The Music Man : In Performance!

[jo]

This ensures that the critics will be reviewing exactly the same show performance!

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CZoteK2PR5S

[jo]

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CZjlt0Yutl9

[ruby]

Feb 6, 2022 8:40:45 GMT -5 jo said:

http://instagr.am/p/CZoteK2PR5S

Not that those in the know would ever doubt HJ’s sincerity…the other night during intermission at a particularly spirited show, Patrick V turned to exchange pleasantries as we were in our fav seats behind him. We commented to him that the audience was very reactive that night. He said yeah, he’d just checked in with Hugh and he said the audience was phenomenal and he was feeding off the energy, having a ball!! So Hugh picks up on the love and takes it all in and turns it right back. 🤗

[jo]

Hugh thrives on connecting with the audience! He probably believes theatre is a full communal experience - between the performer and the audience. That is why he seems to prefer live shows compared to performing before a camera. And maybe that also explains why he does not like filming live shows for video distribution? Sadly, that may be the only access for many of his fanbase to see him perform on stage ? But Hugh has said that no 2 shows will be identical because audience reactions will never be identical.

However, I do like to see him equally in both mediums - stage and film. Some of his most outstanding acting showcases have been in movies! On stage, I do have a soft spot for A Steady Rain because watching him in full acting mode is satisfying. On film, I am always enthralled watching him in Valjean's Soliloquy or the grief-stricken husband in The Fountain or the father shaken by the sight of his daughter's bloodied sock in Prisoners...and that acting masterclass in that finale in Bad Education as he relives Tassone's past glory...and who did not have moist eyes in that Logan finale!

As much as I am looking excitedly to my NYC trip to see The Music Man, I am also looking forward to seeing him give his full dramatic talent display in the upcoming THE SON!

Jo

[ruby]

There are a few moments in this production where Hugh’s facial expression tell elaborate stories. He coveys transitioning emotions so effectively.

One in particular is a quick scene downstage like A Steady Rain where he sits with Winthrop. Front row right gets to watch within a couple feet of him but even those mid theatre will not miss the nuances play across Hugh’s face as realizations register in the moment. It’s where Hugh acts with film subtleties but it won’t be lost on the mezzanine.

[jo]

Glad to know that the show gives him the opportunity to showcase his acting talent. Is that the scene with Winthrop? One of my seats will be Orchestra right and I was told to look out for that.

Most social media reactions, including fansites, simply gush over his charisma, sense of joy, and dance skills. Chat boards also never mention such acting sidelights. Some even say the show is Hugh Jackman playing Hugh Jackman - those come from the show naysayers and theatre fans who do not want to accept that Hugh Jackman is as much a part of Broadway as any Broadway royalty

Thanks for sharing

Jo

[jo]

Too bad Spielberg's early interest to do a film based on it did not materialize. Also disappointing that the producers's(who happened also to be the Bond franchise producers) plan for a film adaptation did not happen even if a first script draft had been completed.

What a coincidence that Hugh and Daniel Craig will be back on Broadway at the same time - with Hugh in a revival of a classic musical comedy and Daniel in a revival of a Shakespeare tragedy!

Jo

[ruby]

There’s plenty to say about good acting in the show. Both leads have range. Sutton can convey emotion subtly too but her comedic takes get more attention. I could go on about great moments but don’t want to spoil the viewers chance to discover these gems for themselves.

I could notice the show’s progress through previews by watching the actors round out their performances as they could let go of the singing/dancing mechanics. This is when the artistic details are born.

Hugh Jackman playing Hugh Jackman? Ridiculous simplification. Even Hugh’s portrayal of sinister character moments draw on his charisma.

[jo]

I wonder which Hugh Jackman are some of the naysayers referring to?

There's Hugh Jackman in --

*Les Miserables ( tour de force acting and singing portraying one of the most hailed heroes in classic literature!)
*Bad Education ( playing a double life as a much admired educator while pocketing money illegally on the side ... living with a partner- romantic & criminal - for so many years yet conducting a double life with another partner)
*Kate & Leopold ( best-loved romcom by many female fans )
*Prisoners (a raging alpha male Dad who lost his rationality when his daughter went missing ... but his best acting moment came while in a somber moment looking at evidence of his daughter's fate)
*The Fountain ( a trifecta role of a conquistador, an obsessed doctor/scientist and a quest-seeking astronaut - drawing a well of excellent dramatizations)
*Real Steel ( a jaded father's rebuilding the relationship with his son, via a near-prescient robot)
*The Prestige ( a story of obsession, so well illustrated in the triple characters played by Hugh Jackman)
*Pan - evil incarnate but can sing Nirvana's song.
*Eddie The Eagle - the sight of Hugh's character soaring on the ski-jump is worth alone the price of admission
*The Greatest Showman ( it is about the evolution of mass entertainment by Barnum - was he hero or heel?
*Logan (one of Hugh's most outstanding dramatic work --despite that it is a superhero movie -- shown in his relationship with his mentor and with his daughter)
*XMen 2 - fully capturing the leadership role of Wolverine while amazing fans with his wry, near-sarcastic sense of humor & raging fighting mood.
*XMen First Class - in his only scene, with a 3-word dialog and a haughty look, he stole the whole movie!
*Erskineville Kings - the first sign of acting excellence, a portrayal in a harsh inner-city environment.
*The Front runner - Hugh shows excellence portraying characters on a downfall theme.

*The Boy From Oz - what a resounding portrayal as a flamboyant real-life entertainer
*A Steady rain -- a rogue alpha male cop who falls into a physical, emotional & mental abyss with a series of unexpected events
*The River - more esoteric tale of a man whose quest for his true love is as slippery as the fish from his boyhood.

*Hosting the Oscars - the reason why this is a well-loved performance is because Hugh acted out the script so well yet it was seemingly spontaneous in every moment!

*TheManTheMusicTheShow -- it was not a typical concert but combined the best of musical theatre moments with Jackman's own musical favorites, song-wise and dance-wise.

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-First-Look-at-Jayne-Houdyshell-in-THE-MUSIC-MAN-20220208

Eulalie Shinn!

[jo]

Jefferson Mays as Mayor Shinn!

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

A beautifully-written tribute to the revival!
On ATC --

THE MUSIC MAN Last Night

Last Edit: sergius 11:42 pm EST 02/09/22
Posted by: sergius 11:28 pm EST 02/09/22

It’s 1958 in the Winter Garden Theatre. THE MUSIC MAN is a revival in the truest sense: it brings back time. What you think it is is what it was. Like a lot of shows from this period, THE MUSIC MAN is sentimental about the prospect of America, a time when hope, like a prairie, went on and on. It chides selfishness and exalts communal values. It believes our ills can be cured by goodwill. And honesty. And love. Today, these ideals can only be quaint. More than a slight on THE MUSIC MAN, this is, sadly, a slight on America. I have no substantive familiarity with the show, but what interested me most here was how Willson elides song and speech, how they move effortlessly back and forth. In particular, "Rock Island", a sort of gloss on a patter song but with rhythm and tempo foregrounded, is really startling, in itself and as a kind of precursor to contemporary rap forms. Beyond this interesting surprise—to me at least—the other pleasure here is watching Jackman and Foster be charming. Neither is ideally cast—he is not nearly convincing as a con man and she can only appropriate peevishness—but they bend the show to their willful talents. There’s something comforting about this kind of professionalism. These two are working for you; they want to give you what you want from them. And they do. They, and all here, are on the same yellowed page. THE MUSIC MAN is, once again, the best musical of 1958.

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Opening Night was such a High!

Back to normal!

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Hugh basking in the warmth of the people who matter -- those who are paying to see the show!
(not the petty critics who were so haughty about their free Opening Night invites)

Jo