Nick Jonas & Michael Urie in HOW TO SUCCEED... Thoughts?- Page 8

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 10:58pm

I have a theory that anything every actor on Glee does will be trashed by at least 75% of the BWW message boards.

Just a theory.

[JojoBroadway]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:15pm

Jordan, sure because that makes it sound more logical and mature.


His highs are still the same: charm, charisma, a winning presence, some good dance moves and a pleasant voice. However, his shortcomings, though a little diminished, have not essentially changed: his stylized and somewhat light pop voice doesn't entirely mesh with the brassy Frank Loesser score.



Read more: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessagemodern.c
fm?thread=1040567&m=4231589&boardname=&boardid=1#ixzz1jJB62ZPq

His voice isn't changing. Might get stronger but I doubt it however all the other points you made are the reason why I say he has a chance of a good and fulfilling career on Broadway. If Broadway was only for the belters then it would have closed down long ago. I look forward to other projects he gets involved in on stage.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 11:24pm

Actually Miss Know-It-All with the bitchy daughter who does nothing but throw tantrums all day, he has changed the way he sings based on the clips online and what I heard yesterday.

Funny thing about you, VaJoJo - You don't actually know everything. (And your daughter still needs to either be controlled by medication or put down)

Updated On: 1/12/12 at 11:24 PM

[JojoBroadway]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 2:16am

Actually Miss Know-It-All with the bitchy daughter who does nothing but throw tantrums all day, he has changed the way he sings based on the clips online and what I heard yesterday.

Funny thing about you, VaJoJo - You don't actually know everything. (And your daughter still needs to either be controlled by medication or put down


Read more: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?page=8&thread=1040567&boardname=&boardid=1#ixzz1jJueC3Vt

Hee. I can picture you stumping your feet as you made these comments.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 2:25am

Stumping my feet? That makes about as much sense as you not beating that brat of a daughter you have every chance you get, VaJoJo.

[nealb1]

Posted: 1/15/12 at 2:41pm

I'm seeing the show again on Saturday night, and really looking forward to it!

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 1/15/12 at 4:29pm

Will the Jordan/JoJo debate eventually solve the debt crisis in Europe?

'Cause, boy, it's hard to see the point.

[pitfever]

Posted: 1/17/12 at 11:43pm

Was in NYC in the weekend to see H2$, so feel like to respond to a few posts,

Marianne2:
Some of them put out well produced albums and do concerts. I'd rather have that then albums put out by the number, like with Glee. I do like the show and the music, but I know it isn't the best on the planet. It's fun, and that's all I expect from it.

Not sure what that has to do with Glee album? Anyone can release an album, Matthrew Morrison is a great singer, but his CD has gone no where. Broadway stars are only successful on Broadway and singing Broadway music, very limited.

givemevoices:
Yes, yes, they're all jealous of Darren Criss because he has had success as part of a show that puts out CDs of bland, Autotuned crap.

I think if you don't know, it's better not saying cause it just makes you sound like a troll.

Wonderfulwizard111:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isnt't two weeks roughly the amount of time every replacement gets in a Broadway show? Granted, it isn't a lot of time, but it isn't as if Darren had less time than other actors who have replaced in a show. And I would imagine he probably was given the script before his rehearsal period.

I don't know about other actors. But knowing the songs and dances and lines don't mean anything. This is not a one-man show. You don't know until you have to work with the whole group.

lalaleeloo:
Yes! This excuse has been driving me nuts. According to Playbill: "The rehearsal process for most new Broadway musicals ranges from four to five weeks (with about three to four weeks of previews). However, when an actor is put into a long-running show, he or she has, on average, only one to three weeks of rehearsals before the first performance in front of an audience — not to mention the final put-in (an actual run-through with the entire cast), which usually happens only once before show time."

It's not an excuse, it's a fact. And people are comparing DC with DR here, not with other actors on other shows. DR has plenty of time to prepare and WEEKS of previews. This is a show with 20-30 people, it needs time and performances to gel.

willep:
He's had plenty of time to work on his voice. The two week rehearsal period is not for him learning to sing the songs. It is for the blocking and choreography. He's had the songs and been working on them for months, presumably. He just isn't a Broadway singer.

No, he isn't a Broadway singer, nor he ever claims he is. But he doesn't sound as bad as some people here said he is either.

TalkinLoud:
I have a theory that anything every actor on Glee does will be trashed by at least 75% of the BWW message boards. Just a theory.

You might be right about that.

Lumes123:
Yea I said that, he is a pop singer, not a broadway singer, but in time I think he will become one.

DC is not a pop singer. Just because he sings many pop songs on Glee doesn't make him a pop singer. I've listened to many of his live performances, besides pop, he also sing rocks, alternatives, motowns and adult contemporary.

So I saw the show finally, 3x back to back to back, Friday, Sat mat and eve. I thought the whole thing was great. Darren and Beau had great chemistry together and they seemed to have lots of fun, esp during Grand Old Ivy. I thought Beau was great overall. His voice was a bit weak, but his take on the role was pretty funny. As for Darren, he seemed to have lots of fun on stage. He kept adding little bits from the 3 performances I saw, which was refreshing. I did not see Dan's version, so I can't compare. But I like Darren's take on Finch. He's so charming and adorable that you can't help but root for him to succeed. He also makes the character sympathetic enough. Yes, Darren's voice was a bit weak, but not as bad as some of the people have said. His dancing was amazing. That boy can really jump and has quick feet. He just has so much energy and charisma on stage.

Overall, great show and bravo to both Beau and Darren.

























Updated On: 1/18/12 at 11:43 PM

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 1/22/12 at 11:37pm

Glad I waited to see Darren Criss in his last show. I was really apprehensive based on what I'd heard of his singing on "Glee" and the comments posted here but today he sang on key, was pretty funny and a great dancer. Daniel Radcliffe, however, played the role better overall and Radcliffe's singing technique is superior to Criss's. Criss's lack of vibrato was jarring and other than tripping over a word or speaking so swiftly toward the end, he did a good job. Maybe he would've been better had his run lasted longer allowing him to settle more into the role. Or perhaps today was the best he'll ever get.

Criss's singing voice is indeed thin and not for the musical theater. He's definitely a studio singer so I wish he had taken some vocal lessons like Radcliffe did in preparation for playing Finch. It's a good thing he wasn't put in into something like "West Side Story." His voice wouldn't have been able to handle Tony's songs and as anyone who saw him on "Glee" tackle Tony's songs can attest to, Criss's renditions of Tony's numbers were mediocre at best even with all the recording engineering magic the producers of "Glee" did to his voice.

Beau Bridges seems like he's more comfortable now compared to what was being said of him early on in his run. He actually was more on pitch than John Larroquette was. But was there a problem with his and Criss's mics? Sometimes it sounded as if they weren't turned up enough. That or their voices simply do not carry at The Al Hirschfeld.

Updated On: 1/24/12 at 11:37 PM

[pitfever]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 12:20pm

Criss does not have the Broadway voice which is a blessing. He will have a much better music career than the typical Broadway singers. That doesn't mean he's a studio singer. I have seen him live before, he has an amazing voice singing songs that fit him, such as rock, alternatives, pop and American song books etc.

Updated On: 1/23/12 at 12:20 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 12:54pm

pitfever; 3 times back to back? REALLY? There is something wrong with you. You are not right. I felt sadness for you reading that.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 6:33pm

Re replacements only having a couple of weeks of rehearsal, yes, that has its challenges.

But we should note that replacements are also able to watch a fully realized production of the show every night.

That's quite different from the original cast member who gets four or five weeks, but starts with an empty room and songs that may have not even been arranged, much less orchestrated. In a new show, said cast member may also deal with a script that is constantly changing.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 7:17pm

pitfever, turning Darren Criss's vocal shortcomings into an insult against all of Broadway isn't going to win him any fans. Just stop. You've done Darren more harm than good with your posts here.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 11:05pm

I've heard Darren Criss sing live too on the "Glee" tour and his voice works best when the song requires screaming and strictly straight tones AND when he's singing in a group. Criss could handle the acting and dancing in this revival of "How to Succeed..." just fine but not so much with the singing. Ditto on his take on Tony in "West Side Story" as it was showcased on "Glee." The first time I heard his version of "Something's Coming" and he was singing all alone without any Warbler backup, that's the first time his vocal limitations were truly exposed on "Glee."

I'm surprised he hasn't taken the time to study voice (at least as far as I know). But if he has indeed had some vocal training, it doesn't show. A little vibrato and learning some proper vocal placement/resonance would do his singing some good.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 8:24am

"Pop star Nick Jonas punches the clock as J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway revival of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying starting Jan. 24 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. "Ugly Betty" star Michael Urie also joins the cast as office brown-noser Bud Frump."

The thread can continue to discuss Darren/Beau, but I am going to rename it for Nick and Michael... It's easier than doing a another thread.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 10:08pm

Yeah I'm really excited to hear thoughts!! I'm so curious to hear how Jonas and Urie's first performance went!

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 10:36pm

Can't wait to hear from anyone who was there tonight.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 10:41pm

Based only on the clips on BWW, I can already tell that Nick is LEAGUES better than Darren vocally. And I have to say that I'm a little surprised by that.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 11:15pm

I'm just wondering... of course it is possible, but what do you think because of Jonas' fanbase, if they added his and Bridges vocals to the cast album and release this new version? His run ends in July and there would be plenty of time. Do you think the producers would be up to it? I would only be interested to hear his difference from Daniel Radcliffe.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 12:06am

I agree with bjh2114: based solely on the clips BWW has, Nick Jonas definitely sounds a lot better than Darren Criss. Jonas doesn't even look constipated or as tense as he did in the 25th Anniversary Concert for "Les Miz!" And isn't Jonas younger than both Criss and Daniel Radcliffe? I can't keep the ages of these young Finches straight at all.

The New York Times didn't review Criss. Wonder if they'll review Jonas.

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 12:27am

Yes, Nick is younger, only 19.
From what I understand, all theater critics have been invited back to review the show in the coming week or two.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 12:49am

He sounds even better than Radcliffe in my opinion. It would be pretty cool if they pulled a Brooke Shields and replaced the vocals on the cast recording with the three new leads, but I think someone already mentioned that the plan is to just release a few singles.

[snl89]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 12:58am

Nick does sound very nice :)

Just based purely on those clips, he doesn't seem to have the personality Dan and Darren did though (which, to me, is more important than vocals especially for a role like this), but of course those clips aren't much to go by acting wise so we'll we'll have to see what people who see his performance in full think

But he sounds great! I'm quite impressed by his voice, actually

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 8:38pm

So has any seen Nick in the show???

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 8:38pm

So has any seen Nick in the show???