Top Five Roles: Andrew Rannells

Except for the possible exception of season 2 of Girls5eva, which is premiering tomorrow, I’m all caught on Andrew Rannells’s stage, TV, and film career! If he pops up in more Girls5eva episodes, I’ll review those starting next week, but today, I’m looking back at my favorites. Rannells has done some terrific work on a number of characters, and he’s pretty much always great in everything he does. For me, though, these are the cream of the crop.

 

 

Elder Price, The Book of Mormon

Of course, the role that launched Rannells into stardom.  Rannells is delightfully funny as this very earnest but very self-impressed Mormon missionary, an early chance for him to show off his talent for playing the most absurd lines with complete sincerity.  And his singing is just phenomenal here; naturally, this was my first time hearing his voice, and he blew me away.

 

 

Elijah Krantz, Girls

Elijah is ludicrous and terrible, and I adore him.  There’s his bitchy pettiness, his near-total self-absorption, and his aimless hedonism, mixed with oodles of confidence, surprising flashes of vulnerability, and his own weirdly-unexpected brand of loyalty.  Every ridiculous thing that comes out of his mouth is gold, and in Rannells’s hands, the character constantly pops onscreen.

 

Bryan Collins, The New Normal

This isn’t the only time Rannells has played a character that could’ve easily felt like a tired stereotype in lesser hands, but it’s one of my favorites.  Rannells adds just enough of a knowing wink to Bryan’s vanity to make it work, and he sells the silliest lines with aplomb.  Even though the show’s “lesson” moments can be way overwritten, Rannells plays them with honesty and sensitivity, really making them land.  Also, he plays off of Justin Bartha wonderfully; Bryan and David are still one of my absolute favorite fictional same-sex couples.

 

 

Whizzer, Falsettos

I feel like the strong drama of the second act is what gets the brunt of the praise with this role, and to be sure, “You Gotta Die Sometime” is incredible.  But really, I think this performance is, on the whole, more complex than it might seem at first glance.  I’m so glad that Live from Lincoln Center recorded this revival so I could see the layers that Rannells brings to Whizzer.  There are times when he leans into the shallow pretty-boy label, times when you know he’s putting it on to avoid something deeper, times when he chafes against it, and times – often when no one onstage is looking – that he shows the audience he’s more than that.  If it weren’t for “The Games I Play,” I might never have started The Book of Rannells.

 

 

Blair Pfaff, Black Monday

Honestly, I debated between The Boys in the Band and Big Mouth as well for this final spot, which was a good problem to have: basically anything in which Rannells has a major role feels like it ought to be a Top Five contender. In the end, though, I had to go with Black Monday for several reasons. 1) Rannells’s impeccable comedic chemistry with Don Cheadle and Regina Hall. 2) The seamless way he vibes with the chaotic, vulgar absurdity of the show’s sense of humor. And 3) The unexpected moments of depth he brings to Blair, someone who could’ve easily been a pretty ridiculous character.