Warren Carlyle vs Josh Rhodes

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:16pm

Lets begin with Josh Rhodes. He is new to the business for he has been a dancer in various musicals and so far his only work on Broadway is "Cinderella" but I'll get to that. But he has done work in other places in regional theatre. First off his work on the NY Philharmonic production of "Company" is outstanding for a major debut. His choreography in it is like a part-time tribute to Michael Bennett, a legendary director and choreographer, and in Josh's own style. "Tick-Tock" which is a number in the musical that is usually cut, is in this production and Rhodes uses it to a great advantage. The actress who played Kathy is also a dancer and the dances she portrays is almost like Bennett's original choreography in a sense but in Rhodes's style. His work on "Cinderella" from what I've seen in clips is very balletic and waltzlike plus very old fashioned, (in a good way) which is very much unused these days on Broadway. I really like Josh Rhodes so far and I hope he has a great career.

Warren Carlyle is very good at what he does best, which is when he choreographs a group, magic comes to life on stage. His work in the 2009 revival of Finian's Rainbow, is an example of what I said. His style is varied to ballet, to tap, to group dance. Although my biggest complaint from him is that he can waver to creative to boring and generic. His work on "Follies" is very well known to have been hit or miss with people, for me personally it's varied especially his version of "Who's That Woman". He does listen to critisism like his work in "Lucy and Jessie" in Washington D.C. was a disasterous mess, Jan Maxwell obviously can't dance and it showed. Plus her background dancers were distracting for the most part. However by the time the show reached to Broadway it was a huge improvment, Maxwell was more comfortable with the new choreography and her dancers were framing her which the number was supposed to do. "Who's That Woman" on the other hand was not that bad in that the ladies can dance (kind of) and the ghosts are early to liven the number up, though the middle part really is a mess. (Though I still think Michael Bennett's originial version is the best.) It's a mess of very good and bland.

In the end of everything, Josh Rhodes is my favorite one because his work just seems exciting, lively, tribute-filled, and the fact that his knowledge of work from other choreographers is there. It certainly lives up to what that one person said: "He is a freak for style". Warren is still good but just not up to Josh's level.

Anyone can give their own two cents on these two or any other choreographer.



Updated On: 5/2/13 at 09:16 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:06pm

Jan Maxwell obviously can't dance and it showed.

Oh, shut up.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:13pm

I said that she improved as the show moved to Broadway and I should've said that Carlyle did give Maxwell some new moves for her to do. I'm very sorry for that, it's just that video you and later on fledee posted of Alexis Smith and that legendary 1971 production of Follies just defeats Maxwell for me. However Maxwell's "Could I Leave You", was extrodinary.

Please forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:22pm

I am always offended by drive-by diva shooting.

[shrekster224]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:22pm

I don't see a reason to compare these two choreographers specifically, but yes, Josh Rhodes has proven himself to be more than capable. Coming from someone who wants to follow his path and be ensemble/dance captain then a choreographer, I really admire his musicality and dance vocabulary in Cinderella. I mean, who could have asked for a better score than that? I hope to see more of his work soon and it's a shame that he wasn't nominated for a Tony. "The Prince is Giving a Ball", "The Waltz at the Ball", and even the sequence with the driver and the footman are all very clever and creative. I'm a fan.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:25pm

Jan Maxwell is by no means a dancer, but she improved by leaps and bounds between D.C. and New York. Lucy was the highlight of the show when I saw it again on Broadway.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:32pm

But PalJoey, I really loved Jan Maxwell as Phyllis (I never meant to shoot anybody). It was the first time I ever saw Follies and I actually loved it despite some staging issues. I loved everybody in the cast especially Jayne Houdyshell, Elaine Paige, and Danny Burstein for their wonderful performances of their great songs. I should mention the wonderful costumes by Gregg Barnes, even though it's second best compared to Florence Klotz's legendary costumes. Again, I apologize for that I should've chosen my words better.

BTW: I haven't seen it live but I have "seen" it. Both D.C. and Broadway







Updated On: 5/3/13 at 10:32 PM

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:38pm

I have a very warm spot in my heart for Josh Rhodes. Many moons ago, when I was fresh out of college, I was the director of a summer park district program in central Illinois that offered elementary and Jr. High students the opportunity to perform in a musical review. Josh was enrolled in that program. I remember him very well because his talent was obvious, even at his young age.

I don't claim to have taught him anything - It was just a short-term, summer park district program, and he was already miles ahead of most of the other kids regarding performance skills. I am, however, very pleased and proud to see his successes. I recognized him immediately in the DVD of Fosse, and have been "cyber-stalking" (eek!!) his career since that time.

I feel similarly about Anna Chlumsky's career. I'm smiling while I'm watching her on Hannibal as I'm typing this. I was lucky enough to work with her in a dinner-theater production of The Music Man during her My Girl days. I used to call her "Star Baby" and she used to call me "Star Daddy".

Updated On: 5/2/13 at 10:38 PM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:43pm

^Wow what a nice story :) Have you seen Cinderella? If so then what did you think of Josh's work?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:46pm

Josh Rhodes is incredibly talented, incredibly easy to work with, and an incredibly nice person. Did I mention that he is incredible?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:54pm

^Yep Capn, you did say that :) Thank goodness he isn't an Agnes De Mille (Personality wise). I wonder what a production of Follies would be like with Josh Rhodes as choreographer? I bet it would be magnificent to watch and I would pay for it.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:55pm

I haven't seen Cinderella and probably won't have the opportunity until it tours. I have every confidence that his work is amazing!

AY-EEEEEEE!! (Something bad just happened to my "Star Baby" on Hannibal...)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:09pm

Why do you have to boldface things? Don't you know it's irritating?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:23pm

I've never seen anything from Rhodes. My take on Carlyle is covered by what I have seen--I've seen done better before hand (Who's That Woman in Follies, Louise's Ballet in Carousel.) I wonder what he'll do with the Balanchine numbers for On Your Toes.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:27pm

^Wait.. You never saw the NY Philharmonic production of Company with Neil Patrick Harris? That's on DVD? I really loved it.

Updated On: 5/2/13 at 11:27 PM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 12:26am

Whoops! I forgot about Warren's work in Carousel. His version of the ballet seems to be workman-like, generic and for some reason it felt anticlimatic to me despite such amazing dancers. I guess my ultimate problem with Warren Carlyle's work is that it never soars (except in Finian's Rainbow) and all of the original choreographers just seemed to do it better the first time. Must I mention his treatment of the ghosts in Follies?

Updated On: 5/3/13 at 12:26 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 12:37am

>> " Why do you have to boldface things? Don't you know it's irritating?"

Some think it's noise, I think it's pretty.

If you wear sunglasses, you can hardly tell what's bolded and what's not.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 12:42am

^LOL. I like the La Cage reference.

After all PJ, he is what he is and we can't do anything to stop it.

Plus I am still angry and sore that Rhodes never got his deserved nominatinon. Jerry Mitchell's choreography (especially looking at the Broadway montage) is just so boring that it makes me scratch Kinky Boots off my list of shows I want to see in NYC (other than the fact that I am not a Cyndi Lauper fan at all). I know I mentioned it serveral times in other threads but I don't think I will ever get over it. At least theres the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk to help me get it out of my mind.

Updated On: 5/3/13 at 12:42 AM

[BwayBuff2]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 1:31am

I've worked with Josh Rhodes before and he is a dream! He was the choreographer on a production of Hairspray I did in 2011...I played Sketch. The life he brought to those dance numbers through his choreography was amazing. He really understood the time period and made the show his own. I preferred his Hairspray choreography over Jerry's (I've done his, too). And Casey Hushion (Fat Camp, Drowsy Chaperone, Elf...) was our director. It really was a dream team. I would work with Josh again ANY day!

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 1:38am

There is a video of it on Josh Rhodes's website. It actually looked like a very good production, man those dances sure are energentic.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 2:51pm

Ha, while posting I completely forgot your comments about Company. I liked his Tick Tock (and appreciate they included it) thoughI wasn't sure about using more than one dancer. My only frame of reference though is the clip online of McKechnie doing the original choreography but only dancing it halfway due to her health issues.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 3:17pm

Oh, I also enjoyed Rhodes' understated pas de deux done to the theme from Reds for Sondheim's Birthday Concert.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 3:59pm

John Rhodes also did some wonderful work for Broadway Bares over the past few years.

The "Tweedle Dum" number he and Lee Wilkins did stands out as one of my all-time favorite Bares numbers.

http://youtu.be/cLbzgFh439k

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 4:21pm

^PJ wasn't Jerry Mitchell the original choreographer for Broadway Bares before Josh took over? Oh and I hated Carlyle's treatment of the Ghosts in Follies, even looking at any videos of the Broadway original in 1971 Bennett truly knew what importance they had.



Updated On: 5/3/13 at 04:21 PM

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 4:39pm

It's very nice to read all the positive posts about Josh Rhodes (look Pal Joey - no boldface!)

...>oops<

Maybe it's time to see a featured interview with him on BWW. I only see one article where his name appears in the title. The article however, mentions only that he's a "newbie" and then moves in a completely different direction.



BWW Reviews: R+H's CINDERELLA Choreographer, Josh Rhodes, Brings the Fairy Tale to Life Read more about BWW Reviews: R+H's CINDERELLA Choreographer, Josh Rhodes, Brings the Fairy Tale to Life by b Updated On: 5/3/13 at 04:39 PM