New Pal Joey! Hoff out; Risch in

good for him, I was only looking forward to seeing this show because of Christian, but I guess Matthew will be great. :) Congrats!

The injury is 100% legit. He was ordered not to dance on it.

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Knew it.

Good for him although I hear he's just as bad as Hoff. But I hope to catch him in the role. I hope he grows into it.

CLOSE IT!
This fellow is absolutely charmless.

smaxie is like the voice of god over here. i have no idea why i do, but i always think he/she knows exactly what theyre talkin bout.

injury might be real, but producers arent stupid- if he was as bad as everyone says he was... they pounced on this opportunity.

"From Tony Award winning actor to Broadway chorus boy? How did they not pick another "known" actor?"

Why are you people making judgments on someone you haven't seen perform in the role yet? Just because someone is dubbed a "Broadway chorus boy" means they will be incapable of doing better than a Tony Award winner? Not all Tony Award winners perform the parts they perform in well all the time. And just because someone seems "charmless" in another role does not mean they will be that way in all the roles they play (besides, you said that you loved Hoff in Jersey Boys, yet he received horrible reviews in Pal Joey). People constantly improve/change with time and depending on the show they do.

I am not saying Christian Hoff did a good or bad job, but I wonder if the OP has even seen Risch in the role yet. I went back and read - you hadn't!

Who really cares? Christian Hoff wasn't exactly a "well-known" to begin with, even with his Tony Award win.

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Updated On: 11/24/08 at 05:12 PM

I just can't see that Carlos guy from Legally Blonde playing Joey. It's a strange choice, but good for Risch for owning the versatility. (I assume.)

Matthew Risch is a very talented triple threat. He will sing and dance the hell out of the role by the time the show opens. He's also very sexy and will finally give Cheyenne Jackson some healthy and friendly competition as the reigning leading man hunk of Broadway.

I just hope that his personal life does not become the latest fodder for malicious internet gossip.

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I am very happy for Risch. He was on as Kyle when I saw LB and was the best part of the show. I wish him the best of luck.

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Hoff is not a star. And it shows in the performance. He's forty. Honestly, if he were to be a star, he would have been one by now.

Believe it or not but many of these chorus boys can act, especially if they had good rounded undergrad training, as Risch had at CCM. Mark my words- he'll be amazing by opening night.

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Well, I'm seeing it tomorrow night, and I'm pretty tough on Pal Joey's. If I think he has "it," I'll say so, and if I think he doesn't, I won't.

But to all these people saying "He's just a chorus boy," may I remind you:

Shirley MacLaine was "just a chorus girl" when she went on for Carol Haney.

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