PAL JOEY -- First Preview Thoughts — Page 3

IMHO, those were the most impressive...even if extremely reminiscent (to me anyway) of the Garden of Eden costumes in Gypsy. Maybe that was the point?

The rest were...clothes, really.

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The reason to revive "Pal Joey" is a true star-quality leading man waiting in the wings to take on this role and truly shine in it.

That wasn't the case here. Why Hoff? He was a poor choice from the get-go. He's simply not the kind of actor that holds the whole stage and owns the room, and as Best12bars pointed out, he's also just not the right type.

If Hugh Jackman had wanted to star on Broadway in "Pal Joey", this should have been revived in a New York minute. But otherwise? Forget about it.

I'm confused, so Martha's character now sings "Zip" in the updated book? What happened to the reporter?

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I liked the costumes alot, and the sets were very good.

It was just Hoff--- his character is just too central, and on stage way too much, to have someone perform the role so poorly.

I had no connection with him AT ALL.

I kept wishing he would turn into James Marsden !! (or anyone else, but Marsden was the first to pop into my head)

There is a certain charisma/charm needed for this role (other than the obvious ability to dance and sing), that Hoff just doesnt possess.

.... and while we are at it... Could we at least have COLOR Playbill's the FIRST night !!??? :))

...and I'm sorry but that set looks like the trendy entrance to a men's room in a WeHo dance club.

Maybe it loses something in the photo.

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AND that section of the set is used for a barely 5-minute song and dance number and doesn't reflect what the majority of the show looks like.

Musical Numbers

Act One:

Overture
Chicago (Joey)
You Mustn't Kick It Around (Joey, Gladys, Girls)
I Could Write a Book (Joey, Linda)
Chicago - Reprise (Girls)
That Terrific Rainbow (Gladys, Girls)
What Is a Man? (Vera)
Are You My Love? (Joey, Linda)
Happy Hunting Horn (Joey, Girls)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Vera)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Reprise (Vera)
Pal Joey (What Do I Care for a Dame?) (Joey)
Chez Joey (Joey, Company)

Act Two:

The Flower Garden of My Heart (Ludlow Lowell, Gladys, Girls)
In Our Little Den of Iniquity (Joey, Vera)
Zip (Gladys)
Plant You Now, Dig You Later (Girls)
Do It the Hard Way (Joey, Linda)
Zip - Reprise (Val)
I Still Believe in You (Linda)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Reprise (Vera)
Take Him (Linda, Vera)
I'm Talkin' to My Pal (Joey)
I Still Believe in You - Reprise (Linda)
I Could Write a Book - Reprise (Joey)

From what I have been reading it is Hoff's singing that is bad and his dancing and acting that are good. Isn't this the opposite of what everyone was predicting?

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<< From what I have been reading it is Hoff's singing that is bad and his dancing and acting that are good. Isn't this the opposite of what everyone was predicting? >>

I thought his singing was horrible---- his dancing and acting are just bad.

Specifically, what's wrong with his voice. Has it gotten worse since Jersey Boys, not better?

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Mattbrain, I'm not really sure how to go into the specifics of "miscast."

Basically, his voice does not qualify the smoothness and subtle power of a crooner which this part was clearly written for. He struggles in his upper register which is heavily used during the score and uses what sounds to be an underdeveloped head voice. He also closed off many of his vowels and word-endings in order to carry off notes therefore muffling his already bad singing.

Mattbrain-how could anyone have known about Hoff's singing in Jersey Boys? He didn't sing much at all...