SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances - Page 8
SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#175SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 12:50am
Totally disagree. I think if you saw Patti Lupone down, she would say, as a smart actress, that she has charted out her character. She knows when the changes happen, the certain gestures might even happen and how they happen. I don't think that's phoning it in. That's giving each paying audience the same show. Because that's your job. Sure, minor details change every night, maybe your infections change here and there, but the intent is the same. So, if his performance is so drastically different then when I saw him in November, then that's bad. Just saying.
#176SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 8:29am
I can definitely see your point, but in some cases it does mean someone has charted their character well enough to give a strong and influenced character while others end up feeling the lack of challenge and begin to phone it in. I think in most cases, trying to stay fresh and taking different choices here and there helps people stay committed to their character day after day. Not everyone is Patti LuPone, but really who is? I definitely see where you are coming from, RippedMan, but I feel like that doesn't apply in every case.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
#178SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 9:03am
It seems like the simple fact is Alex Brightman isn't an actor who can handle the physically strenuous requirements (for him) of a role like this 8-times a week. Perhaps this means he shouldn't have been cast in the part, but clearly his producers are fine with it or else they would have replaced him by now.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#179SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 9:06am
also PThespian, the reason Jack Black looked nothing like Alex Brightman when he saw School of Rock on Broadway is because Jack Black looks basically nothing like he did 13 years ago in the movie (beard, more weight). Black from the movie and Brightman when the show opened were definitely very similar.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
Updated On: 8/2/16 at 09:06 AM
trpguyy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/25/05
#181SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 9:14am
Some actors lock in their performance and are the postcard of consistency. Ethel Merman was notorious for this, and nobody accused her of phoning it in. Other actors evolve in the role over time. Neither is an indication of a bad actor.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#183SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 9:49am
You're projecting a lot on my posts, so take a breather and calm down. All I'm saying is if his performance has drastically changed, as you seem to believe it has, from opening to now, then yeah, I think that's wrong. When the show opens he and the director and all the other creatives have basically decided this is the show. It's set. And again, little changes here and there are bound to happen and so is discovering something new about the character. But a drastic character switch is not good.
Again, you're watching a show 8x a week. I saw the show once. Obviously you're very fond of it. It's not a bad show by any means.
But you're not going to sway me that he's not giving at least a Jack Black influenced performance, which again, isn't a negative. It's a musical based on that movie, audience are expecting certain things, and I'm sure the creatives knew that going in. That's why theirs a gay kid who does the costumes: it was a funny bit from the movie.
Are you an actor because I think you'd understand where I'm coming from if you were. No one says you have to be a robot, but to make drastic changes, as you've said he has made, I think, is not good. What was the rehearsal process for is he's just not sinking into the character a year later? It's not Hamlet.
I enjoyed his performance when I saw it, so no shade given. Just replying to you're remarks.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#185SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/2/16 at 12:57pm
Do you really think Jack Black is going to see the show and then comment and say "that's exactly what I did in the movie!" And I'm not saying it's a line by line recreation. He's made the role his own because it's a different medium, so he has to! But it's still "inspired" by Jack Black's performance.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#188SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/8/16 at 11:20pm
Alex Brightman and Laura Benanti are on the Doug Loves Movies podcast from August 7. He does a whole musicals episode. Anyway... Alex Brightman said his last day at SOR is November 6 in case anyone's interested.
#189SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/8/16 at 11:32pm
Not completely sure what the discussion here was, but Patti LuPone definitely changed up her performance throughout her run of Gypsy. Her Rose's Turn by the end of the run had many, many differences from the beginning.
#190SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 10:13am
Glittergrrl said: "Alex Brightman and Laura Benanti are on the Doug Loves Movies podcast from August 7. He does a whole musicals episode. Anyway... Alex Brightman said his last day at SOR is November 6 in case anyone's interested."
Wow. Thanks!
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
thatspoetic
Swing Joined: 7/29/16
#191SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 11:15am
If anyone is worried about missing Alex Brightman, I've seen the show twice, once with Alex as Dewey and Mamie Paris as Rosalie and once with Will Blum and Sierra. The show is still a lot of fun with Will. His interpretation is different but also very entertaining. Alex plays Dewey more high intensity and manic with more abrupt emotional switches and sharper emotional peaks and valleys than Will. Obviously humor is subjective, but I found that interpretation to be a bit funnier and thought Alex's comedic timing was slightly better. That's not to say Will was not also quite funny though (he is!). I strongly disagree that Alex is doing a Jack Black impression. There will always be some similarities on aspects that are most intrinsic to Dewey because they are playing the same essential character, but both Alex and Will totally make Dewey their own in my opinion.
Will's voice is great tonally but was less powerful. To be fair, I think I saw Will in the second show of a two show day for him and I saw Alex on a one show day. My friend and I both agreed the romantic chemistry was better between Will and Sierra than it was with Alex and Mamie. I had a much easier time buying into that subplot, which I think is a touch underdeveloped, with Will. Will is very talented, capable, and excellent as Dewey. My friend liked him and Alex equally well, and both left me grinning and excited after the show.
For me, however, Alex just is really spectacular and an awe inspiring ball of energy. Everything popped a little more and felt more vibrant with him on stage, and I felt like he raised the level of the entire show up a notch by bringing out the absolute best in the rest of the cast as well. He is so intensely emotionally present at every moment that one of my favorite scenes when I saw it with him was actually the bedroom scene with the kids at the end when Dewey doesn't even say or sing anything for a while. It's a scene that easily could play as cheesy and overly sentimental if handled wrong. He goes through such an clear emotional journey in the background and has such strong, heartfelt, honest feeling connections to all the kids in that moment that it actually made me tear up a bit. To sum everything up, I would recommend seeing Alex if you have a choice, but I wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend seeing it with Will either.
Matt1
Featured Actor Joined: 5/10/13
#193SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 7:01pm
Where did Alex say he was leaving November 6th?
Matt1
Featured Actor Joined: 5/10/13
#194SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 7:01pm
Where did Alex say he was leaving November 6th?
#195SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 9:19pm
Matt1 said: "Where did Alex say he was leaving November 6th?
"
He was on the last episode of Doug Loves Movies from Aug. 7. It's a podcast hosted by Doug Benson. He usually has a few comedians on and they discuss movies and play some games. It's funny.
#196SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/9/16 at 9:20pm
LizzieCurry said: "Glittergrrl said: "Alex Brightman and Laura Benanti are on the Doug Loves Movies podcast from August 7. He does a whole musicals episode. Anyway... Alex Brightman said his last day at SOR is November 6 in case anyone's interested."
Wow. Thanks!
"
You're welcome! :)
thatspoetic
Swing Joined: 7/29/16
#197SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/10/16 at 9:56am
PThespian said: "Michael Hartney has been on a few times now, and he does some really great stuff with the role too.
He's just a genuinely funny person offstage, and I think a lot of that translates into his onstage personae.
Merritt David Janes has a completely different interpretation of the role than the other three do which is interesting in its own right.
What is Merritt David Janes's version like?
"
#198SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/28/16 at 12:53pm
Alex is in the matinee today!
ipdate. Intermission. It's Will Blum. There was no insert and nothing on the cast board. He is great
VotePeron
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/2/13
#200SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/28/16 at 4:13pm
I saw Will Blum at the matinee yesterday. I returned just to see him, after seeing Alex twice and loving his performance. I saw Blum twice as Elder Cunnigham, and was ecstatic when I found out he was playing Dewey. He is doing incredible work as Dewey. His characterization of the role is an homage to Jack Black without being an imitation, and is so vastly different from Alex's, it was refreshing. His vocals were also through the roof, really top notch.
Even if you've seen the show with Alex, who is absolutely phenomenal, you must go back and see it with Will. He could so easily have chosen to copy Alex's performance, but instead has found a unique, quirky, fresh look at the role. I really hope he takes over full time when Alex leaves.
#201SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/28/16 at 4:57pm
PThespian said: "The Playbill now list Will as doing the Wed, Sat and Sun matinees. That's why there's no insert or anything on the board.
"
Yeah I didn't notice that until after the show!
#202SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/28/16 at 5:16pm
You know what's odd? I went to the Saturday matinee last weekend and Will was on the board as Dewey and then on Sunday matinee when I dropped my aunt off at the show, I noticed Will wasn't on the board and I later heard through my aunt that someone had been complaining that Alex had been out and wanted to switch their tickets. Is there a reason why for a Saturday matinee he was on the board (despite being listed in the Playbill) and not for a Sunday matinee?
Also, I couldn't agree more with your post, VotePeron. Will is absolutely fantastic in the role and just kills it with his vocals.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
Updated On: 8/28/16 at 05:16 PM
#204SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 8/29/16 at 2:19am
OT but how is Jenn's attendance?
#206SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 9/8/16 at 12:06pm
I'm watching his periscope right now and apparently, according to some of the comments, Alex is leaving SOR on November 6. They're saying, "I'm going to your last show." Can anyone confirm this/clear this?
Updated On: 9/8/16 at 12:06 PM
10086sunset
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/8/16
#207SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 9/8/16 at 12:09pm
Yes, it has been confirmed...
#208SOR Alex Brightman missing ALOT of performances
Posted: 9/8/16 at 12:09pm
Mentioned earlier in this thread:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1090427&page=8#4844128
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
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