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| Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: mattyp4 05:18 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| I've been curious about Choir Boy & meant to get a ticket before Jeremy Pope (the lead) departs, mainly b/c I like to see opening night casts whenever possible, but I dragged my feet & missed him-- his last performance was earlier today. According to a press release, ensemble member & understudy Jonathan Burke will take over the role for the final 2 weeks of the show's run. For those who have seen it, how pivotal was Jeremy's performance to the success of the show? If I may be blunt, is it worth seeing without him? (Or has anyone ever seen Jonathan step into the role?) I hate asking questions like this b/c I know understudies are incredibly talented & perfectly capable, but you know... sometimes a lead performance MAKES a show, or sometimes you're witnessing a star-making turn. Don't know if that was the case with Jeremy in Choir Boy (I know he's going right on to Ain't Too Proud To Beg). And I won't lie, I read on other boards that Jeremy's performance was a highlight... but I tend to trust people on this site more! I guess I'm only asking b/c I recently saw The Band's Visit while Katrina Lenk was out sick & I was very underwhelmed. No disrespect to her understudy but a lot of my friends said Katrina was a big factor in their enjoyment of the show. |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:44 am EST 02/25/19 | |
| In reply to: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - mattyp4 05:18 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| "For those who have seen it, how pivotal was Jeremy's performance to the success of the show? If I may be blunt, is it worth seeing without him? (Or has anyone ever seen Jonathan step into the role?)" I don't know how you could expect any kind of worthwhile answer to that question -- especially not from anyone who hasn't seen both performers in the role, which I imagine is an extremely small number of people. |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: kess0078 07:42 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| In reply to: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - mattyp4 05:18 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| Jeremy Pope IS fantastic in “Choir Boy,” but the show does not rest on his performance. The cast is a solid ensemble, with some other great performances. Definitely worth seeing, even without Pope. | |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: marshvale60 12:33 am EST 02/25/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - kess0078 07:42 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| AGREE. Pope is absolutely wonderful. But the production is so much more. Well worth seeing. | |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: mattyp4 11:32 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - kess0078 07:42 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| Glad to hear! Thank you so much! | |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: Peony 05:50 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| In reply to: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - mattyp4 05:18 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| I just came back from the matinee, and i was struck by how great the ensemble is. They all work together beautifully, and each and every guy has a beautiful voice. Each man created a character that's unique, yet they manage to breathe as one. They all act, dance and sing with precision. Kudos to the entire cast. I'd say go now, even if an understudy is taking over -- he's been part of this ensemble and he's tuned in to its heart. | |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: mattyp4 07:11 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - Peony 05:50 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| Perfect. Thank you for the report! | |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Last Edit: mikem 11:44 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| Posted by: mikem 11:43 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - mattyp4 07:11 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| A different view: as someone who understands what you mean about The Band's Visit, I think it is possible that you would feel the same way about Choir Boy. It's not really an ensemble piece per se -- there is a clear leading role around whom the entire work is structured. And Jeremy Pope is giving a star-making performance. He also played the role in its American premiere in 2013, so he has lived with the part for a long time. Jonathan Burke, who is his understudy, may be giving that kind of performance also, but he doesn't have any lines as an ensemble member so it's hard for us to know. (There are four ensemble members who fill out the sound for the choir and dance but don't have any individual speaking lines.) I don't think you're going to hate Choir Boy no matter who is in it, but it's an imperfect play that is really helped by Pope's performance. As in The Band's Visit, everyone else in Choir Boy is a strong performer, but if it were me, if you don't have the time to see everything you want, I would wait and see what the response is to Burke before moving forward. You'll get reviews soon enough. |
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| re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:46 am EST 02/25/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Choir Boy / Jeremy Pope - mikem 11:43 pm EST 02/24/19 | |
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| "Jonathan Burke, who is his understudy, may be giving that kind of performance also, but he doesn't have any lines as an ensemble member so it's hard for us to know. " It's not hard for us to know, it's impossible for us to know -- except for those few of us who may have seen him in the leading role when and if he went on in that role |
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