New American Idiot Cast?
New American Idiot Cast?
#1New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 6:18amHow are they? I had a concern about Justin, he just doesn't seem right. So if anyone saw then...you know...uh...comment I guess
For those who thought NEXT TO NORMAL wouldn't have a life outside Broadway, well it's now playing in 4 cities, 9 different countries and has been translated into 6 languages.
#2New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 9:03amI can describe Guarini in two words "Zombie Will".
Ariella
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/10/06
#2New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 12:09pm
Guarini doesn't "act" in the role, just sings it, and therefore the character loses all the depth Esper brought to it.
Van Hughes is tense and wooden.
Jeanna de Waal isn't up to it vocally - she's cracking and sharping all over the place.
Libby Winters is excellent.
Overall, excluding Libby, definitely a step down.
#3New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 12:42pmI completely disagree with you on Van Hughes. He brings a level of sarcasm and self-awareness to the role of Johnny, which is a much different take than John Gallagher, Jr. had.
#4New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 1:42pmI also disagree about Van Hughes. I haven't seen him since he took over officially but I did see him go on for John Gallagher Jr. a couple of months ago and I thought he was much better in the role than John to be honest. He's a much stronger vocalist and he brought a depth and honesty to the role that John just didn't have.
sorano916
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/6/08
#5New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 1:51pm
I believe that Van and John have different approaches to the role and while I do prefer John, I think that Van is good as Johnny.
I'm still getting used to Libby as Extraordinary Girl. I like her in "21 Guns" but her voice during "Extraordinary Girl" will take a while to get used to.
#6New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 4:33pm
Haven't seen the new cast yet, but Jeanna has been amazing. She's really up to par with Mary Faber and her voice is great.
Van is also amazing, though I miss John Gallgher Jr.
Guarini sounds great from audio clips, but what Michael Esper created would be hard to live up to for most people.
#7New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 4:52pmIs there a new standby coming in? As of now Chase is the only Johnny cover. Correct?
SeHablaRob
Swing Joined: 7/2/10
#8New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 5:08pmVocally Justin was fantastic and he has the show "down" already. As far as acting goes, he's doing fine and I expect it's something he'll grow more comfortable with as his run progresses
xerotheory7803
Stand-by Joined: 10/16/06
#10New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 6:45pm
steven22, you are correct right now Chase Peacock is the only Johnny understudy. Ensemble member Jason Kappus is now an understudy for Tunny and Will.
I liked Davey Havok a lot. He certainly has the look and the vocal chops for the part.
#11New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/3/11 at 6:47pmI'm almost a 100 percent sure Chase has not gone on as Johnny on broadway (he did in Berkley). I heard he was great as St. J.
lstbutifulgrl2
Broadway Star Joined: 10/10/07
#12New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/4/11 at 8:01am
You're correct, Chase has not gone on as Johnny on Broadway.
And I agree with those of you who said Van brings something to the role of Johnny that John Gallagher did not. I have not seen Van since he officially took over the role, but have see him several times. I brings a rawness and a vulnerability that I did not feel from JGJ.
"Sometimes on the strip, the dreams you come in with, ain't the dreams you leave with" ~Rock of Ages
"I'm a butterfly, trivial and small, and in the greater scheme of things, I don't mean much at all." ~The Story of My Life
"Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss." ~Rent
"I'm a butterfly, trivial and small, and in the greater scheme of things, I don't mean much at all." ~The Story of My Life
"Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss." ~Rent
rorschach37
Broadway Star Joined: 4/3/10
#13New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/4/11 at 1:15pmDoes Van stagedoor anymore now that he's Johnny?
Ariella
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/10/06
#15New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/4/11 at 1:49pm
I definitely appreciated the levels of sarcastic introspection Van Hughes brought to the role, but I didn't think he interacted very well with the other performers, especially Will and Tunny. The chemistry was entirely lacking for me - as I said above, he struck me as a very tense performer unwilling to take risks or run with what Stark Sands and Michael Esper were doing. Not bad, just really rigid.
Because there's so little book or character development in the show, the characters' depth (beyond the music) comes entirely from the actors - their chemistry, their individual rapport, their comfort levels. In addition to having some extraordinarily talented actors - not just performers and vocalists - like Esper, Sands, and Gallagher, the original cast had the advantage of working together for long enough to establish the kind of chemistry that went beyond the songs. For me, their connection, their energy was what elevated the show into something unique and special.
rorschach37
Broadway Star Joined: 4/3/10
#16New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/4/11 at 3:10pmI agree with you, Ariella. I saw the show once with the original cast back in June and loved every second of it. However, when I saw it a couple weeks ago with Billie it just felt a little flat for me. It wasn't bad, it just felt like something was missing. The energy level isn't anywhere near where it was when the show opened.
Ariella
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/10/06
#18New American Idiot Cast?
Posted: 3/4/11 at 9:57pmI mean, I genuinely loved Billie Joe. Different from Tony Vincent, certainly, but mad crazy fun to watch. But when he wasn't onstage the show lacked momentum - Gallagher, Esper, et al were rallying despite evident exhaustion and burnout, but the ensemble wasn't nearly as tight and vocals were all over the place. I think all the turnover has been disruptive for the show, and not in a good way.
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