| Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| Very interesting why two gay actors were cast as Claude. First Jonathan Groff in the Park and then Gavin on Broadway. Any comparisons on their performances? | |
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| Groff in London-may 19-one night only as Finch in How to Succeed in Business without really trying! | |
| Posted by: | lastcall 07:33 pm EDT 05/09/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| this guys is so talented...wish i were in london for his Finch....he was brilliant in SLEUTH in london a few seasons ago. | |
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| re: Groff in London-may 19-one night only as Finch in How to Succeed in Business without really trying! | |
| Posted by: | lonlad 11:08 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Groff in London-may 19-one night only as Finch in How to Succeed in Business without really trying! - lastcall 07:33 pm EDT 05/09/15 |
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| you mean DEATHTRAP ? | |
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| Groff knows ''How to Succeed'' | |
| Posted by: | WaymanWong 01:19 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Groff in London-may 19-one night only as Finch in How to Succeed in Business without really trying! - lastcall 07:33 pm EDT 05/09/15 |
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| I wish I could be in London for Groff's ''How to Succeed.'' In his first interview for Playbill.com, he told us how much he adored the role: ''I loved high school. I was consumed by theater. When I got cast as Finch in 'How to Succeed,' I never screamed so much or jumped so high. Omigod, I watched that movie with Robert Morse a bajillion times.” (By the way, I think you meant ''Deathtrap,'' not ''Sleuth.'' Groff did it with Simon Russell Beale in 2010.) | |
| Link | Playbill.com: Jonathan Groff, even in high school, mostly likely to Succeed'' (2006) |
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| Jonathan Groff’s rave reviews | |
| Posted by: | jesse21 10:19 am EDT 05/09/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| - As stated in this thread, Jonathan Groff was very much wanted for the Broadway HAIR by its producers, but was unavailable. From my files, posted for the record, here is a sampling of his reviews from the Central Park production of HAIR: Ben Brantley, The New York Times: "Mr. Groff, who was memorably tormented by young lust in the musical “Spring Awakening,” is even more affecting here, his open face a shifting map of doubt and affirmation." Peter Marks, The Washongton Post: "Groff, fresh from his star turn in the Tony-winning "Spring Awakening," imbues Claude with the integrity of one who is engaged in a serious examination of responsibility and duty." David Rooney, Variety: "Jonathan Groff ("Spring Awakening") balances fragile introspection with reckless invulnerability as Shakespearean prince Claude, "destined for greatness or madness." He powers through a rousingly athletic take on the celebratory anthem "I Got Life," poignantly foreshadows his character's outcome in "Where Do I Go" (and yes, the cast does get naked in the song's closing bars), and harnesses the frustrated anger of a generation in his moving solo reprise of "Ain't Got No" and the searing "The Flesh Failures." - | |
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| Groff: No regrets about being the ''Hair'' apparent | |
| Posted by: | WaymanWong 01:31 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Jonathan Groff’s rave reviews - jesse21 10:19 am EDT 05/09/15 |
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| Thanks, Jesse21, for posting those reminders of Groff's rave reviews. For the record, Matt Windman of AM New York once asked Groff if he regretted not doing ''Hair'' on Broadway after its Central Park premiere. Groff said: ''No. I saw it like four times on Broadway, and I was so happy for how successful it was. I spent that year doing Off-Broadway work — I was 23 or 24, hadn’t gone to college, and wanted to push some different buttons and experience different things as an actor.'' | |
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| Groff was unavailable to move with the show to Broadway. | |
| Posted by: | footlight9 11:04 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| As has been noted below, he wasn't able to extend in the park because of his commitment to the feature film TAKING WOODSTOCK later that summer. He came back to New York that fall and did PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY at Playwrights Horizons but then did back to back movies in the spring (TWELVE THIRTY and THE CONSPIRATOR) when HAIR moved to Broadway. | |
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| re: Groff was unavailable to move with the show to Broadway. | |
| Posted by: | Thom915 12:55 am EDT 05/09/15 |
| In reply to: | Groff was unavailable to move with the show to Broadway. - footlight9 11:04 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| Thanks for that clarification, footlight9. To read everything posted below one would thing Groff really stank up the stage with his interpretation of Claude. Though some people did not like him in the role I am sure, most people did and it was considered a loss when he left. (The Times Brantley was particularly effusive in his praise. Surprised?) Only after the show opened on Broadway did a lot of people take a look at what Creel was doing and say they preferred him in the role to Groff. They also preferred Creel's wig to Groff's. (There was a contingent that preferred Hanke in the role to either of the two.) | |
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| re: Groff was unavailable to move with the show to Broadway. | |
| Posted by: | TheOtherOne 06:57 am EDT 05/09/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Groff was unavailable to move with the show to Broadway. - Thom915 12:55 am EDT 05/09/15 |
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| He was terrific as Claude. After seeing him twice I saw the production again with Chris Hanke and there was no comparison. Jonathan lit up the stage. I later saw Gavin Creel who was quite good, too, but I personally preferred Jonathon. He was young, buoyant, had a naive, heart-on-his-sleeve crush on Berger that was perfect for a character discovering his sexuality and he sang the role beautifully. "I Got Life" would have raised the roof if there had been one and "Where Do I Go?" was gorgeous. I wish it had been recorded while he was still in it. | |
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| He wasn't very good in the role. | |
| Posted by: | AC126748 07:41 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I saw Groff in HAIR twice -- first at the park concert in September 2007 and second during the full run the following summer. I also saw Hanke, Creel, Kyle Riabko, and Jay Armstrong Johnson play Claude. To be honest, of the five Claudes I saw, Groff was easily my least favorite -- and I'm an admirer of his generally. As others have said, he never seemed like a natural fit in the role. Not to play armchair Dr. Freud, but in the wake of Groff's very public statements about how deeply closeted he was during this point in his career, I've wondered if his uncomfortable attitude towards his sexuality at that time hindered his portrayal of a sexually liberated character. But I don't want to go too deep into the waters of psychoanalytical criticism. Groff was white-hot at the time -- a handsome young leading man, with a gorgeous voice, coming off a run in a hit show. Even if he wasn't a natural in the role of Claude, his casting at the time seemed like a no-brainer. And while I've spoken to many people who didn't like his performance, I'm sure many did. Honestly, of the five Claudes I saw, my favorite was Riabko (himself Groff's immediate replacement in SPRING AWAKENING). He brought the greatest mix of unaffected acting and beautiful singing to the role. Johnson sang the role best -- he's got killer pipes -- but he wasn't much of an actor. I thought Creel was better than good but not quite great, and I honestly don't remember much either way about Hanke, though I have friends who say he was the best in the role. | |
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| re: He wasn't very good in the role. | |
| Posted by: | royscho 10:16 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | He wasn't very good in the role. - AC126748 07:41 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I've seen four out of the five Claudes and Hanke was by far my favorite. Fantastic combination of voice and acting. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Kittykat 06:06 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| As a famous Altar Boy once said... We are your teachers And your doctors And your Burger King cashiers We're your receptionist And your interns And your Amtrak engineers We are your lawyers And your tour guides And, don't forget, your actors on TV We are your parents And your brothers And your children Oh wait - he meant Catholics?!?! I misunderstood. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 04:09 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| >Very interesting why two gay actors were cast as Claude. I don't see what's even remotely interesting about that fact. Here's a little known fact: there are lots of gay actors in musical theater. Sometimes they even play straight characters in leading roles. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 03:54 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| How is that interesting? I think another "I" word is more on point: irrelevant. I agree with Jere below that Groff was never quite a fit in Hair, and Creel was better but not because of either of their sexual preference. I think trying to find something interesting in actors playing the opposite sexual preference is a dead end. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | lordofspeech 05:54 am EDT 05/09/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - ryhog 03:54 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I only saw Creel. And loved him. And I felt that his then-burgeoning, very public personal commitment to gay civil rights galvanized the company's energy onstage and made the flower-power revolution newly palpable in production. (Might've been a projection rather than valid inference, but I felt it.) | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 03:35 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| "Very interesting why two gay actors were cast as Claude." Is that a joke? | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | charles1055 03:34 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - BillyG 03:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I could be wrong but I recall people thinking he wasn't wonderful in Hair. Wasn't it around this time that he was doing that Ang Lee film about Woodstock that didn't really get the attention it was supposed to? | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | FrenchDip 04:19 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - charles1055 03:34 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| The filming of Taking Woodstock was why he had to leave the Central Park run. Christopher J. Hanke played Claude for the last few weeks there. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Someday 05:02 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - FrenchDip 04:19 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I really enjoyed Hanke in Hair and was sad he didn't get the transfer, since Groff couldn't do it. Hanke was wonderfully funny and interesting in the failed Cry-Baby musical, doing work that felt like more than the sum of its twitchy parts. Before that, he kept his chin up in the hilariously bad In My Life. I kind of feel for him — those two notorious flops must have dented his career somewhat. I'd love to see more of his work. | |
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| Cry-Baby isn't a "notorious flop" | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 06:14 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - Someday 05:02 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| it is just a flop... it wasn't bad, but wasn't great... and it wasn't so bad you couldn't believe it opened or so great you can't believe it flopped. This describes lots of shows that don't make it for whatever reason in their Broadway run. In My Life is a notorious flop, but Cry-Baby is not. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 05:19 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - Someday 05:02 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I certainly hope that Hanke wasn't penalized in his career for appearing in those two flops. While both of those shows had their issues, none of the problems had much to do with the cast. I would say the same about the misguided recent revival of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. That production was not a flop in any way, except artistically, but Hanke was terrific in it. | |
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| Hanke in 'HAIR' ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 05:10 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - Someday 05:02 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| Someday -- I agree with you completely about Hanke in 'HAIR' and 'CRY-BABY.' He's a real talent!, and I very much enjoyed his performances in those two shows, though I missed him in 'IN MY LIFE.' | |
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| Hanke very much! | |
| Posted by: | WaymanWong 01:38 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Hanke in 'HAIR' ... - flaguy 05:10 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I agree. If I were on the Tony committee, he would've been nominated for his brilliant comic turns in ''Cry-Baby'' and ''How to Succeed.'' I've also seen him in ''In My Life,'' ''Hair'' and most recently, ''Buyer and Cellar,'' and he's always amazing. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 04:24 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - FrenchDip 04:19 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| Another gay actor! It's a conspiracy! | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 03:45 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - charles1055 03:34 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| For me, Groff seemed out of place in the ensemble in the sense that he sort of seemed like a kid playing dress up as a hippie, rather than an authentic character. I felt the same about him in some of his other early performances and have been pleased to see him grow into himself, so to speak, on television. Groff wasn't terrible, just...not right. Creel was a huge improvement for Broadway. The only thing worthy of mention concerning the fact that both Groff and Creel are gay is that they were supposedly together at the time. And, yes, I think it was the WOODSTOCK film that prevented Groff from transferring to Broadway in HAIR. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 05:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - JereNYC 03:45 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| "For me, Groff seemed out of place in the ensemble in the sense that he sort of seemed like a kid playing dress up as a hippie, rather than an authentic character." Interesting comment. I imagine that at least some of the real-life hippies were just kids playing dress-up, rather than being "authentic," if you know what I mean. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Charlie_Baker 08:45 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - Michael_Portantiere 05:28 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| That was precisely the quality that made Groff's performance work for me. He was good in the role IMO. | |
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| re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? | |
| Posted by: | Keattie 11:33 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Why didn't Jonathan Groff play HAIR on Broadway? - Charlie_Baker 08:45 pm EDT 05/08/15 |
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| I agree. He was VERY good in the role. | |
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