Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
RW3
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#1Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 10:58amI'm just asking because I realized that some of the JVJ's have played the Phantom. BTW, does anyone know what vocal range is Hugh?
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#2Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 11:03amI dunno….they changed the keys on two of his big songs and he could barely pull off Bring Him Home in its original key.
#2Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 11:11am
Hugh Jackman can't sing well "sotto voce." He still gets way too wobbly and brassy on the quiet stuff, as he proved in Les Mis.
He sounds his best (and pretty dang good) when he is belting in his upper register. Anything lower or softer, and it's Willie Nelson time. No good for me. Brassy, nasal, and really wobbly.
Since the Phantom sings a lot of his most dramatic stuff at this quiet, intense level ... the answer is no (for me). He would not make a good Phantom.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#3Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 11:12amWell said, Besty. I was going to respond to this in a much less eloquent way :)
Brian07663NJ
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
#4Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 11:34amThanks Besty - I agree with you but you knew what I was thinking and said it accurately.
#5Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 11:38amMmm tough to say, but I know I would certainly love to see him in the role!
#6Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 12:23pmOnly if the Phantom only wears his mask and Calvin Cline briefs.
#7Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 12:39pm
Could you all please stop comparing Hugh Jackman's onscreen performance as Jean Valjean to regular stage performances PLEASE?
If Hugh had actually played Valjean onstage, it would've been very different from the film, which is a much more realistic medium of storytelling. I think he'd make a GREAT Phantom!
#8Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 1:09pm
I agree with Jeffrey. Jackman on stage is a whole different beast,
I think he'd be an interesting choice to play the man behind the mask. Also, one thing I find compelling about Jackman is his constant pushing himself beyond what people think he can do. He usually succeeds even when the odds see, stacked against him. So I'd wager that if he ever played the phantom, he'd make it work.
#9Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 1:12pm
Jackman has a good voice, but it is a unique and peculiar voice. He can't just go playing any role, all willy-nilly, because he is a leading man by type but does not have a conventional voice. The slightly nasal tone and French-cabaret vibrato give him a highly distinctive sound.
Unfortunately, Phantom has moved away from "distinctive voices." Michael Crawford had an unusual and distinctive voice, one much more peculiar than any Phantom since. It's pretty much a legit baritenor role now. No rock, no weirdness, just a pleasant, rich, conventional voice.
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#10Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 1:18pm
"Michael Crawford had an unusual and distinctive voice, one much more peculiar than any Phantom since"
A voice I enjoy far less than Jackman's for the record.
#11Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 1:20pmI think Jackman would make a swell Barnum!
mamaleh
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#12Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 1:43pm
Word at the time of the planning of the PHANTOM film version was that ALW wanted Hugh, but the latter was tied up in prepping for THE BOY FROM OZ. Too bad those projects overlapped; I'd love to have seen his take on the Phantom.
Jeffrey Karasarides has it right: stage and film are two very different animals. I think Hugh J. acquits himself more than admirably on both counts. For those who've never seen his Curly in OKLAHOMA!, I direct you to your TV: PBS is rebroadcasting Trevor Nunn's National Theatre production tonight. It's excellent.
Updated On: 11/15/13 at 01:43 PM
#13Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 2:19pm
I agree with you about Jackman's distinctive voice and also that he and Michael Crawford can't play every role.
Crawford sounded very odd to me when he sang (he still does). But his voice was pure magic as the Phantom, and I've never seen or heard anybody else come close to what he was able to do live on stage. (The closest is Ramin, BTW, who understands that at times "less is more" and allows himself to get all thin and whispery. So effective!) Most actors over-sing the Phantom, and lose all of the mystery and danger as a result. They sound pompous and loud, though.
I think Hugh would do best having a show written for him and his specific voice. Give him lots to belt in his upper register. He sounds great up there! No "Bring Him Home" numbers, though, or "Music of the Night." He can't do it. And that's fine by me. He can do so many other things well (excellent actor, movie star charisma, and great belt voice, etc.).
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#14Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 3:15pmRelated: I believe PBS is rebroadcasting Jackman in Oklahoma this month. Will show under Great Performances.
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#15Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 5:09pm
The PBS rebroadcast of Oklahoma! is tonight, November 15, at 9:00 pm.
Interesting that when I saw Oklahoma! in London in 1999, I did not know who Hugh Jackman was and couldn't even see his face clearly since I only managed to get tickets at the Dress Circle ( front mezz), but I was quite impressed by the powerful legit stage sounding voice and the commanding stage presence that could be discerned from the distance.
I can't find the YT clips anymore but I remember that there was an SNL parody of Music of the Night, with Robert Goulet as the Phantom and Hugh Jackman as Michael Crawford. In the parody, Michael Crawford was outsinging Robert Goulet - LOL!
If things turn out well, we might hear Hugh's voice on stage sooner than expected, but not in a musical role yet - according to a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/11/14/hugh-jackman-will-play-the-wolverine-again-if-the-script-is-right/?mod=e2tw
>>"I have two things that I’m really actively working on. One is a musical about Houdini that we’ve been working on for two or three years now and hopefully we’ll make progress very soon. The other is a play which I can’t tell you about, but I really want to get back on Broadway soon. I did my one-man show here two years ago — I can’t believe it’s that long. I miss it. I’m a creature of the stage so I want to get back."<<<
Updated On: 11/15/13 at 05:09 PM
#16Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/15/13 at 7:49pm
I was impressed with him in Oklahoma! His voice was good. Still a little strident, but he sounded solid. His acting and his charisma were what really put him over for me. Overall, one of the best performances of Curly I've seen.
And I was surprised when I first saw that Laurey danced her own dream ballet. Wonderful!
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#17Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/20/13 at 10:28pmHugh Jackman has the ability to play a brooding character and his acting would be perfect, in my view, for the Phantom. But because stage and film are so different, I'm not sure he could pull off "MOTN" night after night, even if he did a creditable job as JVJ. (As much as I loved Gerry Butler's characterization in the 2004 film, his "MOTN" was downright cringe-worthy on the high notes). But, if Hugh Jackman doesn't want the role, there's always Russell Crowe ... JUST KIDDING!
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#18Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:10pm
It's likely not going to be Phantom and maybe Houdini is not ready, but Hugh seems keen to get back to Broadway soon - based on his response to yesterday's Live Chat on Twitter ( re the release of The Wolverine on BluRay/DVD) --
>>>>iTunes Movies?@itunesmovies6m
We love to see you act on stage, too. Which performance interest came first: film or stage? #AskHughJackman
Hugh Jackman?@realhughjackman3m
.@itunesmovies Theatre came first. I'm looking at a few projects that may bring me back to theatre soon. #AskHughJackman<<<
#19Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/21/13 at 1:35pm
best12bars, funny you mention Oklahoma. I just watched it last night. His performance as Curly really is remarkable, and it has some very sotto voce moments than are indeed wonderful. Yes indeed. He'd make a great Phantom.
And add me to the ones who don't "get" others trying to compare his film role to a stage role. Do people on this website really not get the difference -- particularly with the way Les Mis was done as a film?
Updated On: 11/22/13 at 01:35 PM
#20Would Hugh Jackman be a good Phantom??
Posted: 11/22/13 at 11:19pm
Patash wrote:And add me to the ones who don't "get" others trying to compare his film role to a stage role. Do people on this website really not get the difference -- particularly with the way Les Mis was done as a film?
Patash, I mostly agree with you. However, I think that the way Les Mis was filmed made it more like a stage show, because the voices were recorded live, on the soundstage, with no "do overs." Frankly, I didn't like the results -- even the great Colm Wilkinson sounded thin and wobbly. As for Russell Crowe ... let me just say that studio enhancement couldn't have hurt, not that it could have solved the wooden acting.
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