One Night Only - Hugh's one-man show in LA for MPTF

[jo]

Apropos to WHO AM I --

I'm reposting this from the Les Miserables section, in case it was missed.

He sings WHO AM I, supposedly in an event in Lafayetteville, Arkansas? Was this the Walmart appearance? The clip was uploaded a few days from that event in June.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMUNVx-qzE&list=PLF83906058A1A826C&index=4

Hmmm... dramatic bliss!

There were some comments on the feedback that he had some sharp notes ( totally misunderstood -- this is the way it was acted out in the film, more conversational or more soliloquy-wise, than hitting the musical note as it was written for the stage) -- and that there are better singers. Ha, again the theatre purists completely misunderstanding the way Hugh delivers the song! I do not think that Hugh Jackman should veer away completely from the iconic movie interpretation and become one of the stage Valjean clones!


I listened to it ( for the second time) without looking at the clip as he is too much of a distraction -- and I do think this is becoming his signature interpretation of the song, as he now performs it live. He was still doing an acting interpretation ( which I love!), while vesting the song with its powerful notes from the stage towards the end! Can't get any better!

I suspect this was how he also sang it at the MPTF event. An interpretation that blends some of the acting moments, with its own set of musical notes, and the powerful notes that end the song from the original composition by Boublil and Schonberg.

He does have a powerful set of lungs!


Jo

[carouselkathy]

I just listened to that, Jo, and if they mean the pitch is sharp, I don't hear it. I have a Masters in Music Ed. and a pretty good ear for pitch. Hugh still has a problem with one note in "Soliloquy"...tiny bit flat on "not Bill" in the opening section... but nothing sounds sharp in that "Who Am I?" clip.

[jo]

With Jim and Ann Gianopulos, who co-chaired ONE NIGHT ONLY for MPTF --



Hugh must be in very good relations with Fox box Jim G, even better than before


Will Jim G give his unstinting support for any major movie musical for FOX, with Hugh as lead? There is a current rumor that GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH ( supposedly styled as a modern musical, like Moulin Rouge, according to Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood) is almost a go at Fox...But a few years back, we thought Fox2000, a subsidiary, was ready to support the remake of CAROUSEL. There was also news that the remake rights of GUYS AND DOLLS were obtained by Fox, with Hugh in mind. But wasn't there more recent buzz that the role of Sky might go to Channing T?

It took a competing studio, Universal, to give Hugh his first movie musical, LES MISERABLES. I used to think that Fox was the studio that supported movie musicals in a big way ( all those Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, including the champion The Sound of Music) and even initiated the comeback of the movie musical, via Moulin Rouge. I hope the studio itself finally veer away from the current all-blockbusters formula ( franchises and fantasy movies) and give Hugh a chance to make more waves as a musical star!

[jo]

I just listened to that, Jo, and if they mean the pitch is sharp, I don't hear it. I have a Masters in Music Ed. and a pretty good ear for pitch. Hugh still has a problem with one note in "Soliloquy"...tiny bit flat on "not Bill" in the opening section... but nothing sounds sharp in that "Who Am I?" clip.

Thanks, Kathy

I hope the newer version by Hugh of SOLILOQUY ( from Back on Broadway) turns up on the internet, compared to the Carnegie Hall concert version . It is funny, but everytime I get to watch/listen to a bootleg clip, what comes immediately to mind is whether he was following Sondheim's ( via Philip Quast) instructions on how to sing SOLILOQUY ( See Hugh's first appearance on Inside the Actors Studio).

[JH4HJ]

Oct 14, 2013 10:28:08 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

The Peter Allen segment was more an homage than the usual embodiment of Peter, which was fine enough. No surprise pop-up in the box, no Hawaiian shirt, no gold lame pants.
Ellen

I'm pleased to hear this. I hope this continues in future incarnations of Hugh's one-man show. Though toned down a tad for Broadway, I thought this segment was way over the top in San Francisco. (Maybe because it was San Francisco... I did not see the Toronto version.) RE: the discussion elsewhere of subtle acting styles - (this has been discussed many times before) I was entranced by Hugh's ability to BE Peter Allen (a man I had the pleasure of knowing) in TBFO but resented the campy caricature that was not at all "my" Peter as presented on stage in SF. I hope Hugh's show always contains numerous Peter Allen songs, and having Hugh "merely" sing them is fine with me. That "Flaming Fairy" routine may be funny, but it is NOT Peter.

[Jamie]

Nov 16, 2013 12:29:54 GMT -5 JH4HJ said:

Oct 14, 2013 10:28:08 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

The Peter Allen segment was more an homage than the usual embodiment of Peter, which was fine enough. No surprise pop-up in the box, no Hawaiian shirt, no gold lame pants.
Ellen

I'm pleased to hear this. I hope this continues in future incarnations of Hugh's one-man show. Though toned down a tad for Broadway, I thought this segment was way over the top in San Francisco. (Maybe because it was San Francisco... I did not see the Toronto version.) RE: the discussion elsewhere of subtle acting styles - (this has been discussed many times before) I was entranced by Hugh's ability to BE Peter Allen (a man I had the pleasure of knowing) in TBFO but resented the campy caricature that was not at all "my" Peter as presented on stage in SF. I hope Hugh's show always contains numerous Peter Allen songs, and having Hugh "merely" sing them is fine with me. That "Flaming Fairy" routine may be funny, but it is NOT Peter.

I only had the pleasure of seeing Peter perform live once. He was cheeky and funny but certainly not campy. He came across as an intelligent, funny, and very sweet man who just happened to really like the gay jokes because they were part of the whole and delighted the audience. Of course the audience reaction in LA was very bawdy in response. I think all of West Hollywood was vacant during the Up In One run.

[Kelly]

Nov 16, 2013 17:28:07 GMT -5 Jamie said:

Nov 16, 2013 12:29:54 GMT -5 JH4HJ said:

I'm pleased to hear this. I hope this continues in future incarnations of Hugh's one-man show. Though toned down a tad for Broadway, I thought this segment was way over the top in San Francisco. (Maybe because it was San Francisco... I did not see the Toronto version.) RE: the discussion elsewhere of subtle acting styles - (this has been discussed many times before) I was entranced by Hugh's ability to BE Peter Allen (a man I had the pleasure of knowing) in TBFO but resented the campy caricature that was not at all "my" Peter as presented on stage in SF. I hope Hugh's show always contains numerous Peter Allen songs, and having Hugh "merely" sing them is fine with me. That "Flaming Fairy" routine may be funny, but it is NOT Peter.

I only had the pleasure of seeing Peter perform live once. He was cheeky and funny but certainly not campy. He came across as an intelligent, funny, and very sweet man who just happened to really like the gay jokes because they were part of the whole and delighted the audience. Of course the audience reaction in LA was very bawdy in response. I think all of West Hollywood was vacant during the Up In One run.

I agree with this 100%. I learned most of Peter Allen's story through TBFO. 6 shows and each time I was left wanting more. As a non-New Yorker, TBFO was a turning point in my theater appreciation. I haven't seen anything since that I want to see more than twice. It was hard to let it go. I loved the story, the emotion with which Hugh played Peter and the music. I hope the songs always remain in his shows - I think they will. Hugh put his heart and soul into the story for over a year, it turned out to be a major turning point in his career and he has fans for life because of it. A non-campy version of the show is the way to go in the future, if for no other reason than new audiences will not get it. Now that Hugh has two "signature" songs, "Who Am I?" and "Once Before I Go", these are the changes I'd like to see in future incarnations of the one man show: Close the first half with "Who Am I?" - it would leave the audience stimulated and buzzing during intermission. OBIG as the encore as in BOB and as it was intended for LA but they ran out of time. I'd also like to see "I Still Call Australia Home" incorporated somehow, perhaps to close the Australia segment? The song strikes an emotional cord and I've always loved hearing Hugh sing it.


My two cents...

[JH4HJ]

Postscript - talking about the auctions



talking about the MPTF





why on his birthday



MPTF is "family"



No idea why they chopped it up like this. I have not seen a "full" uncut version of this interview.
There are some "related" clips - short interviews with celebrities who attended the benefit.

[birchie]

Dec 20, 2013 11:47:45 GMT -5 JH4HJ said:

<snip>

No idea why they chopped it up like this. I have not seen a "full" uncut version of this interview.
There are some "related" clips - short interviews with celebrities who attended the benefit.

The channel, SuperPopINTERVIEWS uploaded about 30 of these short Hugh related videos yesterday. And also some under another similar name. They seem to be a new channel & have done a couple of other blitzkriegs of other people so I haven't figured out if they have ulterior motives...like spam...or not. I did watch most of them yesterday. I had seen a couple of snippets of some of the interviews of his friends, celebs etc and even posted a couple here in Oct but many were new. They are all very short like the ones you posted though.
Sue