Well, there never was a hat!

February 25, 2017 11:19 AM

As Jake Gyllenhaal begins his stint as the lead in Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George, he's posted on Facebook a video of him singing Finishing The Hat, filmed by Cary Fukunaga. [Ed note: I think he does a pretty good job!]
posted by hippybear (21 comments total)

This is good.
posted by He Is Only The Imposter at 12:38 PM on February 25, 2017

He's going the distance. He's going for ... a hat. She's all alone (all alone) in her time of, uh, that.
posted by otherchaz at 12:49 PM on February 25, 2017 [5 favorites]

We saw the show a few months ago at Encores! Jake is wonderful.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:51 PM on February 25, 2017

I hope they do a cast album. I have Mandy Patinkin burned into my brain, and would welcome a new interpretation.
posted by hippybear at 1:01 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Ahhhhhhh. Good God. It looks like the run ends before I'll be out there this spring. Such a shonda; I would go see this in a hot second.
posted by limeonaire at 1:26 PM on February 25, 2017

Patinkin's version, for contrast. I know Patinkin's was how Sondheim wanted it, and it is indeed amazing, but I think I might take Gyllenhaal's understated tenor if I had to choose right now.
posted by limeonaire at 1:56 PM on February 25, 2017 [4 favorites]

I was sort of wondering if Gyllenhaal was performing for a mike instead of for the hall, and if his voice could fill the hall without assistance.
posted by hippybear at 1:58 PM on February 25, 2017

But roomthreeseventeen could answer that!
posted by hippybear at 1:58 PM on February 25, 2017

I think the last line might be "Where there never was a hat"?
posted by skwt at 2:01 PM on February 25, 2017 [8 favorites]

I can take or leave Jake in movies, mostly, but I saw him in a play with Ruth Wilson a while back and he has a pretty great stage presence. I would love to see this, but imagine tickets will he a hassle.
posted by old_growler at 2:29 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

That was Nick Payne's Constellations, Growler, and I agree. Jake was the best thing to watch, by a mile, in a so-so play. I was both surprised and impressed.
posted by rokusan at 3:40 PM on February 25, 2017

I love this show, and I think he has the potential to be good in it, and he certainly has the right intensity. But even just from that piece - he pales next to what Patinkin was able to do. I can make room for a less-perfect tenor in the role, but Gyllenhaal doesn't have the breath or the control, either - in a show about artistic obsession, you want an actor who feels like they genuinely sweat the details. Or I do.

But I'm coming in pre-biased.
posted by Mchelly at 5:00 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

And if we're doing comparisons, this is the Mandy Patinkin performance I would link to.
posted by Mchelly at 5:03 PM on February 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

Jake earned my eternal admiration with his riveting and heartfelt, live performance of a Broadway classic during the opening monologue of his 2006 SNL hosting gig. If you have never seen it, do yourself a favor ... watch this.
posted by pjsky at 5:35 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Lyric is "Where there never was a hat;" title of post should be same.
posted by tzikeh at 7:54 PM on February 25, 2017

In 30 years of listening to this musical and watching the American Playhouse filming of it, I've never once read the lyrics, and I had no idea.

I'm okay with keeping the title of the post as is, though.
posted by hippybear at 8:23 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

I can't listen to Patinkin's version without getting misty. Jake's version got me pretty darn close. I'll take it.
posted by vverse23 at 11:09 PM on February 25, 2017

Oh wow, Mchelly, that casts a different light on it. Patinkin's original performance of that in the actual show was just above and beyond. He trembles!
posted by limeonaire at 11:16 PM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Lovely! Thanks for sharing.
posted by pangolin party at 6:02 AM on February 26, 2017

One of my favorite songs of all time. Was worried this wouldn't be good but he is great!
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:36 AM on February 26, 2017

This is good. Now what are we going to do about that awful second act?
posted by Optamystic at 4:33 AM on February 27, 2017