Will RAUL ESPARZA Ever Return to Broadway? — Page 2

Sunny11 said: "The guy has now performed in 9 Broadway shows earning 4 Tony nominations along the way. That certainly doesn't signal a lack of confidence in him from the majority of the Broadway community."

No but that's not what I said. What I said is that it might be one reason. Being too sensitive "might" be one too, but I rather think not.

I remember thinking the review of Leap of Faith was surprising, give that Brantley is usually pretty into Raul's performances. I thought it was harsh because to me, it seemed like he was trying to take back what he had said previously in response to one performance that wasn't, he felt, on the same level.

I think people might be forgetting that the SVU gig came directly out of Leap of Faith. Not necessarily of its failure, I suppose it might have happened anyway, but the opportunity was there, and as much as watching him act for camera will never, ever compare to watching him on stage, who can blame him for taking it? It's certainly gone on much longer than I imagined it would, but it seems clear to me he's learning a lot, and, you know, income.

Anyway, I think anyone who has ever read an interview with Raul or spoken to him about theatre knows that the answer is yes, some day. That's an actor who feeds off of an audience, and you cannot get that acting for television. It's not like he's abandoned theatre on the whole -- Cymbeline was just last year, and Encores! was... what, two years before that? But the scheduling with SVU, I imagine, makes it impossible to commit to much more than that at the moment.

Raul is a well trained actor and vocalist and a very good actor, for that I respect him. I however, do not care for his voice or his vibrato, so I avoid him in musicals. I've also been told he is (at least in the theatre community) very affected and dramatic, making him difficult to work with at times. I'm not making a judgment, its just an observation.

As usual Mr.R just talks because he can type-ad nauseum.

Also lol at the assessment that nobody gave a **** about him being in Cymbeline. I was going to say "well, I flew home and moved other travel plans around to be there" and leave it at that, but I'm terrible sample case. However, speaking of TV and all that, there were LOTS of people who traveled to NYC to see him who had never seen him on stage before. And I bet a lot of them could have given two ****s less about Shakespeare, or theatre, period, really, but they all went to see him. Which reminds me of another thing people might not be considering as a perk of doing a wide-reaching television show for a while: increase your fanbase. Become more bankable for the day you do decide to return to the stage.

He is one of my favorites. Still upset that I was unable to defend "Company". I did see him twice in "Leap of Faith". (LOVED that show) and sat onstage for Cymbeline. My first time seeing him onstage was in "The Homecoming", which was stellar all the way around.

Jane2 said: " Not only did I get to see him act and hear him sing every night, I got to know him personally. He was the most unaffected and un-drama driven person to know.




"

I feel like some gossip-mongers are still clinging to the Rosie feud (what a shame) but I got the impression he's mellowed out completely. Granted, I don't know him personally, but the one instance of "bad behavior" is countered by a million stories that he's a pleasure to work with.

I had a conversation about that whole scenario with Taboo one time when I ran into Raul. Without going into details, I got the impression that he became quite emotional over how the producing of the show was going with Rosie on board, and that's why he walked out that time.

Speaking of emotional, here's an anecdote. It was shortly after 9/11, which affected Raul very deeply. The theater was closed for a few performances, but one night when we resumed with Tick Tick Boom, Raul was at the piano, playing and singing the one soft and melancholy number in the show. Suddenly there was the sound of loud bursts, which seemed like bullets being fired. Raul froze, and looked out at the house, eyes wide as saucers. No one knew what had happened. Was someone shooting? at him? Right after 9/11 had occurred, you can imagine what everyone thought. After a few moments, when nothing happened, Raul resumed playing and singing, tears running down his face. I'll never forget that moment.

I turned out that a speaker had blown.

p.s. Raul singing Petrified is on you tube

Updated On: 7/12/16 at 01:20 PM

Petrified

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f_0z1kuPUo&list=RD0f_0z1kuPUo#t=0

I must admit that I am not a big fan of Esparza's stage work, but I have been loving him on SVU. I think that he gels well with the cast, and I like how compelling his character has been. There seems to be an interesting arc coming for him next season that could end with him leaving the series. So, I could imagine him back on Broadway after that.

I'm sure that he'll return eventually, and I'm definitely in the camp that's anxious for the day. I'm a huge fan of his work and do think he's one of the best in the business. I still have a really vivid memory of watching the 2007 Tony Awards with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in my lap -- I must have been rereading the series in anticipation of the last book's release -- and wanting to fling that huge hardback book at the television when he lost for Best Actor. He's one of my favorites.

"I think its cool and expected that people come on to document how wonderful he is. However, this does not negate other people's experience of the person. My post had nothing to do with the Rosie nonsense. I wasn't referencing that. Just because someone was lovely and thoughtful to you, doesn't mean they didn't treat someone else poorly or were problematic."

If this is directed towards me, I'm sorry Betty but you're all off. Not once in any way have I negated anyone's experience. Not once. YOU have inferred that.

And now, this here is where I quit. I'm exhausted from so many people completely misreading or misunderstanding or making up $hit to me on this site. I don't need this crap with having to deal with this. Life is too short. thank you Betty boy for being the straw that broke the camel's back. If any mod is reading this, please delete my account.