Raúl Esparza - "Simple Joys" from Pippin

[InspectorKaramazov]

I do love this man. :D

[IndeeRockFan]

he's good realy good but ben vereen is still the best pippin

[TheUnitedPlayers]

@IndeeRockFan too bad ben vereen wasnt pippin, he was the leading player

[RentandWicked]

i love his voice

[aberdeenrob]

good song

[stormnmormon1]

AMAZING!

[mysterywhiteboy41]

One day...he'll playing judas. ANd I will be very happy.

[ttb3090]

@mysterywhiteboy41 I'd KILL to see him as Judas!

[tet43]

Let's face it, this song, as is, is more than a little dated. Though i find him too mannered and self-conscious for my taste, i applaud him for trying to make the song relevant.

[CArownny]

@tet43 I fail to see how this song is dated. It's just simple acoustics and latin infused percussion, it's not like there aren't songs like this anymore stylistically. The lyrics aren't old-fashioned sounding nor do they reference anything that would be considered outdated.

What exactly is dated about it, in your opinion?

[tet43]

@CArownny Like they say "Perception is everything". Lyrics aren't dated? (Wouldn't you rather be a left handed flea, or a crab,on a slab, at the bottom of the sea?)These types of nonsensical lyrics were very prevalent in 70's pop music.Also, much of the mindset ofthe 70's was about self-exploration. That's what this entire show is about.The acoustic guitar and the earnestness of the song seem naive and simplistic to me today.I can, however, see how to a 17 yr old, it can seem fresh.

[tet43]

@CArownny Just to further my point, I was commending Raul Esparza for his rougher and edgier version. If you watch Ben Vereen's performance of how the song is actually intended to be performed, I think you might better understand my position.

[HaroldRosenfeld]

Terrible ending. Idiot decided to ruin this nice little song by showing off how good he is at screaming. I don't care how many Tonys he's won, that was still completely unnecessary.

[BrittanyHartzer]

wow.... worst ending to that song EVER!!!!!!!!!! How sad that he felt the need to scream the most vocally interesting moment of that song.....

[singforyoursupper]

I like the ending. It's cool, if not exactly um, vocally healthy.

[Rudziewicz]

Well, don't tell humbugfoto1 that or he'll call you a moron and give you a thumbs down.

[IWATCHER21]

They should make a Broadway Revival of Pippin to star Raul as the Leading Player. He would finally win a Tony as the Player.

[Rudziewicz]

Cannot. Stop. Watching. I <3 Raul Esparza.

[AstringOfPoloponies]

Ben Vareen would be proud. Excellent.

[ramsesthethird2]

Can't stop listening over and over and over again. what an amazing voice.. Wooooooooo. I need a slap on the face.... this is amazing

I love Raul.. he is talent on feet....

thank you so much for this awesome video

[pumpkinheadedmf]

Man, he just goes balls out with everything he does.

I love this man.

[Rudziewicz]

He'll probably have no voice in 5 more years, but who cares?

[humbugfoto1]

You're a moron. This was recorded OVER five years ago and he's singing better now that he was back then!

[Rudziewicz]

Clearly the art of hyperbole is lost on you.

[chudwizer]

Man, Raul is a beast! He demolishes the recording on ITunes!

[hochgirl96]

how i love raul.

how i love ben vereen!

[theothercullen17]

wow, i just finished being one of three leading players when my school did pippin last month and we can only wish we did the song this well

[SigLNY]

One of Raul's best moments! No small praise that.

[cwsreddy]

i'd still take ben vereen. any day.

[mozurkz]

Vereen was a very talented performer, but Esparza breaths some much-needed life into this piece- he actually articulates the meaning of the song, while Vereen just kinda sang it.

[djcrowbar]

You're hilariously wrong. Ben Vereen created this song and character. I liked Esparza in cabaret but he doesn't even hold a candle to Ben Vereen...in my opinion. I'm sure in Esparza's opinion too

[SweeneyTodd109]

Wow...

Sing it Raul!

[jessedontcuss]

this is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I had to listen to it over and over again on his website, and then I found it here. Thank you.

[radish95]

He is very talented, but his voice will be shot in 5 more years. He has no idea what he is doing. He is lucky he is a natural tenor and can get away with what he does. He needs to pay serious attention to how he uses his voice or he is facing major pitch problems and will not be able to act like he wants to.

[humbugfoto1]

You're so wrong. This video was shot in June of 2004. It is now almost 5 years later, and not only is his voice NOT shot, he's singing better than ever.

[cuicuimusic]

what you hear as roughness, is not forcely pure roughness. good metal singer or blues singer get that rough sound by getting their cartillage to vibrate (rather than erm mucus) which is why a random guy doing would be killing his voice and them not.

and i'm singing quite a lot, but always with a clean voice because i just can't do that rough/healthy thing but i know nonetheless that it exists !

[seoul588]

Yeah, I watch it at least 5 times a week. I'd love to get this on my ipod. Raúl, if you're out there - shoot me your address and I'll send you $5 and you email me the song. Got it? I'll double it if you sing the entire Pippin album. Do some Godspell, Wicked, and a couple other Stephen Schwartz numbers and I'll buy you a car.

[Fanchkids]

Haha I'm being a stickler here but that'd probably be against Actors Equity rules. lol

I want the saaaaame thing though.

[seoul588]

How about he puts it on iTune? I checked, it ain't there - very disappointing!

[wrightstateboy45]

he's like the male version of julia murney! luv em both!

[darthmimi]

I just love him. I know he's less conventional than Ben Vereen, but I really love this version. Even if he over-rocks it just a little sometimes. But I love it anyway.

[jsct66]

WOW!

[seoul588]

Wow, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. My favorite show of all time and a fab rendition.

[salut89]

Wow, this is great. I love it! :D Keep playing this over and over again

[ksnygirl]

I love Raul!!!!!!!

I wonder if Ben Vereen has ever heard this...Raul has to be his heir to the role.

[seoul588]

This guy is awesome, but my vote for that role would be Jesse L. Martin. Can this guy dance?

[ksnygirl]

do you have a clip of Jesse doing this song? I think he's great and I'd love to hear him.

[seoul588]

Unfortunately not - not sure he's ever done it. I'd love to have a copy of this version for my ipod, perfect for a run. Do you think it exists anywhere?

[ksnygirl]

sorry, I don't think so...

[HollyJL13]

God Damn!!! That is GREAT!

[RudyGbos]

WARNING....DO NOT PLAY BEFORE BED!!!!!

You will never get to sleep, if you keep watching Raul. He's a one-man "I love NY" campaign. Can't wait to see him in 'Speed-the-Plow' As my friend in Miami says: Broadway is off-the-hook! Thanks, Raul!!!

[SAfan33]

LOL when i first found this i watched it all the time

[blackpython]

THANK YOU! This disappeared off of Youtube so long ago and it's my favorite thing Raul has ever done!

[BroadwayFairy]

I love you Raul!

[RudyGbos]

Why is yet another Esparza video removed?

The "Help is on the Way" video also went the way of the dodo!! Where else can they be found?

[ThexLastxCall]

Wow... this is AMAZING.

[SAfan33]

oh how i love him is so amazing to watch

[flightoficarus89]

get in my bed raul !

[stevieort]

Thanks so much for sharing this! What a performance!!

[Morikumo]

HOLY COW! THANK YOU!

[SazRipe]

I love him :)

[psfirst]

Did he ever play the Ben Vereen part in a PIPPIN production? It almost seems so from his passion in this number.

[BroadwayFairy]

PIPPIN hasn't been revived yet, so I don't believe so. I bet when it does get revived, he will get this part, or the part of Pippin himself.

[Deppsangle]

ohhh love him!

thank you for postingg!!

[hellojeremy]

AH LOVE IT.

pippin and raul. cant get much better.

[Morikumo]

Amen to that!

[EmoLestat]

HOLY SHIT HES AMAZING

[agdb721]

Thank you for posting this !!! :D