Lin Manuel's Acting (& Singing)
Lin Manuel's Acting (& Singing)
maybethistime3
Swing Joined: 8/8/17
#1Lin Manuel's Acting (& Singing)
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:12am
Does anyone think the emperor has no clothes? I saw him live 4 times (Tick Tick Boom, In the Heights, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton) and I find him grating and shrill and incapable of doing anything more than reciting lines. He tries very hard to be emotive but you can see how much he's trying very hard to be emotive.
I wish he'd stay at his desk and write, maybe do some press junkets, but performing is not his strength.
Editing the post because my main problem is with his singing.
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#2Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:14am
To each his own, though I totally disagree. Is he the greatest actor in the world? No, and he's admitted that. But he's delivered powerful stage performances every time I've seen him.
More importantly, why is this relevant? It's August 2017.
#3Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:16am
maybethistime3 said: "Does anyone think the emperor has no clothes?"
Not me.
schubox
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/16
#4Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:20am
I saw him do Hamilton twice and saw Javier once, and I thought Lin was a much stronger actor. I was expecting the opposite after hearing so much praise for Javier.
Lin, for me at least, has the ability to inspire empathy in the crowd. His face was so emotive that I was totally swept away by his performance. Whether it was joy or sorrow. I was really taken aback by how well I liked his performance, especially after all of the criticism I'd heard before I saw him
raddersons
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/14/13
#5Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:23am
maybethistime3 said: "Does anyone think the emperor has no clothes? I saw him live 4 times (Tick Tick Boom, In the Heights, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton) and I find him grating and shrill and incapable of doing anything more than reciting lines. He tries very hard to be emotive but you can see how much he's trying very hard to be emotive.
I wish he'd stay at his desk and write, maybe do some press junkets, but acting is not his strength."
There's a reason Hamilton won a lot of Tony's, but Leslie won for best leading actor instead of Lin. I think he was great in In The Heights, but he was also largely writing about himself and for himself. Lin is a phenomenal writer, and honestly his acting is pretty good. But it's not amazing.
#6Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:24am
maybethistime3 said: "I saw him live 4 times (Tick Tick Boom, In the Heights, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton) and I find him grating and shrill and incapable of doing anything more than reciting lines. "
More importantly, why do you keep torturing yourself? Especially in his own shows, he never does 8 shows a week, so you always have an out, no?
#7Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:31am
I think what he lacks in technique he makes up for in passion and emotional availability. Would be interesting to see him try a play. I will say that I think he's a poor singer.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#8Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:31am
So you joined today to trash a beloved performer?
Is he the BEST actor ever? Nope, but he is heartfelt and sincere.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#9Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:35am
I think he's a great actor. Not that he is especially Tony worthy, but he's good and can convey emotion and passion successfully. And the thing is, with a role as big and well-known as Hamilton, you can't really imagine someone else playing him. It's an iconic role at this point, and I don't think it would be if Lin wasn't a good actor.
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#10Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:36am
Agreed that Lin was a far more powerful Hamilton than Javier.
raddersons
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/14/13
#11Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:38am
dramamama611 said: "Is he the BEST actor ever? Nope, but he is heartfelt and sincere."
Ding ding ding. His technique is off, for both singing and acting. But he loves acting and you can feel it.
#12Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:41am
He's a good actor in general, and a great interpreter of his own work. Are there better actors? Of course. That doesn't mean that he's without talent.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#13Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:44am
I've always enjoyed his performances. I've seen him in Tick Tick Boom, Merrily We Roll Along, and Hamilton (five times). I always cried during It's Quiet Uptown. I love his energy and enthusiasm onstage. No complaints from me.
maybethistime3
Swing Joined: 8/8/17
#14Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:47am
haterobics said: "maybethistime3 said: "I saw him live 4 times (Tick Tick Boom, In the Heights, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton) and I find him grating and shrill and incapable of doing anything more than reciting lines. "
More importantly, why do you keep torturing yourself? Especially in his own shows, he never does 8 shows a week, so you always have an out, no?
"
I don't choose when I'm going to see shows based on whether I'm going to see or not see Lin.
#15Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:52am
Not a fan of his acting. Saw him in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. He just seemed out of his league. From clips I have seen from his other performances he may be passionate but the term "Wide eyed kid" seems to run through my mind whenever I see him acting. He is the reason I didn't need to see HAMILTON while he was in it.
With that said, there is no disputing his other talents. Jmo
Just give the world Love.
Rainah
Broadway Star Joined: 11/24/16
#16Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:52am
Saw both him and Javi in Hamilton, enjoyed them both. It would be hard to pick a favourite, they were both great in different ways. (Javi had a stronger Hurricane, where I prefer Lin's Quiet Uptown)
I have always enjoyed Lin's singing, and acting. He doesn't have a traditional broadway voice, but it's well suited to the characters he plays and I find it pleasant to listen to. I enjoyed his acting, fully bought in and was moved. I would love to see him on stage again
#17Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:53am
maybethistime3 said: "I don't choose when I'm going to see shows based on whether I'm going to see or not see Lin."
Sounds like you should consider it...
#18Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:01am
I saw Hamilton twice from lotto when Lin was still in it, and those were some of THE WORST "I'm crying and so sad" faces I've ever seen on Broadway.
Other than that, I really enjoyed him.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#19Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:26am
I've always found him to be rather awkwardly cheap and sentimentally hammy as an actor. But I think that's a rather popular combo these days. Subtle doesn't seem to be a highly-sought commodity. (Was it ever? I used to think so...)
Audrey33
Chorus Member Joined: 8/1/17
Audrey33
Chorus Member Joined: 8/1/17
#21Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:45am
He's a good actor. Not particularly nuanced but very good at getting an emotional reaction from an audience. I also agree that he was far more effective than Javier.
His singing isn't technically good but it's listenable and even endearing at times. His rapping is excellent and there wont be many Hamiltons or Usnavis doing it as well as him.
Most importantly, he has presence and charisma. He's likable (part of the reason he became a huge star as soon as he had the platform). That comes across in his performances and is what made them so effective despite him not being technically brilliant.
JBC3
Broadway Star Joined: 4/9/17
#22Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:48amWorkmanlike overall, definitely better with acting than singing.
kellyhallo
Chorus Member Joined: 6/24/08
#23Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 11:00am
You joined the board today just to trash Lin? Ok.
No, he is not the best singer but, for me, his charisma, energy and clear love for what he's doing greatly outweigh any negatives.
texasdevil
Swing Joined: 7/9/17
#25Lin Manuel's Acting
Posted: 8/8/17 at 11:19am
I will say this this-- Every time I've seen him on stage or TV, I wonder if there is a Married With Children reunion anytime soon.
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