Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger. — Page 2

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#26

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 4:40pm

Jimnysf, telling people their opinion is wrong is just, well, wrong. You might disagree (and you obviously do)but there's a difference between saying I disagree with your opinion and saying someone's wrong.

#27

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 4:46pm

As I've said, if you HAVE NOT SEEN SOMEONE PERFORM, YOU CAN NOT POSSIBLY HAVE A VALID OPINION ON THEIR PERFORMING ABILITIES. How can you have a valid opinion on a performer you have not actually seen. What is the opinion based on? Just a "feeling"? Give me a break.

"I've lost everything! Luis, Marty, my baby with Chris, Chris himself, James. All I ever wanted was love." --Sheridan Crane "Passions" ------- "Housework is like bad sex. Every time I do it, I swear I'll never do it again til the next time company comes."--"Lulu" from "Can't Stop The Music" ----- "When the right doors didn't open for him, he went through the wrong ones" - "Sweet Bird of Youth" ------------ --------- "Passions" is uncancelled! See NBC.com for more info.

#28

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 5:09pm

I agree Jim.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#29

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 5:26pm

You can have an opinion on someone's vocal ability only having heard them, though; you don't need to see someone live to be able to tell what kind of voice they have and what kinds of things they would sound good singing. And, isn't that what timote said? He was only speaking vocally, not in terms of overall performing abilities. I agree that you can't speak for someone's overall performance skills if you haven't seen them -- that's common sense -- but that's not what he said.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#30

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 9:50pm

BUMPING!!

"Zac is sweet as can be. He's very much just a sweet kid from California who happens to have a face that looks like it was drawn by Michelangelo, (if Michelangelo did anime)."
-Adam Shankman.

"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"

"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"

#31

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 10:28pm

I saw Richard as Link and he was great. I think he's got a great voice, and he's a fine actor. Not to mention, he's one of the sweetest performers.

A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

#32

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:19pm

I did not like Richard as Link at all. He didn't seem like he was having any fun on stage.

#33

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:27pm

I saw him in both roles i dont remember his performance i was kinda mad that mark was an understudy. the time i saw him as roger he was the sunday replacement. adam and nobert didnt do sunday night shows?

#34

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:36pm

Typically, they didn't. Norbert frequently was on Sunday nights when Adam was in the show and I think Richard was on pretty much every Sunday after Norbert took over.

#35

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:38pm

Wow, a lot of you sure like to give opinions on performances which you haven't even seen. Anyway, I saw Richard in Rent several times. He's one of my favorite Rogers out of the 17 actors I've seen in the role. He's got a beautiful voice, performed the role very believably, and was actually a pretty popular Roger at the time.

For those of you who don't think that one actor could adequately cover both roles, I can think of several actors who have done just that: Jeremy Kushnier, Luther Creek, Christian Anderson, and the absolute best at it was Chad Richardson. It's not at all unusual.

#36

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:44pm

Chad Richardson is the best Mark I've ever seen in the show, in regular context. He's very, very talented. However, I'm sorry, but the fact that there *are* actors who can skillfully double the roles doesn't excuse the fact that there have been more than just a few who could not do so as well. If they exist, all the more reason that poor casting shouldn't happen.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#37

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:47pm

You forgot Norbert Leo Butz who would be my pick for the best Mark/Roger cover.

Other actors off the top of my head who did it are Dan Robbins, Josh Greene, Gilles Chiasson, Ron Christopher Patrick, Dean Armstrong, Matt Caplan, Trey Ellet, Dean Balkwill, Joshua Kobak, Colin Hanlon, Will Chase, David Driver, Matthew Murphy, and Tony Vincent.

Beyond that, Owen Johnston III covers both Angel and Roger while Kristoffer Cussick frequently covered Angel and Mark.

Sometimes, actors are capable of playing roles quite adequately that you wouldn't think they'd be able to on the surface.

Updated On: 6/24/06 at 11:47 PM

#38

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:49pm

emcee,

My comment was in reply to your saying:

"I've never understood why they're often covered by the same actor, because it's probably almost impossible to find someone who can give equally good performances as either of the two. More often the case is that someone is wonderful as say, Mark, and just pales as Roger. They don't cross over well, but that's another bone to pick.",

and showing that it obviously ISN'T almost impossible to find someone who can do that. It's been done several times. Anyway, that issue really has nothing to do with Richard's ability to play Roger believably, which he did.

Updated On: 6/24/06 at 11:49 PM

#39

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/24/06 at 11:59pm

When I posted it, I said that was a separate issue. Something someone else posted remind me of it, that's all.

And fine, I was wrong and I stand corrected: it's not "almost impossible," and there were actors I was unaware of, but regardless of the semantics, I still stand by my statement that it's inexcusable; obviously another bone to pick and out of my authority.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#40

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:20am

Richard is great!

#41

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:55pm

And fine, I was wrong and I stand corrected: it's not "almost impossible," and there were actors I was unaware of, but regardless of the semantics, I still stand by my statement that it's inexcusable; obviously another bone to pick and out of my authority.

Inexcusable? In a show like Rent, how would you suggest it be divided up to make it work better? Given that that it's a mid-sized cast that is almost completely half male, half female, and also multi-racial, it seems like having two actors cover both Mark and Roger (often whoever plays Gordon and a swing) makes more sense than having one cover each, and only having one understudy. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding what you're trying to say.

I've seen four actors play both Mark and Roger. The only one who wasn't close to equally strong in both roles was the one who wasn't particularly strong in either. Chad Richardson, as said above, is definitely the strongest I've seen play both roles, but I was very impressed by Colin Hanlon as well, especially since he is someone most wouldn't generally think of as a Roger. I think it's more interesting to see actors stretch their limitations, why expect them to only be strong in ONE role in the show when they can be strong in two?

Updated On: 6/25/06 at 12:55 PM

#42

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:02pm

Yeah. Inexcusable. I think some of the casting that happens in Rent is a total disservice to what the work deserves, and that there's no excuse for such poor casting. It seems lazy.

The fact that there *have* been a fair amount of actors to do well doubling Mark and Roger, Maureen and Mimi, etc, only proves my point, really -- because if these people exist, and it's therefore more than remotely possible, there's even *less* of an excuse for poor casting to slip by. It's not about the numbers, it's about the principal. I think there's been an unfair amount of lazy casting in Rent, in general. I know it's difficult because it's a show that relies heavily on using its swings, however, I'm sorry, but there have got to be ways to make it work better. Obviously because of the use of swings in the show, nobody is going to be perfect for ever role he or she covers, but there's a wide gap between imperfect and blatantly not good. There are people with the talent to make it work without finagling the numbers or the rankings. I'm not saying having people cover more than one part is a mistake; I'm saying it's not always done well. Maybe that's too idealistic, but there have been too many miscast actors for comfort.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#43

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:35pm

I think Richard is a talented performer and I did like him as Radames... didn't know he was in RENT, but thought I cudnt stand him in blonde hair!
Anyone have pixs of him in Hairspray as Link?

All That Jazz Check out & support my drawings @ www.facebook.com/felixdrawings

#44

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/25/06 at 3:00pm

#45

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 12:43am

Isn't that Carly Jibson in that pic? I saw Richard Blake, Carly and Jennifer Gambatese in this production, probably the best cast EVER in this show.

"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one". -Felicia Finley-

#46

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 8:05am

I think Richard is an extremely gifted performer. A true triple threat. I have seen him in Hairspray, Sound of Music and Wedding Singer, and did a great job in all. I have also seen a video of him in Saturday Night Fever, and cant for the life of me understand why he wasnt the one to originate the role. He was brilliant in that. And as someone mentioned he is really a very sweet person too.

#47

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 8:21am

buscee, Richard originated the role of Gus in SNF. James Carpinello was the one with all the buzz back then but he did SNF and then promptly disappeared. Richard has had a very successful Broadway career.

#48

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 9:51am

Oh I know Richard has had a great career. He has been moving from show to show with no problems. James Campinello has in fact disappeared. My point was from what I have seen I cant see James being any better than Richard was, and Richard has a very strong resemblence to Travolta. I just felt Richard should have opened the show as Tony, and Im sure he would have gotten alot better reviews. Richard got great reviews on the road in that role.

#49

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 12:33pm

Actually, if you want the truth as *I* see it and being that I'm a self appointed authority on all things related to Fever, Andy Karl was THE best Tony Manero and should have gotten the role in the first place. Blake was fine and almost anyone would have been better than the long forgotten Carpinello, but Karl was hands down (with the exception of original London Manero, Adam Garcia), the most flawless in all three abilities needed for the role.

Blake is fine. My only "gripe" with him is that he's a bit robotic in his performances across the board and almost distractingly sweaty. And yes, Jimmsf, I have seen him in everything BUT, Rent.

Updated On: 6/30/06 at 12:33 PM

#50

re: Richard H. Blake in Rent as Roger.

Posted: 6/30/06 at 12:36pm

random, but he looks much better sans facial hair.

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