19,659 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 20, 2016 23:20:02 GMT
The body of work may be impressive, or maybe they had just one massive hit show. The reputations are huge but how much of it is/was just fabulous style over very little substance? A few suggestions: Elaine Stritch (God rest that woman's soul) Michael Crawford Judi Dench Hugh Jackman Carole Channing Twiggy Richard Gere I have a few more but fear being run out of town if I say them  . Dare me? |
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571 posts
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Post by westendwendy on Sept 20, 2016 23:34:11 GMT
Sheriden Smith
Oliver (Rhoe) Thornton
Graham Norton (even he will agree)
Claire Sweeny
Sian Phillips
Cilla Black (marmite to many RIP)
Amanda Holden
Sarah Harding
and many more - they aren't singers such as Kimberly Walsh!
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Post by d'James on Sept 20, 2016 23:50:26 GMT
This will be an interesting thread. I can't think of any actors or actresses I've thought were bad singers on stage. I've seen some I thought were better than others, but that's it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 1:31:38 GMT
Easy. Glenn Close.
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Post by d'James on Sept 21, 2016 1:46:08 GMT
Oh, and by the way BurlyBeaR, yeah I dare you!!!!! |
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Post by Seriously on Sept 21, 2016 1:54:06 GMT
Michael Greco.
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194 posts
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Post by thebearofwestend on Sept 21, 2016 2:38:23 GMT
The body of work may be impressive, or maybe they had just one massive hit show. The reputations are huge but how much of it is/was just fabulous style over very little substance? A few suggestions: Elaine Stritch (God rest that woman's soul) Michael Crawford Judi Dench Hugh Jackman Carole Channing Twiggy Richard Gere I have a few more but fear being run out of town if I say them . Dare me? Compared to all the singers in the industry today. Broadway talent are much better than anyone that has a record deal then anyone I have ever heard. I have always considered Broadway one of the few places to have real talent. Rather than auto-tuned crap Actually all of those actress/actors can sing. What is the point of this thread ? For instance why on earth does Katy Perry or John Newman have a record deal ? |
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471 posts
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 21, 2016 2:39:04 GMT
Actually, Hugh Jackman was a musicals man long before Wolverine.
He made his name her in Oz in shows like Beauty & the Beast and Sunset Boulevarde , then went on to do Oklahoma for the NT. in London.
I've seen him in concert - he not only sings he dances too!
BTW - if you don't like Hugh you may want to steer clear of his new musical about PT Barnum!
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194 posts
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Post by thebearofwestend on Sept 21, 2016 2:39:10 GMT
Sheriden Smith Rhoe Thornton Graham Norton (even he will agree) Claire Sweeny Sian Phillips Cilla Black (marmite to many RIP) Amanda Holden Sarah Harding and many more - they aren't singers such as Kimberly Walsh! Sheridan Smith and the Olivier Committee might disagree with that. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 7:40:42 GMT
There's a big difference between a Singer and Someone Who Can Put Across A Tune.
Sometimes the latter is far better suited to a song or an actual role, like Michael Crawford whose Phantom has never been bettered, for me. When I heard EP play his Gethsemane last Sunday, I'd agree: he's no singer. (He was perfect for Billy though. Cheeky chappy etc)
Judi Dench- there's another one. We all love her Clowns, and to some it will remain the definitive version, but we know it was written for someone who wasn't a singer as such, so that's okay too. (A quick listen to her Don't Tell Mama on the OLC recording of Cabaret will confirm she's no singer. And we all know that if she hadn't had an accident during the rehearsals of Cats, Memory will have been a distant memory, and the history of the whole show might have been completely different...)
Glenn Close last year. Perfect for the role of Norma. I wouldn't want to hear her in anything else I don't think.
Sheila Hancock, Angela Lansbury... more "character singers" than singers to me. (Sheila Hancock was one of the best Mrs Lovetts in Sweeney Todd in my opionion, and Angela Lansbury's Beauty And The Beast is sheer perfection!) I don't remember Diana Rigg being marvellous at singing in Follies at the Shaftesbury.
And then there's a whole bunch of TV "personalities" who have kept Chicago limping along in the West End and on tour. (Sacrilege! This show is worth so much more.) They can't sing. But I don't think the thread was about this lot really...
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19,659 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 21, 2016 10:09:34 GMT
Sometimes the latter is far better suited to a song or an actual role, like Michael Crawford whose Phantom has never been bettered, for me. When I heard EP play his Gethsemane last Sunday, I'd agree: he's no singer. (He was perfect for Billy though. Cheeky chappy etc) I agree, I love Michael Crawford as the Phantom (from the OCR I mean, I never saw it) but it still sounds like a person acting the part of being a great singer rather than a natural thing. I thing he's said as much himself, and that the effort of doing that along with the rest of it too its toll physically. Then after POTO he was suddenly this huge musical theatre star, many albums were released, loads of appearances singing on tv and yet his voice is decidedly average at best. I also have a theory that the very slow, deliberate, OTT theatrical movements we see employed by people playing Phantom to this very day were probably devised (in part at least) to cover up Michaels natural stance which is, let's face it, Frank Spencer. If you watch the Barnum video on YouTube you cannot but help see and hear Frank Spencer repeatedly, which means that slightly fey knock-kneed thing is actually Crawford himself. That would be a disaster for the character of the Phantom, so it was heavily and deliberately disguised. Brilliant characterisation. This is what I meant in my original post by fabulous style (the whole package) over little substance (the voice). |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 10:18:57 GMT
Judi Dench can put across more emotion in one crack of her very limited vocal range than an entire pack of Elphabas bellowing their way through the 'Wicked' score with nary a hint of character so I know who I'd rather see and hear though.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 10:26:37 GMT
I'd argue that they can all sing. I've heard performers who don't have the technique to put across the singing part, or the acting part, or who are clearly having a bad health day, or whose range is limited (some more than others), but I've never heard one that just plain cannot hold a tune full stop. There's different levels of "being able to sing" after all. I can point to dozens of tuneless wonders in my everyday life, but if I've ever seen one on stage, then they were clearly very sensibly appearing in a play rather than a musical.  |
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 21, 2016 12:15:20 GMT
No one's singing compares to George Clooney's. I rest my case.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Sept 21, 2016 12:20:56 GMT
Cynthia Erivo - she said it herself.
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573 posts
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Post by Dave25 on Sept 21, 2016 12:41:39 GMT
Hugh Jackman. Everything he does sounds like a parody, extremely unnatural, like he is imitating what he thinks Broadway should sound like, and taking the piss. Every note that is supposed to be soft, or with finesse, or filmic, or real/truthful, is a loud disingenuous trainwreck with him. Reaching for the backrow, even if there isn't one. Combined with very poor technique and abysmal timing of words and syllables. And last but not least, too long and fake vibrato on the exact wrong syllables, constantly, makes him the person this thread is about.
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836 posts
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Post by duncan on Sept 21, 2016 12:42:06 GMT
Lee Marvin
Clint Eastwood
In terms of people I've seen live, Maureen Lipman wasn't to my taste. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 21, 2016 14:43:52 GMT
Judi Dench can put across more emotion in one crack of her very limited vocal range than an entire pack of Elphabas bellowing their way through the 'Wicked' score with nary a hint of character so I know who I'd rather see and hear though. AMEN |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 17:19:37 GMT
Judi Dench can put across more emotion in one crack of her very limited vocal range than an entire pack of Elphabas bellowing their way through the 'Wicked' score with nary a hint of character so I know who I'd rather see and hear though. AMEN Do wonder what her Memory would have been like. Did she ever record it in the end? I guess not and we will never know! |
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Post by universetipping on Sept 21, 2016 17:28:11 GMT
Cynthia Erivo - she said it herself. She makes Geri Halliwell sound good. |
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Sept 21, 2016 17:54:25 GMT
Cynthia Erivo - she said it herself. She makes Geri Halliwell sound good. You sure you don't have misunderstood my post? |
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Post by theatremadness on Sept 21, 2016 20:16:52 GMT
She makes Geri Halliwell sound good. You sure you don't have misunderstood my post? I think universetipping understood - it's a line in that song!!  |
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240 posts
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Post by Anniek on Sept 21, 2016 20:25:10 GMT
He probably can sing, but Michael Colbourne as Enjolras was 90% of the time off key in all the appearances I saw him
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Post by mrtumnus on Sept 21, 2016 21:04:23 GMT
Jason Donovan -- yet he still gets work!!! Wonder if he'll be in the Kylie Musical?
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194 posts
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Post by thebearofwestend on Sept 21, 2016 21:50:38 GMT
Idina Menzel
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. Dare me? 
