I don't get Jackie Hoffman...help me understand her appeal

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:23pm

I have to admit that I have never seen her before, but I just don't get her. My wife positively hated her performance...'how much can I over mug'. I got sick of her shtick about half way through and wondered why John Rando did not reign her in or divide the role among several folks. Is there some role she was in that now allows her to mug to the point of annoyance?

In all other respects, I loved the show. I don't even think the theatre is an issue.

Updated On: 10/18/14 at 03:23 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:23pm

I don't believe you or your wife.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:25pm

Once again, not entitled to an opinion. I really thought she slowed things down. Sorry.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:30pm

You are totally entitled to your opinion, but there is a thread about people's views already for this show. Starting one just to complain about Jackie seems kinda bizarre.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:35pm

You are totally entitled to your opinion. I just don't believe you or your wife.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:44pm

I am trying to understand why some people like her so much. At the performance I saw, some people sitting around me seemed to love her, others did not. So,e times, it is based on the history she brings with her...since I have no history, and really hated her in the show, I am trying to understand...so it is less about On the Town than her

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:44pm

Blow it out your ass.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:45pm

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:45pm

I apologize for the vulgarity but I believe that was indeed the only proper response.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:45pm

If it wasn't about the show, it wouldn't be in the title of your thread. On the Town thread, dude.

[Tigger]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:50pm

I thought she was perfectly suited for the show. She reminded me of a latter day Jerry Lewis which kind of fits the time period the show is set in. I enjoyed her for the very reason that she was over the top.

However I think starting a thread to denigrate a performer, ANY performer, is rudely ugly and insensitive.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:51pm

Sutton Ross. You need to surrender the idea that people are going to put these where YOU think they need to go. It's okay. Chill out. There isn't a paper shortage here on BWW.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:53pm

That is a fair point...I will not do it again...I can see that I could have done it differently

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:54pm

If you are a gentleman, you will change the subject line of the first post to something less offensive, like "Can anyone explain Jackie Hoffman's comic appeal to me?"

If not, BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS!

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:55pm

I thought Jackie Hoffman stole the show!

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:56pm

A ton of people start unnecessary threads (Buffalo Bill killed us with The Last Ship threads) about the same things. This is just another one of those, and I say what I've said case people like Jarethan didn't see the other one.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 3:57pm

"That is a fair point...I will not do it again...I can see that I could have done it differently"

No worries, just know there's a thread for this

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 4:05pm

And please conserve. The internet is rapidly running out of room and it is one of the world's most precious unnatural resources.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 4:05pm

If you look at the live-television clip of Comden and Green performing "Carried Away" that I posted in the On the Town Reviews thread, you will get a sense of the kind of broad comedy that Betty Comden and Adolph Green enjoyed. They knew that musical comedy needed that as contrast to the tender and sentimental moments that came in the love songs.

It may surprise you, but Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins also enjoyed that kind of comedy and strove to attain it themselves in comic numbers like West Side's "Officer Krupke" or Wonderful Town's "Wrong Note Rag" and conga number or some of Robbins's comedic ballets.

John Rando let Jackie be inventive because it was the right thing to do.

Go watch the clip of Betty and Adolph--or some of the MGM movies they wrote screenplays for.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 4:07pm

Updated On: 10/18/14 at 04:07 PM

Posted: 10/18/14 at 5:45pm

I think people love Jackie because of her timeless beauty and sex appeal. Also, her glorious voice. Her graceful way of sashaying across the stage like an undulating river is in there too.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 5:52pm

Dearest Sutton,if you do not like the threads then do not respond to them bringing then up to the top of the page, OK, dear?

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 6:06pm

In Jarethan's defense, I definitely think this is a more Jackie Hoffman themed thread, and am glad that this conversation isn't driving the official ON THE TOWN thread horribly off-topic.

[PrinceCaspian]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 6:23pm

I've only seen her in Hairspray and she was hilarious

[Kad]

Posted: 10/18/14 at 6:27pm

Jackie Hoffman is arsenic-laced Borscht belt, and it's amazing.