So, Hugh Panaro's A-Comin' To My School...

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 9:01am

Yep, Hugh Panaro's coming to my school on November 5th to talk, sing, autograph, do some Q&A, and showcase his extremely pointy face. I'm stoooooked, but I need some intelligent suggestions for questions I can ask, because 'intelligent' is not exactly my area of expertise. Anyone have any ideas?

(Aside: There are posters all around my school with big pictures of his face, and the caption, "Meet the REAL Phantom of the Opera face to face." I saw a freshman walk up, study the poster for a minute, and then say, "Hmm... the real Phantom of the Opera isn't THAT ugly" or something like that. Well... I thought it was funny...)

Updated On: 11/1/08 at 09:01 AM

[kikki327]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 12:31pm

where do you go to school?

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 1:37pm

I don't want to reveal that here online, but you can find out if you go to his website. The program is called "Artspeak." All I will say here is that it is NOT in New York.

[philly03]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 1:47pm

It's probably somewhere in Pennsylvania/South Jersey...Hugh had mentioned the need to give back to our community at the Walnut during Les Mis, and was pretty sure he mentioned he'd be speaking to high schools about the theatre/etc.

Ask Hugh if he likes Phantom or Les Mis better...and why?! Or if you do live in Philly ask how he got such a good start/if it was because of living here.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 4:21pm

Actually, it's not in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, either... Okay, I might as well say, it's a suburb of D.C. in Northern Virginia.

Phantom vs. Les Mis, now THAT is an interesting question. Though since I really loved him as Antony in Sweeney Todd, I might want to toss that into the mix, too.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 7:33pm

Is it Alexandria?? My dad grew up in Alexandria I love it thereeeeee

<--too lazy to look

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 7:37pm

You cold ask him about the overhaul of the Lestat material from San Fran to BWay, or something about that.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 10:18pm

Schmerg, I may see you there. I'm not sure I want to go yet... There are posters outside the theater at my school (I go to Westfield), and someone actually took white-out and covered half his face. Um yeah, we all thought that was clever.

[Gingersnap2]

Posted: 11/1/08 at 11:19pm

Schmerg,

You already know I'll be there.

Actually, I have a bunch of questions I had compiled for an interview that we didn't do because I didn't make it back to Philly a second time as planned. I can let you borrow some of them, if you don't have any ideas yet.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 8:02am

Whoa! Paula is a denizen of this website?

Cooool...

Trekkie2, it is deeply trippy that you live in the same universe as me. I'll have trouble imagining you as a human being and not a blue and white pill.

[PhantomTango1]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 11:47am

I'm there! :)

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 4:58pm

Wstfglalala? You live in my area, too?

This is a regular party...

[mastachen2]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 8:28pm

If you get the chance, ask him whose idea it was to have him wear those ridiculous sideburns when he was in Sweeney Todd back in 02. And if those were real sideburns, ask him what the hell he was thinking.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 8:29pm

Hahaha, I was actually thinking about asking that before I created this thread!

I don't want to weird him out TOOO much, though, seeing as I kind of want him to autograph my Hugh Panaro-themed math binder. (It has a picture of him as Valjean tearing open his shirt, with a caption that says, "And so, Javert, you see it's true-- the answer isn't 42! What is it? 24601!")

[Gingersnap2]

Posted: 11/2/08 at 9:21pm

The sideburns were real - I've seen pictures of him from benefits concerts that date from them and I can't help laughing at them. He talks about them a bit in the excellent D.C. Theatrescene podcast from earlier this year.

I don't think it would weird him out. Sometimes, things that I'm sure will O_O him just get a shrug and things I'd never expect to freak him have.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 10:00pm

So, I just came back... it was truly amazing, as overused as that word is. He's ridiculously talented, and so funny and just an all-around personable guy. I got to ask him three questions onstage (One-- about the sideburns! Two-- about the 'darker' roles he's played opposed to the little Marius and Raoul roles, and Three-- if he were a woman, what character would he most want to play) and looked incredibly awkward onstage with a very scary microphone in front of me that kept threatening to knock out my teeth!

He sang three songs--from Peter Pan, Les Mis, and Company (respectively)-- talked a bit, and signed autographs. It was really cool, and everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy it a lot. There weren't nearly as many people there as I would have thought, though.

[PhantomTango1]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 11:42pm

Hey Schmerg, I was the girl in the leather coat chatting with Paula when you came up to say hi. Great questions! That was a fantastic evening all around.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 11/6/08 at 2:44pm

Ah! I didn't recognize you! You're much prettier and, um, less deformed-looking in real life than in your avatar!

[PhantomTango1]

Posted: 11/6/08 at 8:11pm

Haha, well thanks very much. I guess the makeup's doing its job then. :)