Tribute to talented Mr. Tveit...

So Aaron Tveit, lets see...

In BroadwaySpace.com's 30 Under 30 and named the "hottest guy on Broadway" as well as Link Larkin in Hairspray, Fiyero in Wicked, Gabe in Next to Normal, Peter Orlovsky in HOWL, Tripp Van Der Bilt on Gossip Girl, and of course, Frank Abagnale, Jr.  in Catch Me if You Can.

But, I am not here to tell you about all the wonderful things Aaron Tveit has done, that's what IMDB/IBDB are for, and no, I am not here to tell you all about how incredibly good looking he is either. I am going to tell you all how talented he is and be outraged at the fact that he was robbed of a Tony nomination, not once, but twice!

Aaron Tveit's "head" from the Booth Theater, Next to Normal

About two years ago Aaron Tveit was in this phenomenal show called Next to Normal, maybe I've mentioned it in a previous post... He played the role of the dead son. The dead son that has to get you to like him within the first few scenes, that has to get you be on his side for most of the show, the dead son that you don't want to go away no matter how much hell he causes in his family or the amount of pain he puts his mother through, almost driving her to suicide. While he's doing all of this he has to reel the audience in and make them feel like he's still a "good guy". In that roll he had to climb up and down the stairs and react in the background of almost every scene and was legitimately on stage for the entire show. He has these tremendously tiring (or so they seemed) and powerful numbers that really moved the story forward. I truly find it incredible that Aaron Tveit didn't even get a nomination for that extremely pivotal role.

Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer
Next to Normal, "I am the One"

Now, two years later, Aaron Tveit is starring in Catch Me if You Can as the lead, Frank Abagnale, Jr. A lot of people say that his performance "doesn't require enough" or isn't "emotionally draining" but honestly, he's on stage 90% of the show. And maybe in the beginning it seems like a feel-good TV special, but just as I said before, it's all about the escape of a kid who doesn't want to deal with his unfair reality. I think the whole flashy feeling of the first act all plays into the performance: Frank Abagnale wishes that his life was just a fun filled TV special, but during "Man Inside the Clues" we see how lonely Frank really is and when he falls in love with Brenda we see how much he longed for real company. Throughout this entire performance, Tveit has to evoke pity in the audience while being a con-man/antihero and putting on this flashy performance while going through so much pain, being merely a kid in search of family. 

Aaron Tveit and Kerry Butler
"Seven Wonders"

Aaron Tveit
"Live in Living Color"

Also, his last number "Goodbye" is incredible, it's basically Tveit's "Don't Break the Rules" (Norbert Leo Butz's show-stopping number). 

Finally, Aaron Tveit is an extremely solid triple threat actor, who can do both screen and stage acting flawlessly. Anyone interested in seeing some of his other work I advise "A Girl Walks Into A Bar" the first feature film made for the internet, so you can watch it on youtube for free. Really good movie.

Something next to normal

This was the show that really got me into theatre. I absolutely loved it. In mid November this year a few people told me to see it so finally I reluctantly agreed, not knowing what it was about or anything. There wasn't a single thing wrong with it. Every single component of the show, every song, every lyric, enhanced the story. Since that night, I have legitimately listened to the soundtrack every single day.

Outside the Booth Theatre
"It is more than a feel-good musical: it is a feel everything musical"

Honestly, who would've ever thought someone could right a musical about a manic depressive, delusional mother and the toll it takes on her family. Within the first few scenes you are reeled into the chaos of the family and learn that though they may seem "average" or "normal" (whatever that means) on the outside, their life is really far from it.

Basically a visual depiction of the story

The show is nearly entirely sung through, which makes it all the more interesting to watch, and the cast was phenomenal. I saw it with Marin Mazzie as Diana (the bipolar mom), Jason Danieley as Dan (the struggling dad), Kyle Dean Massey as Gabe (the dead son), Meghann Fahy as Natalie (the resentful daughter), Adam Chanler-Berat as Henry (Natalie's pothead boyfriend) and Louis Hobson as Mr. Fine/Madden (Diana's doctor). Marin Mazzie's gut-renching cry during multiple songs was a tear-jerker even to someone who can't relate at all. Kyle Dean Massey's energy every time he began singing was riveting, not to mention all the steps he had to climb. Adam Chanler-Berat and Meghann Fahy had such wonderful chemistry. Louis Hobson had this really soothing and calming stage presence, just as a doctor probably should. Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie were obviously wonderful together (they're married). All of them were so wonderful, amazing actors and singers, and it makes me so sad that the shows off Broadway.

Original Cast, left to right top: Aaron Tveit, 2nd Level: Alice Ripley and Louis Hobson, Bottom: J. Robert Spencer, Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler-Berat
Isn't the set amazing?

I was however extremely lucky. After I had reached the heights of my obsession with this show I found out that it was closing soon to go on tour and I immediately bought tickets to the last performance. But, the place I bought them from went out of business and only notified us a week before so it was all ready sold out. I then bought tickets to the second to last show, a matinee right before the final performance, and it was wonderful. Still, I was not able to bear leaving the theater and not seeing the again. So, in the freezing cold in late January I stood outside for two hours on the cancellation line in hopes of getting in. Fifteen minutes before the show the yelled they had two tickets left, I bought them and ran right in.

OK, so maybe I wasn't able to feel my toes until the following morning but the energy of the final Broadway performance was incredible, 100X that of the previous show. In some of the most emotional song, the cast couldn't even finish because of crying so hard (specifically Adam Chanler-Berat in Hey#3/Perfect For You).

After seeing two shows in one day I though I'd be content, but while looking at all the tour dates and locations I realized that I could go see it in Connecticut, only 2 hours outside of NYC. So my friend and I went on a road trip to see it one last time, cried at the end of the show because we knew it was really over, and now I'm left with the CD, a CD that brings me to tears every morning on the bus.

Honestly, If you haven't seen this show yet and it's coming to a theater by you, I strongly advise you go see it, it was truly an amazing, wonderful and unique show, something you shouldn't miss. It'll be worth the trip!