Christian Borle's replacement

[navnisinger]

Has anyone seen Peter and the Starcatcher since Christian left? How is his replacement?

[dramamama611]

Yup. I saw him last Friday night. I'd seen Borle previously, but my kids had not. They loved the show.


He's missing the over the top element that made Borle such a standout. Some will think its the way the show should be, a more even ensemble piece, but I did feel some of the laughs were gone and the energy a tad lacking.

Don't get me wrong, it was still an entertaining evening and I'd still reccomend the show to most people.

[LizzieCurry]

He has a name, and it's Matthew Saldivar.

[Polka Dot2]

I saw Christian Borle at NYTW and loved him. I bought tickets in advance for last weekend but was really disappointed when he said he was leaving. I saw Matthew and didn't care for him. Christian was wonderfully over the top and made so many hilariously specific choices. Matthew just didn't do it for me. Maybe he'll grow into the role a little more. I'm hoping that Christian will come back after he's done filming Smash.

[everythingtaboo]

I've never "got" Matthew Saldivar, and I groaned when I read he was the replacement. I was really hoping I would be proved wrong, but first impressions aren't so much.

[dramamama611]

Sadly, I don't think Peter will be around long enough for Borle to return. Hope I'm wrong!

[jdrye222]

I saw him last week, and was expecting he would be fired this week (a la Henry Goodman) because he really dropped the ball in more than a few scenes, and had absolutely no comic timing or stage presence.

[adamgreer]

I haven't seen Salvidar, but I was a little depressed to learn of his casting. I was hoping they could find someone with a more over the top presence.

All these negative reviews of Salvidar are quite upsetting. Maybe I should just keep my memories of Christian Borle and not return.

[dramamama611]

I wouldn't say mine was negative. I'm just saying he's not as bold as Borle. Did I like Borle better, yes, but I didn't dislike Salvidar.

[newintown]

Saldivar is talented, but he's always a negative presence on stage, coming across as a sullen serial killer. Funny doesn't come to him easily.

[LizzieCurry]

Aw, this is all too bad. I'm curious enough, though, since I thought he was the highlight of the South Pacific tour.

[Kad]

I'd really like to see Carson Elrod go on as Black Stache.

[willep]

This is making me even more sad that I wasn't able to make it to the city in time to see Borle in the show.

[Kelly2]

Borle's hard to replace, that's for sure. The only show I enjoyed a replacement/understudy for Borle was Legally Blonde. But that's because his understudy was the now-leading-man Andy Karl.

[broadwaygirl99]

I was really hoping Santino Fontana would replace Christian. He has such presence and when he performs he performs 120% just like Christian. He is an up and coming star and I think he would have a great job. Maybe they can put him if they replace Matt.

[Wynbish]

I love Santino too, but he's attached to the Cinderella workshop.

[broadwaygirl99]

They couldn't let him do it for a couple of months? To keep ot open before Christian possibly comes back? I didn't know you couldn't do anything else while you are workshopping a show.
Oh and I meant to write do a good job not have a good job. I mean he would have a great job but its not what I meant to write :P

[Back Row]

Speaking of over the top, what is Mitch Jarvis doing these days?

[dramamama611]

Shows prefer to have long term commitments from people. They certainly.make allowances for names but not your average workaday actor.

There is nothing that would prohibit someone from taking another job as long as timing worked out.

If they were even remotely interested in him.

[little_sally]

Maybe we should give Matthew Saldivar more than a week before we start trying to replace him.

[newintown]

Because, as we all know, no actor is really ready to give a performance of any value until they've had at least a month to play it in front of paying customers (after several weeks of full-time rehearsal).

[jayinchelsea]

I didn't get to PETER until Christian's last week, and from what I'm reading, I'm glad I didn't wait. Yes, he was brilliantly over the top, and I loved him and the play itself.

But it really is too early to over judge Matthew. Christian was a very big presence, and it will take anyone a while to fill his spot. Let's give him a chance, guys.

And the show is already hurting, as business was down significantly after Christian left, so let's keep it going, it's a great show.

[BwayGeek2]

Aw, I love Matthew Saldivar. If I see the show again to see him in it, I look forward to seeing him in the role...

[Kelly2]

"Because, as we all know, no actor is really ready to give a performance of any value until they've had at least a month to play it in front of paying customers (after several weeks of full-time rehearsal)."

I know you're being sarcastic but this drives me up a wall. The people in this thread saying it's "too early" to judge Matt are morons. Everyone paying 120$ to see Matt onstage can't judge him because he's not settled into the part yet? Really? You know what, if you're doing paid performances, you better be ready to go. It's Broadway, not a regional production of Oklahoma in bumf*ck nowhere. I'm so sick of people saying that actors need to be given time. They absolutely do not. It is their job to get onstage and give 110% and give their best performance every night. And if they don't, or aren't, that is on them and people are more than entitled to judge the performance that they saw accordingly.

[newintown]

Exactly. They're professionals on Broadway who have had significant rehearsal time. You can and should judge them.

[dramamama611]

Well, to be fair, replacements do NOT get significant rehearsal time. They get some rehearsal with the stage manager and some understudies. It is not uncommon for their first run with the entire cast to be their first performance.

A lot of their prep time is WATCHING the show.

That being said, since MOST audience members could care less about whether it is the actor's first or 101st performance. And they deserve not to know/care.

Its hard to judge grosses the week AFTER the Tony Award winning actor leaves. Their grosses were strong from the Tonys and because Borle was leaving. It's not like this was playing to 100% capacity through most of its run and took a nose dive when Borle left. The last few weeks lots of folks made sure to catch it before he left.

In fact, Peter only made it into the 90% capacity during Borle's last two weeks. It's only averaging some like a 75% capacity throughout its' run.


Grosses for Peter's run.