My Top Five Favorite Broadway Men

I write about musicals. If you've read anything I've written, you know that I have my preferences which I stick to with absolute loyalty. My mom suggested that I write about my favorite actors for once instead of individual shows; I thought, why not? So, when I thought about it, I realized that I have some very varied tastes in my musical men. This list isn't definitive- the positions in the list change with the actors' work, and I have a lengthy honorable mention list as well. So, with that in mind, I'll say that these are the top five, but they aren't exactly ranked. It's too hard! Ahem. Without further ado...

Now, I've subtly mentioned my adoration for this man a few times in the past. And, after going through all the trouble of saying that I can't rank my favorites, he is certainly my sentimental favorite without question. My first Broadway experience on my first trip to New York was seeing him in The Phantom of the Opera as the Phantom. I got to see him again the following year in the same role- and I could see how much his performance had grown and changed (ah, the mark of a true actor who's been doing the show for several years). Later, I found out that his Broadway debut was in Les Misérables, my other favorite show. And he played the title role in the short-lived Lestat, which was gratifying for me, being a huge Anne Rice fan as well.

His voice is the exact voice type that is perfect for the role of the Phantom- pure, refined, crystal-clear, powerful, hauntingly perfect tenor. He also brings less angry/crazy to the role and more hurt/sarcastic/bitter, which I certainly appreciate; anger is one of the easiest emotions to portray onstage after all. But I always enjoy listening to his voice and the sophistication and sheer beauty it carries, no matter what role it is. (Sometimes, I listen to the Prince of Egypt soundtrack and try to pick out his voice in the chorus; he makes it easy, because he enunciates so well.)

I fell in love with Raúl when I first heard him in the Actors' Fund Benefit Performance of Chess (I LOVE Chess) where he played the Arbiter. He's done many many important and interesting roles on Broadway and off, my favorites being Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show, the aforementioned Arbiter, and Bobby in Company. Company is what really made me a dedicated, loyal fangirl of his (see my hub on the subject). I also watched his guest appearances on the TV show Pushing Daisies, where he was utterly charming.

Raúl is more than a pretty (and often bearded) face. He is a talented tenor, with a very powerful quality to it. His technique is still flawless, but it does not have the refined quality of, say, Hugh Panaro. This doesn't lessen the power and effect of his voice; rather, it adds to it. He can handle the complex technique demanded by Sondheim, but still belt "The Time Warp" and be convincing at both. He is also a very talented actor- he carries off the over-the-top character of Riff, but brings a very realistic, natural performance to Company. He has great range, both in his voice and in his acting. I've also heard him speak, and he's also very intelligent and terribly charismatic.

Adam Pascal may be more recognizable than the other names on my list, having appeared in the films School of Rock and RENT. He certainly is most well-known for his stage debut (and Tony-nominated performance) in RENT, but he is also amazing in Aida and the Actors' Fund Benefit performance of Chess (with Raúl Esparza). He has also played the Emcee in Cabaret, one of the most iconic stage roles on Broadway. He also sang in the Actors' Fund Benefit concert of Hair (also with Raúl).

Adam has a very hard rock sound, making him different from the other actors. His roles don't demand the sort of realism that others might, but still, he comes across as very genuine and believable. You watch RENT and you want to hold him; you watch Aida, and he makes you fall in love with him. And take it from me, watch his performance of "Pity the Child" from Chess, and you'll be completely sold on him. He plays his roles very passionately, letting the emotion of the song effortlessly come through his voice.

You've heard me talk about him a couple times in the past as well. To recap, I absolutely adore him in Wicked, and he moved me deeply in The Last Five Years (which is a ridiculously difficult part, may I just say). He earned a Tony award for his performance as Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And, like several other guys on my list, he ALSO played the Emcee in Cabaret.

NLB (yes, I'm big with initials for long names) has a great tenor voice- not quite as refined as Hugh Panaro, but not quite as rough as Adam Pascal. (Interesting fact, NLB was the original understudy for Adam in RENT.) He effortlessly soars through the high notes, bringing the appropriate levity or depth to the role. He has a wonderful sense of comedy, but can also connects to the audience very well in the dramatic scenes. He has a very charasmatic stage presence, and an addictively beautiful voice.

My experience with NLB is pretty ironic. I was walking back to my hotel after watching The Phantom of the Opera (the second time), and I noticed a crowd of people standing in an alley between 44th and 45th street. There were photographers circled around two men taking their pictures. I walked up as close as I could and started jumping up and down (I'm rather short). As soon as I saw who they were photographing, I gasped, squealed, grabbed my mom and ran around the corner. It was Norbert Leo Butz and John Lithgow after a performance of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I was so excited- my first celebrity sighting! So the next year, I had tickets to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for the last week that John Lithgow was going to be in the cast. I'd had the tickets ordered months in advance, and I was thrilled to see the show. Unfortunately, when I got there I found out that John Lithgow had taken the night off, and Norbert Leo Butz had the flu. The presence of Sherie Rene Scott and Joanna Gleason made it still a worthwhile experience, but I blame missing those two on my chance street-sighting!

Drew is much newer to the Broadway scene compared to the others on my list. His first Broadway role was in 2006's Lestat. Since then, he's been in the revival of Les Misérables. Currently, he is playing Jean Valjean in London, a huge honor and a great achievement.

However, I've been onto Drew for some time. He performed for years in Germany, and I try to keep up with German theatre as much as I can. He has played such roles as Jesus and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Dracula in Wildhorn's Dracula, Jekyll in Jekyll and Hyde, as well as being in his own band. I anticipate further success for Drew.

Like the other men, Drew is a high tenor, with a rock style but still a very smooth, clear voice. He has a very powerful stage presence, making it possible to pull off so many of these darker, emotionally demanding roles. His voice has a raw quality to it which evokes a great emotional response from the audience- perfect for playing in Les Mis.

Because there are way more than 5 Broadway men that I adore, an honorable mention!

• James Barbour- an amazing, powerful, deep-voiced actor, he swept me off my feet playing Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. We'll see him on Broadway again in September playing Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities.
• Terrence Mann- The original Rum Tum Tugger in Broadway's Cats, and the original Broadway Javert in Les Mis (a good Javert is a way to my heart), Terrence's deeper voice and excellent dancing skills gets to me every time. Listen to his performance as the angry villain in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and I promise you that you'll see the appeal. He also was the original Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and he also played Frank in The Rocky Horror Show. Also, you can see him in the film adaptation of A Chorus Line (where, I am sad to say, he doesn't sing, but he dances).
• Patrick Wilson- Tony nominee for The Full Monty and Oklahoma!, Patrick has many stage and screen credits. You may have seen him in the film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera or perhaps in Little Children with Kate Winslet. Recently, Patrick has returned to the stage in Barefoot in the Park, for which I am glad.
• John Cudia- Currently playing the Phantom on Broadway, I've seen him as Raoul on Broadway (to Hugh Panaro's Phantom) and as the Phantom with the touring cast. He is a fantastic actor as well as a wonderful singer. I'd love to see him again in the role- his finale was very powerful.