The stage called him "wooden"

 

It remains to be seen whether Gone With the Wind will be another Les Mis or will have only a short run. In either case, taking on such a big role, will already have taught Darius a lot more in weeks than he could learn in years at acting school in LA.

 

 

Well if I was one of his fans reading the reviews I'd be happy. I know they don't exactly go into any depth with his performance - but they don't seem to dwell on any of the roles much - but if "wooden" is the worst he gets then he's doing great. They seem to keep their worst comments for the production which they don't seem to like. But then they are comparing it - not judging it on it's own merits. Typical critics. They slated We Will Rock You too - it's been running for 7 years this year I think :lol:

well I find it odd that wooden didnt get mentioned in Shentons review of the preview...and now he mentions it, it hasnt cropped up in other reviews, professional as well as on forums I have read..I am at a loss how he can be the best thing about a show in the express, to getting praise..to one lone wooden? , but of course much the same as Chicago once people who want to be negative can get hold of something..remember all the bad reviews on wos said he was wooden, mm..

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by prettyinpink

Darius is remarkably tall and has an erect bearing with a ramrod straight back, untypical for nowadays .

 

Sometimes I think that's what brings words like stiff and wooden into some people's heads. It's not an affectation, it's his natural bearing and one reason why I think throughout his career he's been called arrogant too.

 

Now that the pressure of press night is over, I expect to see Darius getting better and better and stamping more of his own personality on it just as he did in the other 2 shows.

 

It's clear the critics want more of Rhett's rough side so maybe he could have fun exploring that, if Sir Trevor allows.

 

They can do their worst on there but it makes not one jot of difference at the moment when Darius strides into a casting room, be it for straight acting or another musical. He's either right for the part or he isn't and he has a short time to get his talent over or not, like everyone else.

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by Baytree

Hello ...................yes that's right, folks - Hello magazine has a few nice things to say about last night. As Aunt Pitty is wont to do, I think I might faint.

 

 

Here's the link. Thanks to claire.

 

 

http://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2008/04/...collins-darius/

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by Baytree

As he's sitting hunched up on Bonnie's bed, Sobbing, tears running down his face, wooden wasn't a word that came to mind.

Quite. I think he gets great "acting" into his songs without unnecessary histrionics. I'msure I'll have a big lump in my throat when I see him sing "Alone"

You will - but nothing compared to him with Bonnie after she dies. The woman singing after the list of dead comes out really gets to me as well.

I like the way that even Pork gets to respect him. When he says the carriage is ready he actually finally calls him Mr Rhett.

As he's sitting hunched up on Bonnie's bed, Sobbing, tears running down his face, wooden wasn't a word that came to mind.

 

 

I'm trying not to think about that. I know I'll start blubbing with him.

 

 

 

Just don't look and don't listen.

Great advice for a trip to the theatre.

 

 

Review from Variety just posted by Rachel on .net. Still not good for the show but OK for darius.

 

 

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936886...yid=33&cs=1

 

Petite and powerfully voiced, Paice (recently of Broadway's "Curtains") is physically right for the Herculean role of Scarlett but lacks the charisma and emotional variety to fully engage and convince. Though he's obviously been styled in Clark Gable's image, Darius Danesh as Rhett Butler has more star power and several decent chances to show off his resonant bass voice. Madeleine Worrell is admirably sympathetic as Melanie but falls victim to several of the production's dodgy wigs.

 

 

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by Baytree

Have we got this one

 

http://thecliffedge.com/blog/?p=1093

 

 

Darius Danesh, who won fame on television show “Pop Idol,” does a much better job of channeling Clark Gable as Butler. He’s a fine singer and not a bad actor. The rest of the cast have the burden of delivering a series of musical numbers that, unusually for a musical, are not listed in the program

Another one that's kind to Darius but rough on the show and poor Jill too.

 

http://thelondonpaper.typepad.com/thelondo...-going-gon.html

 

 

Yet, as the rakish Rhett Butler, Darius Danesh is something of a revelation.

 

The former Pop Idol sings marvellously, even if much of the time he is doing an (admittedly pretty good) impersonation of a dashing Clark Gable in a production that is so long you could fly to the States in the time it takes to finish.

 

 

Edited April 24, 200817 yr by Baytree

Darius is getting good reviews -

I think he is a suprise to a lot of people and it must be a major one because they will find any small chink to be negative,

Read this just now on WOS, someone at the show where the understudy had to stand in

 

I thought Savannah's voice was strong and it had a tone to it that was very appealing. What struck me about Darius was that it also must have been a bit unnerving for him to play opposite the understudy who was not as prepared as they would have liked her to have been (quite understandable when you consider the cuts that were being made up to opening night) but just felt he gave her the confidence to play the role as if the role was hers and consequently the chemistry between them was very convincing, and she just looked the part, with that mischevious look combinded with the fiery petulant Scarlett.

 

She may go on to play the role on a number of occasions - who knows? but I doubt if many will compare to the thrill she must have got when at the bows Darius pushed her out of line and led the applause and cheers from the cast and how overwhelmed she clearly was to see many of the audience on their feet in appreciation of her performance.

 

That's lovely. So typically Darius as well.

I put this in another thread but, I think it should be in this one.

 

 

 

Post #369

 

 

Darius Lover

 

 

 

Group: Darius Lovers

Posts: 7,244

Joined: 6-April 03

Member No.: 69

 

 

 

Have we had this one?

Darius seems to have been appreciated by most people regardless of what they felt about the show.

 

 

 

 

Critics agree Gone With The Wind blows

(Donald Cooper)

Darius Danesh recieved praise for his turn as Rhett Butler but Jill Paice was not as lucky.

 

Veronica Schmidt

It is difficult to imagine a more ambitious stage project than turning the epic novel Gone With The Wind into a musical. Today, after the show’s West End premiere, director Sir Trevor Nunn and Margaret Martin, who wrote the book, music and lyrics for the production, may be wondering if the idea was too ambitious.

 

Critics have given the musical, starring former Pop Idol contestant Darius Danesh and Broadway actress Jill Paice, a collective thumbs down.

 

Awarding the 190-minute show two stars, The Times critic Benedict Nightingale declared it “too faithful to Margaret Mitchell’s novel” and “too long”.

 

Under the merciless heading ‘Gone With the Wind just blows’, Reuters reviewer Ray Bennett said Nunn had delivered “a long-winded show with rushed scenes, dull music and lyrics so banal that Rhett Butler is unlikely to be the only one who doesn't give a dam.”

 

Related Links

Gone with the Wind

Does Trevor Nunn give a damn?

The Guardian critic Michael Billington wrote that the musical felt like “a hectic, strip-cartoon account of a dated pop classic.”

 

The Telegraph’s Charles Spencer was even less impressed. Explaining he often felt like screaming during the performance, Spencer wrote: “When I emerged from the theatre after three hours and 40 minutes, it felt as if I had spent several years watching Gone with the Wind and that I had probably missed not just the Beijing Olympics but the London games planned for 2012 as well.”

 

The Independent reviewer Paul Taylor was more forgiving. Awarding the musical three stars, he wrote: “The show is neither as bad as one feared nor as good as one has a right to expect.”

 

He went onto call the score “forgettable” but “well sung”.

 

But the news wasn’t all bad. While Paice received mixed reviews, Danesh enjoyed wide-spread praise for his turn as Rhett Butler, being described variously as “diabolically dashing” and “a fine singer”.

 

The audience was appreciative too, giving the 27-year-old a standing ovation.

 

 

 

 

 

Darius got through his first press night, came out with mostly OK notices and now has done his first shows with a different Scarlett. He must be fairly pleased surely.

 

I hope Jill will take time to recover properly. It's a very demanding role.

 

 

She'd be better with slightly less songs. You can hear the strain it puts on her. I hope she's OK

its a shame they didnt realsie that, the show needed cutting and she has too many songs by the sound of it..would have been sensible to lessen her load