on his own. 
Again, just my interpretation and I am a newb HedHead."

 

This is pretty much my interpretation as well.

I've read a lot of different interpretations, though, and a popular one seems to be that either Hedwig and/or Tommy don't actually exist. That one is just the figment of the other's imagination or that they are both just figments of Hansel's.

[SDV]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 9:52am

"My interpretation was always the Wicked Little Town Reprise is Hedwig dreaming that Tommyfinally gives her what she needs in regards to the appreciation for what she did for him. It's Hedwig coming to terms with all of the hurt and pain. Then Midnight Radio is Hansel finally realizing he is enough as himself. That despite all of the pain he has been through that he doesn't need another person to complete him. He is enough on his own. 
Again, just my interpretation and I am a newb HedHead."

 Agreed 100%

 

[WickedLittleRentHead]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 9:53am

I saw Taye last night and I wasa little disappointed. I know it was only his 3rd show but it just seemed sloppy. Like other people experienced, he kept flubbing lines from the book and the running jokes kind of fell flat. Some of his improv was on point though. I also think he messed up during Origin of Love. It truly felt like Taye Diggs in drag and that is not Hedwig, at all. He even made a reference during the Lion Queen bit about drag being OK. I cringed because Hedwig is not a drag queen. 

His Angry Inch, Wcked Little Town Reprise, and Midnight Radio were very good. His voice is incredible. I am not a fan of the Exquisite Corpse changes. 

I definitely think he needs to work on being more comfortable as Hedwig and work on his movements. I will see him at the end of his run to see how he improves. 

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:17am

I agree, Wicked Little Rent head.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:17am

I also went last night, and I have to disagree with those who are loving his voice. It's way too low and just sounds "off" for virtually every song, though his Exquisite Corpse might actually be one of the worst things I've ever heard on a Broadway stage. 

However, the core issue is that he doesn't know his lines at all. He's saying every sentence so slowly, reaching into his brain for the next part of it, resulting in the show running over two hours, and also in him being so focused on trying to remember the next word that he hasn't had time to create a character or make any acting choices (other than an accent which sounds Jamaican more than anything else). He doesn't appear to have thought about who Hedwig is for a minute, and as a result, we never - even for a moment - get caught up in the story/character or believe the artifice. It's just Taye up there, trying (and failing) to prove he can sing, dance, and remember his lines.

I saw an interview with him where he was asked what was something new he would be bringing to Hedwig, and he answered something in the vein of "Darker skin." I thought it was just a laugh line on a talk show, but it seems that's about as much thought as he's given it. I've seen this piece many, many times and it's never been more apparent to me how much work and ability it requires from an actor.

He may know his lines better in a month or so, but he's going to really need to work on actually thinking about the text and creating a character here. I'm not sure whether or not he'll be the last Hedwig of this production, but I will be very surprised if he finishes his scheduled run. It feels as if he just confidently decided he could do this, and didn't do any of the preperation/work.

Updated On: 7/25/15 at 10:17 AM

[mariel9]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:35am

I agree with that interpretation except I don't think of her as Hansel at the end. I don't think of her as Hedwig either, really. She's both. She's realized she's enough as herself, but it's still an open question who Hedwig/Hansel is now that she's come to terms with everything she's been through.

As for Taye, it's really disappointing that he would go on so unprepared, struggling for lines. It seems from interviews that he respects the part and recognizes that it's extremely challenging, so I wonder what happened. 

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:44am

At the end - no, she's definitely not Hansel. Hansel went away during Angry Inch! lol

[WickedLittleRentHead]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:44am

"I also went last night, and I have to disagree with those who are loving his voice. It's way too low and just sounds "off" for virtually every song, though his Exquisite Corpse might actually be one of the worst things I've ever heard on a Broadway stage. 

However, the core issue is that he doesn't know his lines at all. He's saying every sentence so slowly, reaching into his brain for the next part of it, resulting in the show running over two hours, and also in him being so focused on trying to remember the next word that he hasn't had time to create any character or make any acting choices (other than an accent which sounds Jamaican more than anything else). He doesn't appear to have thought about who Hedwig is for a minute, and as a result, we never - even for a moment - get caught up in the story/character or believe the artifice. It's just Taye up there, trying (and failing) to prove he can sing, dance, and remember his lines.

I saw an interview with him where he was asked what was something new he would be bringing to Hedwig, and he answered something in the vein of "Darker skin." I thought it was just a laugh line on a talk show, but it seems that's about as much thought as he gave it. I've seen this piece many, many times and it's never been more apparent to me how much work and ability it requires from an actor.

He may know his lines better in a month or so, but he's going to really need to work on actually thinking about the text and creating a character here. I'm not sure whether or not he'll be the last Hedwig of this production, but I will be very surprised if he finishes his scheduled run."

 I'm so happy you mentioned the Jamaican accent thing!! That's exactly what it sounds like. So awful.

Your post is pretty spot on and I agree completely, but I did like his version of those 3 songs, though they are not the best versions by a long shot. 

He has a lot of work to do. 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 10:53am

I am bummed to read these reviews. I was planning on seeing him in the show, but now I'm not sure.

[HedwigInch]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 11:06am

So far Taye seems to sell well so I doubt he won't finish his scheduled run. Of course word of mouth could be bad for sales later on, in case he doesn't improve much, but I don't know, I think saying that you'd be surprised if he doesn't end his scheduled run early goes a bit far.

[WickedLittleRentHead]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 11:06am

If you go I would honestly wait until further into his run. 

I am hoping he knows his lines and actually creates his Hedwig by then. 

He was my 4th Hedwig and definitely my least favorite. 

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 11:17am

Quite honestly if he keeps selling like he is, they could extend it. After all, this is a numbers business, not ways quality. 

I do plan to see him again because I can't stay away, but I'm not going to see him for a while.

[StageStar2468]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 11:25am

Saw the show last night as well. Keep in mind this is my first time seeing the show, so I don't really have much to compare it to besides the cast recordings. 

One of the things that struck me the most was that he didn't seem to have the stamina to do some of the more movement heavy numbers. He sounded very good in the songs with less movement,  but the second that the dancing got heavy or he had to jump around or go out into the audience, it felt like he was speak singing, letting the backup vocalists take over, and just trying to get through the number. Then you would hear him breathing heavily for a good couple minutes after the song was done. I totally understand that this role is intense and does require a lot of physicality, but in the clips I've seen, and from what I've heard from others, it doesn't sound like the other Hedwig had the same problem with it that Taye seemed to be having. Also, that man needs help moving in those heels, he looked like he was about to fall off of that car so many times... 

As for his lines, he definitely seem to drag them out and his accent really sounded more Jamaican. I thought the him being black jokes were kind of funny at first, but like many have been saying, it kind of felt like that all he cared about bringing to the character. 

It's clear he's talented and we all know he has a theatre background, but I dont know if this was the right part for him. He just seemed really tired, and a lot of it felt like him just trying to get through the show. At the stage door he also just looked like he wanted to get out of there. Randomly went around signing a few playbills and left.

Again,  I have nothing to truly compare it to, but those were just my opinions. 

 

[fallingawake]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 12:18pm

I saw the show last night as well and I agree with StageStar and WickedLittleRentHead. Taye's accent was really strange and he clearly was fumbling for lines, and almost fell off the car during his first few scenes. He called out some of his troubles with the mic and make-up (the "whitney rag" may be the temp fix but it was unbelievably distracting). I think one of his strong points is he doing well with improv and off the cuff remarks (much more than Darren did), so that was refreshing. Overall it was a bit disappointing but I'm glad I had read thoughts from others on his first two shows, so it helped temper my expectations. I definitely agree that if you haven't got tickets, to wait a bit.

I was able to pick up a 'Hurt Locker' playbill, and as of last night, those have not changed. And for anyone curious, my TDF seat was in the last row of the orchestra, next to the sound board (I had similar back orchestra TDF seats during Darren's run).

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 12:20pm

Gee, Neil Patrick Harris made it seem so easy. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/25/15 at 12:58pm

NPH very wisely trained for the role for months, like the marathon.  He worked on his voice, the songs, got into very specific shape.  And apparently spent much time exploring the text.  All things that prove: this role requires a very specific set of triple threat chops. I remember reading about Cerveris going in, the 2nd Hedwig in NY, and he was so daunted, he began training, too. And he had the rock band experience on his resume.  Replacements on Broadway face comparisons,  invariably, often without anywhere near the prep time. In this case, it seems the role is being rehearsed -- to learn the requisite stamina -- in front of audiences.  Not the first actor to learn how to pace a performance. Yet from these reports, it sounds like the specific homework needed to nail a character 180 from Diggs simply wasn't accomplished.  As others above suggest, those kinds of decisions aren't easily made once an actor is in performance, when simply finding the energy and rhythm are the nightly 90 minute focus.  I wonder how much if any rehearsal is continuing?  Were this a new show, he could be putting in 3-4 hours a day, as per previews.  But under the traditional put-in circumstances, probably not. Too bad.