I LOVE Brent's Leo. Everyone nowadays does him so sharp, high-strung, and neurotic. Carver, while having the latter two, plays it differently. He gives Leo a more open tenderness and vulnerability. He's shy, soft-spoken, more socially anxious than stressed-anxious. It fascinates me so much that this is one of those few original performances that people don't emulate by default but instead do the opposite. I think that softer exterior is such a cool take on the character, and it REALLY does his interactions with Lucille justice, the marital connection between them is more real than any other Leo's I've heard/seen because, while Leo's distant, he still obviously cares about her. It's just such a cool effect and I'd love to see future Leo's try to do it like him.
He is my favorite. This guy I used to do theater with was an AMAZING Leo. Here's a video you might like to check out. ruclips.net/video/VqPcTl3VEvs/видео.html . I really wish he had kept up his "come up to my office." It was phenomenal
So frustrating--I love this show, and have always wanted to see the original production and cast, but the sound and visual quality is so difficult to deal with. But I am grateful, nevertheless, so thank you. I was fortunate to see the (all too short-lived) national tour production, with Andrea Burns as Lucille, and David Pittu as Leo--both absolutely wonderful. I think Don Chastain played the old soldier and the governor; I've loved him since hearing him on the ocr of IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE.... Also, JRB conducted opening night, which thrilled a few of us, who had to go talk to him, and express our emotions about his work. He was very gracious, and excited about the tour.
I'm in the same boat with you, but as bad as the picture and sound quality may be, this is still better than the recording of it at the Donmar Warehouse with TR Knight as Leo... there are like 3 people in the cast of that production who can actually sing -- the rest of the people sound and act like it's a regional amateur theatre production, which is a shame, cause Parade seems to work in the space -- just not with those actors.
I remember reading that TR Knight wasn't very good in the role, but is he really on the Donmar recording? I understood he played Leo when they transferred the production to Los Angeles (with the same Lucille, but many other cast changes), but that Bertie Carvel played it in London. In any case, I mean to check out the recording, because I understand there were a number of changes to the score (and therefore, to the show generally, I guess). I was wary of the idea of making substantial changes to the score, when I read about them on JRB's blog, while he was there working on the show. So often I find the U.S. casts of shows to be better than others (thinking mainly of recordings), whether or not they include artists from other countries. In the area of musical theater (and in life, generally), I don't tend to hold biases (other than based on talent, craft, hard work, effectiveness ~~ things like that), but it does often (not always) seem to end up with U.S. cast recordings winning top prize, in my book.
AvalonMorley oh yeah, Bertie is on the London cast recording -- I was talking about the Los Angeles one. The part that really makes it a shame is that TR Knight was pretty good in terms of acting -- I liked that he really put on a Brooklyn/Jewish accent for the show, though his Leo at the start is nowhere near as sympathetic as Brent Carver's. I also wasn't that fond of the changes to the score -- I didn't think it worked as well as what's on the cast recording. Thank goodness all those people put up money to record the show even though it closed so soon. (If you're in NYC, I just found out that you can go to the Library at Lincoln Center and arrange a viewing of their recordings of shows like this... I'm sure the quality is a little better than this, but perhaps not by much... but it'd be worth doing it if you could lol)
I LOVE Brent's Leo. Everyone nowadays does him so sharp, high-strung, and neurotic. Carver, while having the latter two, plays it differently. He gives Leo a more open tenderness and vulnerability. He's shy, soft-spoken, more socially anxious than stressed-anxious. It fascinates me so much that this is one of those few original performances that people don't emulate by default but instead do the opposite. I think that softer exterior is such a cool take on the character, and it REALLY does his interactions with Lucille justice, the marital connection between them is more real than any other Leo's I've heard/seen because, while Leo's distant, he still obviously cares about her. It's just such a cool effect and I'd love to see future Leo's try to do it like him.
He is my favorite. This guy I used to do theater with was an AMAZING Leo. Here's a video you might like to check out. ruclips.net/video/VqPcTl3VEvs/видео.html . I really wish he had kept up his "come up to my office." It was phenomenal
I don’t know how you found this footage but as someone who loves seeing stuff like this I am forever great full
So frustrating--I love this show, and have always wanted to see the original production and cast, but the sound and visual quality is so difficult to deal with. But I am grateful, nevertheless, so thank you. I was fortunate to see the (all too short-lived) national tour production, with Andrea Burns as Lucille, and David Pittu as Leo--both absolutely wonderful. I think Don Chastain played the old soldier and the governor; I've loved him since hearing him on the ocr of IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE.... Also, JRB conducted opening night, which thrilled a few of us, who had to go talk to him, and express our emotions about his work. He was very gracious, and excited about the tour.
I'm in the same boat with you, but as bad as the picture and sound quality may be, this is still better than the recording of it at the Donmar Warehouse with TR Knight as Leo... there are like 3 people in the cast of that production who can actually sing -- the rest of the people sound and act like it's a regional amateur theatre production, which is a shame, cause Parade seems to work in the space -- just not with those actors.
I remember reading that TR Knight wasn't very good in the role, but is he really on the Donmar recording? I understood he played Leo when they transferred the production to Los Angeles (with the same Lucille, but many other cast changes), but that Bertie Carvel played it in London. In any case, I mean to check out the recording, because I understand there were a number of changes to the score (and therefore, to the show generally, I guess). I was wary of the idea of making substantial changes to the score, when I read about them on JRB's blog, while he was there working on the show.
So often I find the U.S. casts of shows to be better than others (thinking mainly of recordings), whether or not they include artists from other countries. In the area of musical theater (and in life, generally), I don't tend to hold biases (other than based on talent, craft, hard work, effectiveness ~~ things like that), but it does often (not always) seem to end up with U.S. cast recordings winning top prize, in my book.
AvalonMorley oh yeah, Bertie is on the London cast recording -- I was talking about the Los Angeles one. The part that really makes it a shame is that TR Knight was pretty good in terms of acting -- I liked that he really put on a Brooklyn/Jewish accent for the show, though his Leo at the start is nowhere near as sympathetic as Brent Carver's. I also wasn't that fond of the changes to the score -- I didn't think it worked as well as what's on the cast recording. Thank goodness all those people put up money to record the show even though it closed so soon. (If you're in NYC, I just found out that you can go to the Library at Lincoln Center and arrange a viewing of their recordings of shows like this... I'm sure the quality is a little better than this, but perhaps not by much... but it'd be worth doing it if you could lol)