#miles jacoby

[myheartissetinmotion]

don’t mind me just thinking about how ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS the cast of cape playhouse little shop is

[fuckyeahthebookofmormon]

It’s opening night in Salt Lake City!

[fuckyeahthebookofmormon]

Belated congratulations to Price standby Miles Jacoby, who made his Broadway debut on Saturday afternoon, and went on again on Sunday!

[evanhansens]

"Two by two, we're marching door to door" - a standby story. (BoM 10/9 and 10/12).

Standbys get a sort of bum deal, because unlike understudies, they don’t get to be apart of the show every night in some form. So, when a standby goes on, it’s a big deal, because they get to go to the big dance - the show. I’ll stop with the Elf references and get more to the point - I had the pleasure of seeing two fantastic standbys in Book of Mormon this weekend and I wanted to share just how great they were because as I said, standbys don’t get enough love.

As anyone who reads these lengthy reviews can tell you - I’m very pro “listen to the fat white guy” and so getting to hear that phrase on Broadway is not something I take lightly. The last of the fat white guys to grace Broadway that I got to see was Cody, so it’d been a while since I’d seen one of my chubby brethren on stage. Thursday broke that streak as I got to see Nyk Bielak on as Elder Cunningham, and damn, it felt good. Nyk was such a perfect blend of the annoying aspects and the sweetness that makes Cunningham a character that you roll your eyes and go - “Oh lord, is he really doing that” but at the same time you root for him and say “Go Arnold, go”. Vocally, Nyk nailed it all over - his Man Up was just a delight.

Nyk’s Cunningham is what I wish was being seen on Broadway nightly. I don’t want to sell Ben short - in fact, you’ll hear the opposite later on in this, but I am a guy like Nyk’s Cunningham, not Ben’s. Seeing a guy up there representing for guys like myself - it’s a big deal. It’s why I love seeing guys like Todd Buonopane, Greg Hildreth, and others like them who are bigger guys who represent for those larger gents like myself. Nyk’s performance really nailed it, and his chemistry with Nic was so on point - they flowed so nicely, it was great.

Basically, four for Nyk Bielak.

Also, props to Nic and Nikki Renee for killing it that evening, too. Both were just so great and just brought it. Nikki belted to high heaven and I was living for each and every moment, and Nic is just perfect, as always. And of course, Grey is shining brightly and just an absolute star - the guy is a force to be reckoned with, plain and simple.

Now, onto a guy who made his Broadway debut this weekend and brought so many new touches to Elder Price. Miles Jacoby has only played the role of Elder Price three times - once on the second national tour, the Saturday matinee, and today’s matinee. It’s a shock that this guy hasn’t done this role more, because he plays him to perfection.

Miles is a Price who takes on the challenge of Cunningham head on - similar to how Nic approaches it, but much more of a friendly approach. Miles is a more of a “keep rolling with the punches” type of Price and hides his annoyance with Cunningham very well, something Nic ‘s Price doesn’t do. Some of the facial expressions Miles made were Nick Spangler-esque (In the face, they look similar), but Miles put his own stamp on it, too.

Miles did one of the best “Fuck Him” phrasings I’ve ever seen - he said “Fuck Him” and did this giddy full body shiver and it was just hysterical. Another thing Miles did that I loved was when Cunningham in Act Two is being a little too high and mighty, Miles full on sass finger silenced him with the “Bullpoop” line. Vocally, Miles did a very nice job, and will only get better with each time he goes on.

Now, remember when I said I wasn’t going to sell Ben short? Today, Ben Platt looked like he was exhausted as hell and clearly needed a day off (which he took off the evening tonight), but despite all of that - guy pulled out all the stops. Not once did Ben’s performance not feel half asked or phoned in, he was full of energy and despite being exhausted and maybe a little sick, sold it to the cheap seats. That, ladies and gents, is a performer. People who go out there and sell it even when they’re not one hundred percent are rock stars to me. So, Ben Platt, you go.

Ben and Miles had wonderful chemistry, and played off each other very well. As I said, Miles covered his frustration with Cunningham very well, and you got small tastes of it like the scene after All American Prophet. However, the release in the scene before Man Up showed all of the cards that Miles had been hiding behind his poker face.

The poker face breaking continued during the Joseph Smith All American Moses scene where Miles spent the entire song laughing and cracking up, which I always think is a funny Price choice.

Miles is a fantastic Price and I hope to see him again sometime in the future and just see him get better and better. I’d love to see Miles and Nyk on together, because who doesn’t love a good standby two for one?

[thesstsui-blog-blog]

[fuckyeahjerseyboys]

Why were you drawn to do the Jersey Boys? What is it about the story that's compelling?

Michael: It's so well-written and the music is amazing. Most male actors are dying to do the show. And it's really about the stars aligning for these four regular guys and how they dealt with superhuman fame. I think that speaks to people.

Nick: I saw it at 17 and I thought, "I want to do that. I want to train hard enough to be able to do that." (So touching. Have you thought about leveraging a PBS after-school special?)

What role would you love to play?

Michael: Sweeney from Sweeney Todd.  Nick: Marius from Les Miserables (Or, my puckish lover?) Miles: I love new contemporary stuff, so a new role. John: I'm a Shakespeare nerd, so Prince Hal from Henry IV Part 1.

Favorite curse word and what you would be if you weren't an actor?

John: I'm from Kentucky, so "sonabitch." A Pilot. Miles: Fuck. It's everything you need and more. A physicist. (Talk about a baller back-up plan!) Nick: (Mortified and giggling) Where is this Q&A going?!

Click through for the full article, which is pretty funny.

[fuckyeahjerseyboys]

BOSTON — When Miles Jacoby auditioned for the first national tour of the musical "Jersey Boys" last year, he knew the show was a huge Broadway hit. He hadn’t seen the 2006 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, however, and wasn’t sure he knew the score.

"Between the time of my first audition and my first call back, I decided I had better see the show on Broadway," recalled the Wellesley native by telephone from Indianapolis last week. "It was an amazing experience because I realized that I had been hearing this music my whole life. The Four Seasons are just that much a part of our culture. I knew all the songs."

[burnthemerch]