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Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

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#1

Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:31pm

I recently received a mailing offering discount tickets to "Company". On it, it says "Raul Esparza in Company", with him standing upon a large pile of cubes. To me, this infers that his name might be above the marquee! If so, it will be nice to finally see him get some recognition that is well deserved!!!
#3

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:32pm

I don't think his name will appear on the marquee (because it's already up and he's not), but his name will certainly appear above the title.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson
#4

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:32pm

I think it is. According to the posters and such, his name has always been put above the title! Yay.
"Hold up your head. Never be afraid to shine. Viva la difference in my body and my mind. All out with loneliness Such a waste of time. Come in from the outside" ~ Taboo
#5

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:36pm

He must have an excellent agent. His name above the title, yet he has no Tony Award and no recognition outside the Broadway community.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#6

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:37pm

His name is on the marquee. Above the title.

Here, see:

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

I'm sorry, the second one is massive.

All of the billing thusfar has had the same thing; "Raúl Esparza in Company: A Musical Comedy," and so forth.

I think the philosophy behind this is to push his status up a notch, so to speak -- to get him to be in focus with the Tony nomination committee and the voters, and to make his name at least a little more powerful.
A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 10/11/06 at 12:37 PM

#7

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:39pm

Ah! Pleasant surprise! I looked briefly from 7th ave last week and squinted to see if it was there, and it appeared it wasn't. Sorry for lying to you all.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson
#8

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:46pm

That's very cool for him!
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
#12

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:03pm

Yes. He, Erin Dilly and Phillip Bosco were above the title in the Playbill (I just checked), but his name didn't appear on the marquee or any of the advertising stuff. Besides, you couldn't argue that any great number people were seeing that show because of him, which I think is what the case will presumably be with Company. Putting a name above the title like that indicates that people are coming to see the performer just as much as the show itself.
A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 10/11/06 at 01:03 PM

#17

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:18pm

I agree, bway. I was shocked when I walked by the theater and saw that.

Much more experienced and well-known actors don't get their names above the title.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
#18

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:19pm

Above the title, yes. On the marquee, no. On any of the major advertising, no. Big, big difference.

Not at all, Bway, but like I said, I think it's like going backwards; that he'll become a name that just automatically goes above the title if they stick him there and force it to happen... which is not a bad idea, I guess, so long as he gets attention. From what I understand, this is sort of the push to 'stardom,' and a publicity stunt as much as it is anything else. I think the powers that be are banking on the Tony, too, early as it is.
A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 10/11/06 at 01:19 PM

#19

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:25pm

So does this mean that if he's out, you can get a refund?

So glad to see his name up there! Thanks for the photos (wife will be thrilled! - She loved him in Taboo and The Normal Heart, liked him in Chitty)
#21

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:37pm

I don't understand the hand-wringing that goes on over here over Raul Esparza's career. He's been on Broadway for a mere six years. Very very talented, but all of this talk how he's owed over the title billing, and how his Tony Award is long overdue seems grandiose.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
#23

re: Will Raul Esparza's name finally be above the marquee?

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:43pm

Speaking for myself, I certainly wouldn't say it's "long overdue," because he's -- relatively speaking -- very young. I think he got screwed over the first (and only other) time he was nominated, which is sort of where my personal opinion that he "deserves" one comes from, totally separate from the fact that this performance is absolutely nothing short of award-worthy. And I know that people are skeptical to believe that until they've seen it -- that's fine and more than understandable.

Additionally, when I say he "deserves" the billing, it's certainly not because he's been a veteran for decades or whatever, but because I think he's just damned talented enough to get it. I think he deserves every bit of praise and attention he has gotten and will get from this show, because he has the capacity to be a huge, huge star. There's a media clipping out there somewhere that said it best; that looking at this guy's career is like watching proof that the theater can still breed a star.
A work of art is an invitation to love.

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