Leading Men Concert at Joe's Pub

[JoelGould]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 2:30pm

I had mixed feelings about the Leading Men Concert at Joe's Pub last night. No question that the cause was worthy (BCEFA) and that there was a ton of talent on hand, all of them giving of their time and talent on their day off. And on a holiday, no less. But while I'd like to say that everyone stopped the show, very few did. John Tartaglia was a decent host but I think it would have been more appropriate for Wayman Wong to be the master of ceremonies because he produced the show -- and especially if he was going to be on stage singing.

High points for me were Tom D'Angora's "Somewhere That's PinK' parody from Little Shop. Matthew Morrison's star turn, and Cheyenne Jackson's Mr. Potatoe Head number. (Yes, really!). Disappointments? Tom Andersen's wierd "Downtown" and Chad Kimball's even wierder take on "Giants in the Sky." I liked the show overall, but I thought it had some serious flaw. Anyone else see it>

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 2:39pm

i wouldve loved to have gone but 40 bucks to walk in the door and a $12 food and drink minimum was a bit too much for me.

[QtKt]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 3:32pm

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:10pm

I have to agree with Joel Gould. I went to the concert and I thought that Tom Andersen's "Downtown" was just overtly strange. I also think that with the exception of Matt, Christopher, Cheyenne, and John the rest of the "Men "were not Leading Man types. I was suprised by some of the choices they had for performers.

It would have helped to space out the bigger talent (see above) Instead they all went in successive order at the end.(which seemed like a weird line-up choice to me)

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:13pm

I actually thought the line up made sense, somewhat working up from lesser known to better known. Either way, I thought the night in general was entertaining and well done. I, too, could pass on ever hearing "Giants in the Sky" sung that way ever again. However, aside from that and my dislike of the Mr Potato Head song, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:15pm

I would have loved to have been there. I think Wayman Wong is an excellent writer. I loved his picks, I just wished someone like Bruce Vilanch was there. Some leading men are also leading ladies.

I can't wait for Wayman's next concert. Invite leading men that are also leading ladies. Talk about a fun evening.

Edna power? Edna times two:
Harvey and Bruce. What could add more to the Leading men.
Hysterical laughter.
Gary Beach is another fine example. And the Cagelles.

Updated On: 5/31/05 at 07:15 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:25pm

bythesword84- on second thought, I agree with you on the line up. It also prevents people from leaving early once their favorite has sung.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:27pm

Did John sing? And what did Barrett sing?
I loved Barrett in Q.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:42pm

John sang YMCA and it's raining men! Barrett was great I didn't know the song though.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 7:45pm

AW. I love John. Such a sweetie. I just wish he could have brought Rod and done Rod's Turn. I love that song so much and have never seen him do it.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 8:05am

Thanks to everyone for coming to 'The Leading Men' concert. There are always so many things that you could do on a Monday night, and I'm honored that you came to our benefit.

If I may, I'd like to address a few comments in this thread:

To JoelGould: I'm flattered that you'd want to see me 'be the master of ceremonies because he produced the show,' but there's no way in a zillion years I could be anywhere as entertaining as John Tartaglia. It's rare to see the producer host the show. It's not as if you see Gil Cates hosting the Oscars, or Robert Diamond, who couldn't have been more supportive to me, hosting his wonderful BroadwayWorld benefits. Hosting is a special skill, and is best left to professionals. Besides, producers already have enough things to worry about backstage.

If you've been at a benefit or gala recently where EVERY single performer 'stopped the show,' you're a luckier man than I. For example, I was at four hours of the Wall-to-Wall Sondheim extravaganza at Symphony Space, and that wasn't my experience. By their nature, benefits offer variety, and everyone is going to have his or her favorites. Even within the threads on BroadwayWorld.com, not everyone can agree who was the best. There's no way every singer can please everyone, but I'd like to think we had something for most everyone.

To TomasMarx and bytheword84: To give credit where credit is due, our director Alan Muraoka came up with the running order, and the task was a tricky one. It wasn't based solely on name recognition. We had cabaret and Broadway performers, so we wanted to mix it up; also, we wanted contrasts (you wouldn't want, say, three ballads in a row). To me, talent is talent. And I can assure you that the guys got along great backstage, and respected each other as performers, and enjoyed getting together with their brethren or meeting artists who were new to them.

To Corine2: Barrett Foa sang 'Movin' Too Fast' from Jason Robert Brown's 'The Last Five Years.' And thanks for all your kind words and support on this thread and others.

Finally, I realize that this is a theater board, but my 'Leading Men' column at Playbill.com covers the leading exponents of Broadway AND cabaret. I often get the sense that many people seldom ever see any cabaret unless it's a Broadway performer or a friend they know. I'm here to tell you that cabaret is just as challenging, and in some ways, even tougher than theater. In cabaret, you have to be yourself, and it demands an intimacy and a vulnerability that not everyone wants to share. I know plenty of theater performers who are terrified of cabaret and would never do it; they feel more comfortable playing a character. Just as you wouldn't judge an entire musical based on one number, it's hard to judge a cabaret performer based on one song; you really need to see a whole act because it's a real art to hold an audience's attention for an hour by yourself, without any sets, costumes or anything else.

[Corine2]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 8:18am

It is tough being a Producer right Wayman!
So much work.
Heard it was great. Congrats!