Lin Manuel's Acting (& Singing)

[maybethistime3]

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.

Updated On: 8/8/17 at 09:12 AM

[BroadwayConcierge]

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.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:16am

maybethistime3 said: "Does anyone think the emperor has no clothes?"

Not me.

[schubox]

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]

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.

[haterobics]

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?

[broadway86]

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]

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.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

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]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 9:36am

Agreed that Lin was a far more powerful Hamilton than Javier.

[raddersons]

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.

 

[AC126748]

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.

[macnyc]

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]

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. 

 

[uncageg]

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

[Rainah]

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

[haterobics]

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...

[LizzieCurry]

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.

[newintown]

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]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:42am

*

Updated On: 8/8/17 at 10:42 AM

[Audrey33]

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]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:48am

Workmanlike overall, definitely better with acting than singing.

[kellyhallo]

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]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 11:16am

I can't wait to see him in Mary Poppins Returns! 

[Jayar2]

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.