Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |

| Jekkienumber24601 |
Men!!!! Who would you rather play?I'm just interested to see if a remark from Salome is true. |
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| DaddyDiesel |
I am way partial to J&H. but I love the music. So I am biased. Andnot to be shovenistic but he gets the best of both worlds in women. Sweet and kind and Dark and seducing. | ||||||||||||
| flyinghome |
I don't think I could really answer that question for a good few years.
Obviously J&H would be more fun/dark. MFL is the broader acting role. can't choose! |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
My point exactly. it's not which character is better. It's which one a guy would rather play. Salome a guy would rather make out and pretend to have sex with a hot girl in a corset than to teach her how to be proper and talk correctly. A guy would also rather sing a duet with himself than talk about some gal's face. Yet the polls are against Jekyll because men are the only one supposed to be voting |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
which would you rather have on your resume? You see Henry Higgins on people's resumes all the time, because it's an easy part to get in an audition. But Jekyll you actually have to have vocal and acting talent. I think playing 2 roles in one show is broader. |
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| Salome |
easy part?? Higgins is considered one of the most difficult roles to cast well and play well in the history of theatre. Like Baker's Wife for a female he is very hard to play.
J&H is a poorly wriottten show..the music is terrible and the role is nothing but melodrama. bow if you want a really strong dark role try Sweeney Todd. |
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| flyinghome |
Which would be another poll altogether, and incidentally I'd list way before Higgins or Jekyll/Hyde. |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
Well Sweeney obviously beats Jekyll. Sure Jekyll is a poorly written show, but terrible music? Has Just you Wait Henry Higgins been the offical theme song of the olympics? Has any songs from My fair Lady made it in the top 100 hits? Frank Wildhorn has revolutionized pop and theatre better than Webber did rock and theatre. True This is The moment is the worst song in the show. But Confrontation, Alive, Transformation, His Work and Nothing More are amazing. I'd have thought even you Salome would like Bring on the Men. |
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| Salome |
my fair lady is one of the few show to have no fewer than 6 hit song on thew charts. Accustomed to her face,street where you live, wouldnt it bel overly,I could have danced all night, get me ot the church on time.
and one of the few shgows that every song in it is a standard. its not considered the best musical ever written for nothing. as for J&H I hate the whole score. i find nothing redeemable. LOL |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
Okay! We're tied. but to me this battle will never be resolved since Salome has her own, very high opinion, on good theatre. And I have mine. Now if we had a poll, who would you rather sleep with I acknowledge that you would win, but when it comes to theatre there's always going to be 50 percent as stupid as me or 50 percent as "smart" as you. | ||||||||||||
| itsaboutonemoment |
you two are the cutest. when are you going to get married? heeheehee.... | ||||||||||||
| Salome |
but you'd win in a fist fight lol | ||||||||||||
| Jekkienumber24601 |
You assume this is kindergarten where I pretend to hate her and always argue with her, because I have a crush on her?...........well you might be on to something...lol |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
don't give me too much credit, lol |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
Okay where were you 6 people when Jekyll was losing in the best male role in theatre? | ||||||||||||
| jazzygirlsings |
My thoughts exactly! LOL! Right on, Daisy! |
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| shadowdancer |
That is so funny. Anyways, I totoally respect Henry Higgins and My Fair Lady but I would pick Jekyll and Hyde. Yes, I think Lady is overall the better written show but I think j&H would be a better part to play. A lot more to do then Higgins. Not saying Higgins is easy, I have scene many bad Higgins. But I think j&h would be (and i spent lots of time on characterization) more of a challenging role plus vocally it is a lot more difficult then Higgins. My Fair Lady is a brilliant period piece, it truly is. HOwever, J&H, which Salome detests, has teh disadvantage of having a weaker score and book. However when it comes down to it, I would rather play a harder role then be in a better show Also, Salome you love Florence Vassy and Chess. (this is not a pick on Salome thread or anything). Now I personally thing chess has some awesome music but the book and the characters are AWFUL! Worse then J&H. I love Florence's songs but hate her character. The show is horrible. it works as in concert because some of the music is good. Howeer if I was a girl, I would play Florence to sing those songs, but not because I wanna be in Chess |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
I still would only say weaker book. There's some pretty kick ass songs in Jekyll. | ||||||||||||
| shadowdancer |
I totally agree. I would rather sing j*h music tehn My Fair LAdy. I liek my fair lady for what it is and teh time it was written but some of it is BORING! |
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| Salome |
florence is one of the most complex and emotional roles in musical theatre. in spite of a problematic book. here role runs a gambit of emotions. one of the most amazing scenes i ever did was playingt he final walter/florence scene each night. talk about gut wrertching emotion! as for J&H no way is that one dimentional role harder to play than Higgins complex personality. |
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| DaddyDiesel |
The by far better musical is My fair Lady. Henry Higgins would be a very fun role to play. But its just to old school compared to J&H. Thats why J&H is the better charactor. Of course if we were back in the MFL days I am sure Henry Higgins would kick J&H's ass. | ||||||||||||
| Salome |
Higgins was written by Shaw one of the 3 greatest playwrights who ever lived. Jeykll was written by willdhorn and bricusee one a hack one no good w/o anthony newley..the role is based on a one dimentional character from a novella. |
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| shadowdancer |
exactly
See I disagree I see her as very typical musical theater character. But you have played her so you would knwo better. But I have played J&H and can tell you he is not one dimensional at all. I am sure you could say both parts coud be if put in the wrong hands.
Yes the character of HIggins is great in Shaw's hands. But Shaw did not write the music. Shaw's script was not word for word used in the musical adaptation. I am not trying to belittle My Fair LAdy . but right now, in 2006, J&H would be a more fun roel to play. I will get to Higgins maybe when I am 40 and my voice is going away from all my smoking and i can get by by speaking my songs. |
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| MrsJamieWellerstein |
I voted Henry, because I'd want to be in a REAL show, not a Wildhorn sh**fest. | ||||||||||||
| DaddyDiesel |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
Um Chess has better music and book than Jekyll. well not really better book, but still. |
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| DaddyDiesel |
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| Salome |
see my problem is in your term "nowadays" are you saying standards in musical theatre have crashed so low that people prewfer to play sh*tty roles than great ones? mfl is every bit the masteriece it was in 1956. and great roles like Higgins don't diminish with time. |
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| LesMisForever |
Hello
I am just an ordinary member of the public, so my answer to the question is entierly hypothetical. I would choose Henry Higgins all the way. Better score, better book, better songs, and uncomparably more interesting character(s) to play with. I do share Salome's love and admiration for MFL, but i think she exaggerate little bit |
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| DaddyDiesel |
Im not saying its a terrible role. Its a classic role one of the best in theatre. I appologise let me specify "better". What i mean by J&H being better, currently, than higgins is referring to the post. What men would rather play. I fully agree with Jekkie that men would rather play J&H because its more current and up to the times when it comes to the shows. And henry higgins is one of the best most classic roles of Musical Theatre. But I dont think men really care. | ||||||||||||
| shadowdancer |
I agree with that completely. Especially the last part. A guy playing J&H would be equivelint to a woman playing Eliza. Eliza is the main thing in My Fair Lady-that is a general assumption) HIggins yeah he will get talked about, but come on, it is all about Eliza. J&H-if you can do that, you are bad-ass. I agree a lot fo actors, younger especially care more about stuff like playing J&H then teh classics. Most not all |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
Plus Robert Louis Stevenson's characters have been made more famous than my fair lady. The duality of man has been reused in everything. Jekyll and Hyde is the ultimate mystery thriller classic. Unlike Frankenstein and Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde is a human being and can actually be real. That in my opinion is the most intriguing character to play. The ultimate case of Good and Evil. I mean, Spider-Man 1 directly took the plot of the musical with The Green Goblin killing the board of governors. But yeah, I'm sure in Spider-man 3 that Peter Parker is going to teach J Jonah Jameson how to get rid of his accent. Okay fine. Family Guy did My Fair Lady for one episode, so I can respect that. But I view my desire to play Higgins no diffrent than my desire to play Captain Von Trapp or Frank Butler. |
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| HeroTheBishop |
Talk singing bores me. Singing a duet with oneself is awesome. | ||||||||||||
| Jekkienumber24601 |
that is another good point. |
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| Salome |
WHOA! you win the most inane post award! Its Higgins story! He is the protaganist, He is the shows main focus. Eliza is a great role but its not "THee" role in the show. Its Higgins show hands down. Sir rex Harrison won the Tony,the London Theatre Award and tHe Osar for the role..Andrews and Hepburn didnt win. its easy to cast Liza if she is a strong actress with a good vocal range. Higgins requires a great actor of vast complexity. |
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| Imy |
I voted Higgins. J&H is absolute crap.
Sadly the intelligent theatre people are losing this battle. Theatre really has gone downhill, it seems. |
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| Salome |
because most people here are either goo goo eye teens or are impressed by shlock theatre. |
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| trebleclefjordan |
...jekyll and Hide, duh!!!! The whole split personality thing is way too irresistible. |
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| Salome |
Re: ...
escept its a poorly written script, inane lyrics, bad music and atotal bastardization of the originaltale. My Fair Lady is a masterpiece based faithfully on Shaw's original Pygmalion. Higgins is much more complex than Wildhorn's Jeykll by far. hmm,.. Masterpiece vs. pop shlock. come on |
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| Lazarus (Adam G) |
If you want a shallow, fun role, I'd go with J&H.
For a complex challenge, I'd go with Higgins. (Not to say he's the most complicated figure in Musical Theater; he just has more depth than Jekyll) We all know Wildhorn stuff is just corny fun with no brains behind it. |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
hey! you have no right to claim you're intellegent cause you're white! Stop being racist! | ||||||||||||
| shadowdancer |
Just because that is your opinion of the show, does not mean it is everyone else's opinion or the only correct opinion. I personally like wildhorn's shows better then one of your favorites Chess. Yes I do. I love Chess's music but that is it. I would rather sit thru a wildhorn show then a production of chess. Does that make me less intelligent. No. I bet we could go head to head on trivia of theater, hell on anything and I would know just as much as you do. Some peopel prefer classical musical theater, some prefer the new stuff. It is fine if you wanna say they are wrong, but you're not going to change someone's mind but just saying the same hing over and over and just trying to make yourself sound better and better and downgrade them. Poeple have their own opinions, which you know, however if it is not yours, they do not count. I think you are a very intelligent person and I enjoy your posts, and am glad you are on the board, but for heaven's sake I do not think anyone ever gave you the crown to be Queen of mdn and Goddess of Theatre. yes, you have some good experience. But i knwo atleast 5 people on this board who are actual equity working actors they just don't throw it all around. This wasnt meant to start some fight with you, so you can respond anyway and I won't pay attention, but good ness gracious, sometimes you need to light up and just try, try to look on someone else's side. |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
God I've sat through so many bad Jekyll's and maybe 1 good one and never has a production of Chess come to SO CAL |
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| Matthew |
Neither! |
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| shadowdancer |
Oh i have seen many bad j&h too. I think overall though, if you were to ask male actors/singers who are 30 and below which they would prefer to play (not which is a better show or role) the majority would pick J&H |
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| rock_musicals |
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| Salome |
new stuff is fine..Parade,Assassins,Grey Gardens,Passion,Ave Q,DRS,Scarlet Pimpernel,My Favorite Year,Full monty etc.. but these are all shows with artistic merit.
even J&H's biggesat fans cant say its a work of art. |
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| Imy |
So, on what grounds do these actors prefer the role of J&H to the role of Higgins? If we're not basing it off of the quality of the show or of the role, then how could anyone ever make a decision? |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
The role! It's not would you rather be in My Fair Lady or J & H, it's would you rather be J & H or Henry Higgins. And also the majority of people on this site are too young for Higgins anyway. | ||||||||||||
| Matthew |
Next Fall, there will be a community theatre doing it! |
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| Imy |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
You mean in Southern California? Can I have details please? |
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| LesMisForever |
Hello I fully agree with Imy. |
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| Salome |
which is why the role of J&H sucks. if the show waswell written it might be a great role but its not. | ||||||||||||
| Imy |
Exactly. J&H had the potential to be a really deep, challenging role. Turned out to be another Wildhorn pop-fest, though. | ||||||||||||
| Salome |
I love you! |
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| Imy |
Right back at ya, babe. I really should start posting more often. |
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| Salome |
you should i like smart theatre people |
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| shadowdancer |
i.e. people who agree with her |
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| HeroTheBishop |
I think it all comes down to the fact that power ballads and melodrama are really really fun. So is playing a really evil creepy character. And while I recognize J&H as not being the deepest or most well written show ever, I enjoy singing the songs from it far more than singing those from MFL.
What I'm currently struggling with is my utter disinterest in MFL as a show. I like Shaw, having gone to the Shaw Festival in Canada multiple times and enjoying the plays I saw there. MFL, on the other hand, bores the snot out of me. I recently saw a production that was brilliant in its staging and execution, but the story dragged and was simply not that interesting. And don't pull the "unsophisticated taste" card out on me. I like most of the elitist shows. |
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| Matthew |
http://www.mspshows.com/seasonmspfall.htm I'm thinking about auditioning myself...It's a really great company...i've worked there before. |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
do they multicast. Cause I really want Freddy, but a community theatre probably won't cast someone they don't know unless they multi-cast. | ||||||||||||
| Matthew |
no, single casted.
but they are VERY good with accepting newcomers. Our production of King and I was almost entirely new comers. |
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| Hans |
I've never heard anything from J&H so I can't vote, but how can empty spectacle be better/more fun than substancial, thought provoking theatre? |
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| London_Mungojerrie |
I'd be a Henry Higgins |
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| Jekkienumber24601 |
okay I emailed them, asking when tryouts are. |
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| Salome |
Jekkie whats your IM again? I tought i had it but it says you arent logged on. | ||||||||||||
| Beagle On Stage |
If it was between those two, I'd walk away. J&H is a crappy show, and Higgins is too frumpy. I wouldn't have much fun with either of them. | ||||||||||||
| Salome |
Higgins is far form frumpy. the role is a tour de force of acting. he's a svengali role very vibrant and caustic. | ||||||||||||
| Jekkienumber24601 |
Hey Jekyll is a tour de force! |
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| BwayJuvinile |
Whats an overall better role, higgins by far. Whats a harder role to play, jekyll simply because of the vocal lines, and by attempting to add character to a lacking part.
Higgins is written brillantly, while jekyll was not the most thought out part. Though I think i would rather play jekyll simply because I would want to sing the part of hyde, even though higgins is far superior role, and jekyll is broadway mush. |
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| RainbowJude |
Acting / Wildhorn / New Musicals / MY FAIR LADY
That's a rather amusing generalization. I'm sure it holds true for some actors, particularly those who are in it for the purposes of making out. But I guess those are probably not the best actors?
How exactly? I wouldn't mind if anyone had a bash at explaining this to me. For Wildhorn to have been revolutionary, he would have had to make a drastic change to the genre, one that would have had a marked effect. The infusion of pop styles into musical theatre happened way before Wildhorn came along and I don't see many musicals rushing to emulate the kind of theatre Wildhorn makes. I've never yet heard anyone admit that Wildhorn was an influence on their work. So what am I missing?
A good production of a good version of Chess is better than the best work Wildhorn has ever done. You can like Wildhorn's shows better, but to imply that they're better written just because you like them isn't a very convincing argument.
I don't think this was the point of the argument at all. As Dawn says there are some great contemporary musicals, with great roles for men that are better written that Jekyll/Hyde and which are equally challenging and complex without having the contrivance of being two parts rolled into one.
This doesn't make all that much sense to me. Or rather, the sense that I get from it is that if the production was good in its staging and execution technically, but not in terms of performance or rhythm. My Fair Lady features interesting characters that follow an interesting journey; all the actors and director have to do is find the developmental arcs of the characters, realise how high the stakes are for everyone involved and play that for the truth that's in it, without trying to be exactly like Rex Harrison or Julie Andrews or whoever else they've seen in the role. That may not be an easy task, but when it's done properly then the show comes to life beautifully. Later days David |
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| Pannic |
Well, I can't even sing Jekyll, so I'd have to go with Higgins.
In British Literature we read Pygmalion, and I did Higgins' part. It was a blast. I was probably really bad, but it was a blast. |
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| Yakko |
Well I think both roles are great, but I'd rather play J&H because I could never give Higgins justice without copying Sir Rex Harrison. And I try my best to never do that. | ||||||||||||
| Pannic |
Wait...
This thread is three years old. |
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| Yakko |
Oh who cares? this is interesting.... | ||||||||||||
| Hans |
Exactly. |
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| dcrowley |
I've played Jekyll and Hyde, and while it is a crappy show... the role was quite fun, fulfilling, and demanding to play, |