Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Timmerbo |
Enjolras: sideburns?I'm playing Enjolras in a production in August, and I'm growing sideburns. Thoughts? Also, what's a good Enjolras hairstyle? My hair is very dark and curly. It gets rather big if left unchecked, and this troubles me. |
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| Vanessa20 |
I don't see anything wrong with sideburns, just as long as you keep them small - you don't want Enjolras to look like Javert, after all.  As for your hair, just don't let it get too big. Here's a selection of curly haired Enjys who I think look great, as possible models for you:
http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Aaron%20Enjloras.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f-8y43aSYME/SRH2jkeVnZI/AAAAAAAAFj0/5xPSHzAiOlE/s200/FreekBartels.bmp http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload2/58921/tn-500_11111lesmiscast.jpg |
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| Javvyshomegirl73 |
 *starts nervous breakdown* what is wrong with JAVERTS SIDEBURNS!!! DEATH!!!!...I am just joking  Yes, try and keep the...uhh...Ok I am just making up a word "Sideburn-IDGE" down
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| Quique |
Mr. Eaaaaarly...with velvet/felt vest of regional production splendor!!! XD
Fuzzy Enjolras! |
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| Javvyshomegirl73 |
Fuzzy Enji!!
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| Timmerbo |
Oh, they won't be Javert-style muttonchops. When the show's up, they probably won't be any lower than my ears. Though I have grown those for kicks before:
I was asked by the director to grow them, though it looks to me like most Enjolras' are clean-shaven... to be hairy would kind of negate the feminine look that Hugo describes him as having, I think. I know Anthony Warlow had (obviously fake) sideburns to go with his inexplicably bad wig (especially odd considering he had a very full head of blonde hair at the time!). When I get my hair shaped before the show, I'll probably get it thinned out a bit so that it won't be too puffy. And I'm sure there will be a ton of disgusting product to keep it all in place. I dig the reference photos, Vanessa, thanks for indulging what probably sounded like a stupid question. Can't wait to wear that (hopefully not fuzzy) vest. I am so jazzed to be doing this show, and this role in particular. |
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| Brackynn |
We had a curly-haired, side-burned Enjy when I did Les Mis last year. On the left.
The director asked all the guys to grow their hair and sideburns. Some were more successful in the facial hair department than others. Case in point: Marius on the right. Some had beards rather than 'burns ... Valjean, Javert and Brujon, off the top of my head. And then there was this guy in the ensemble (Fauchelevent and the Army Officer)... 
But anyway. I'd check with the director, and if he or she gives you free reign, check with the other cast members. I can't think of any reason why Enjolras couldn't have sideburns... |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Sideburns are actually pretty standard for Enjolras in the musical, although not 100% required. I wish I could dig up a production photo of Victor Wallace, because he had some serious sideburns going. There are more photos of Aaron Lazar on his website if you want more shots of a curly-haired Enjolras. I wouldn't worry about capturing the "ethereally beautiful archangel of the Revolution" look; very few people can pull it off, and as far as being faithful to the book, I think the quiet smoldering intensity is more important than the pretty-pretty anyway. 
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| Timmerbo |
Well, the quiet smoldering intensity part goes without saying, but I'm also not going to try and look too butch, you know? I can see why few people pull it off as you say... 'Beautiful' isn't really an actable thing, and 'ethereally beautiful archangel of the Revolution' is even less so. |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
There's a giant One Day More photo on his terrible website: http://victorwallace.com/images/victor_wallace_gallery.htm |
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| hazellwood |
Go with the sideburns and just make sure you don't have stubble. Really, though, the fact that you care enough to come here and ask about it says a lot. Just go with what feels natural for the character-- as long as you can pull it off with personality and stage presence, then looks don't really matter. And I don't think any actor has completely pulled off Brick!Enjolras, although some people have come close. (I am referring, of course, to Drew Sarich and Simon Bailey.) That was a joke. |
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| Eppie-Sue |
Actually, you can't make Enjolras in the musical work if you play him 100% according to the book. That way you can only please the hardcore book fans, and that's the smallest percentage of the audience. There are things that simply don't work at all. Just like a Final Battle that went according to the end of Enjolras and Grantaire ("Orestes Fasting and Pylades Drunk") wouldn't work dramatically.
You can base everything you are on stage on the book, something that is very hard but certainly achievable, and you can make the background of the book work on stage and transform and adapt it by giving the character substance that everyone will understand, so that even those who don't know anything about the book or the context will still go away with the impression that they understood it all and understood it correctly, but it's impossible to put the epitome of Enjolras in the book (and just that) on stage without confusing the audience and losing everything you need Enjolras to have to be relateable and likeable, because after all, this is a musical. I think it's amazing when actors try and put thought into their performance instead of choosing the easy route, and I agree that the fact that you asked shows a lot of effort and commitment. Oh and AFAIK Warlow had the wig and the sideburns to make him look more like Maguire. |
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| Laurelin |
It always makes me laugh reading all the various reasons I have seen posted over the years about why Anthony Warlow wore a wig as Enjolras.
The real reason is that Trevor Nunn looked at the original Australian cast, decided that there were too many blonds and so gave Anthony a dark wig to make him stand out. Nothing more to it than that
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| Quique |
Rofl. XD But it's true, it is a bit...plain. Although I must say the first head shot pic of his totally made up for his C-grade site. <3 And that "One Day More" pic has always struck me as odd. I mean, the cast looks lovely but it appears as if there is a big, white, lone spotlight shining down on them, when in reality, that scene famously uses a row of lights that are located right below that overhanging layer of the set (hard to describe but most of you who've seen it 545455 times should know what I'm talking about). It almost looks as though they've photoshopped that in. Unless the pic was taken literally seconds before the end of the number, which does feature a brighter white light that's higher up above the whole set. I'm probably confusing you all, lol. |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
Good point. It's pretty artificial-looking. There is an even worse one out there (I believe of this same cast) that looks like it was done after the second show of a two-show day and everyone looks like they'd rather be sitting in front of the TV with a nice Merlot. It used to be on Leslie Henstock's site, but not anymore. (It'll be my project to find it and post it now.)
EDIT: I found it. Nope, not the same cast. (I think this is the first post-hiatus cast.) And I love how they didn't even straighten it. 
Uploaded with ImageShack.us |
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| Quique |
Omg, that's freaky...they ALL have the exact same expression! XD | ||||
| Javvyshomegirl73 |
Oh.. Wow...That is freaky..
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| Timmerbo |
A few girls in the cast were debating whether I grew the sideburns for the part or if I always wore them. 6 days 'til we open, and they look pretty decent, though I definitely favour the one on the left side of my face. I will be filling the other one out with eyeliner in the show. | ||||
| PureDiamondLight |
That made me laugh. Thanks for cheering me up!!
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