The "Idina Hands"- Page 4
The "Idina Hands"
Falsettoland
Leading Actor Joined: 2/19/05
#75re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/14/05 at 10:45pm
You are now my hero. I swear it strikes fear into my heart.
I'm like "Honey, you might not be going anywhere but I am RUNNING. LIKE. HELL".
"We are engaged in two wars, one on drugs and one on terror, that can never be won. I mean, one is a group of inanimate objects and the other is an emotion. We might as well fight a war on pasta, which I guess the Atkins people are actually doing."
#76re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 12:01am
of course, I may be stating the obvious here (which I do tend to do alot..) but part of the giant mouths is make up.
Watch an old black and white horror movie sometime, and you'll see that the people who have to scream and look scared have really dark lipstick on and thick eyeliner. This is to give the mouth and eyes the appearance of being bigger. Also, the lip line is covered up, and moved upward, so you're wearing lipstick about a few millimeters upwards over the lipline..and the mouth thusly look bigger.
This has spread into stage makeup also. If you look at the pictures of Idina, she usually has on really dark lipstick. She does have a huge freakin' mouth, but I'm just saying is all.
Was that a fat joke?
#77re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 12:07am
"She does have a huge freakin' mouth, but I'm just saying is all."
Your "saying" was pretty pointless because Idina does have a giagantic, beautiful mouth...
Derek
Broadway Star Joined: 9/14/03
#78re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 2:52pmIdk, everyone always talks about how Idina screams and is such a bad actress. How did she star in Wicked then...and win the Tony? Looking at past Tony winners, it def. has to do with talent. And all I know is that when someone stubs their toe and screams or gets scared, it is not as pretty as what comes out of that girls mouth lol.
Joshua488
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
#79re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:01pm
Okay, it's not screaming, like, "OWW!". It's more of a yell. It's definitely not singing. Singing isn't supposed to sound forced and painful. Her triumphant Elphie War Cry at the very end of "Defying Gravity" was definitely not sung... it was yelled.
I like the yelled Elphie War Cry... it fits in the context of the situation. But when I look at it from the perspective of singing ability, I don't like it anymore.
Updated On: 4/15/05 at 03:01 PM
Derek
Broadway Star Joined: 9/14/03
#80re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:09pmidk, maybe. im not completely dissagreeing. I personally like shoshanas ending of it better, she def. sings it.
#81re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:37pmwow i really enjoy reading threads like this. people have so much to criticize about. "she can't sing. she can't dance. she can't act." maybe i agree, but i haven't been in numerous broadway shows, i haven't won a tony award, and i'm not currently filming a major motion picture (as a lead), and as far as i know neither are any of you. maybe you really don't think she has any talent, or maybe you're jealous. think before you open your mouth (no pun intended).
"Sometimes bad things happen to good people and sometimes bad things happen to you."
#82re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:40pmI like the hands and the mouth thing! that's funny!
you say i'm weird! look at everyone you're sitting with! and hey, those guys over there just threw napkins up in the air like they were on something! it's contajous! you can't help it!
#83re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:40pmJessica Simpson has a huge mouth, too. As does Alanis Morisette....
There's always room for pathos - and jazz hands.
#84re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:46pm
Lots of Broadway actresses have huge mouths...
Idina Menzel
Marin Mazzie
Rachel York
Patti LuPone
To name a few. I'm in trouble then, 'cause my mouth ain't so big...
~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~
#85re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 3:55pmYeah Patti's is pretty big, but all of them have big mouths and big voices. Funny huh?
you say i'm weird! look at everyone you're sitting with! and hey, those guys over there just threw napkins up in the air like they were on something! it's contajous! you can't help it!
#86re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 4:04pmI can't speak for everyone, boreddentalstudent, but I'm not criticizing. It's just a comment, that some of these people have huge mouths. I happen to think most/all of them are brilliant. Relax.
There's always room for pathos - and jazz hands.
#87re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 4:15pmI have never found her Elphaba to sound pushed or like it was causing pain in her voice. And I have to say it. Talent is subjective, just because someone doesn't like her doesn't mean she is a bad actress and just because some one does like her doesn't make her good. It is subjective and with all the actors on this page you would think people would be kinder. At least she is working in the field and making a name for herself, which is more that most of you can say for yourself.
"You know just because you put a smiley face after it doesn't change the fact that it was an a-hole comment." ~ Sumofallthings
BroadwayGirl107
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/26/03
#88re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 4:16pm
I find a couple of things amusing. One being that people complain about Idina's hand movements.I can't help but thinking of all the people I've seen on Broadway who completely overact. And if Idina overuses hand gestures, Shoshana is the QUEEN of it.
The other thing is people saying that Idina screams. I can't help but thinking of Ethel Merman every time someone says that, because to me...THAT's a hell of a lot closer to screaming than anything I've ever heard Idina do.
#89re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 6:49pmsorry for my previous comment. although i think i still believe it, i was in a bad mood and i took it out on the message boards of broadwayworld.com. anyway, i realized just how much enjoyment i get out of the differing opinions on this site, and i'm not going to get self-rightous ever again, especially to defend idina menzel's hands (or mouth). peace at last.
"Sometimes bad things happen to good people and sometimes bad things happen to you."
#90re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 6:55pm
Idina is talented, and I could only hope that I could sing like her (she's on sort of the lower end of my want-to-have-voice, though)...but she's not a triple threat. But the musicals that's she been in haven't really given her a chance to portray all three elements at once.
Her acting is not amazing, but she's not known for her performance, like Bernadette. She's known for her powerhouse pipes.
And the hands thing...I think...I dunno. But it's something to do with the character, I think. Because many performers who play Elphaba tend to do that. I think it was mentioned before that it was supposed to portay the connection between the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz and Elphaba.
This is my signature.
Starburst
Understudy Joined: 2/27/05
#91re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 7:17pm
"Yeah Patti's is pretty big, but all of them have big mouths and big voices. Funny huh?"
Then you get Bernadette Peters with tiny, unopened mouth and very big voice that somehow manages to get out.
Crazy hands.
#92re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 8:13pmThe Hand Thing is simply amusing, if nothing else.
~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~
Emmy1234
Swing Joined: 4/9/05
#93re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 8:53pm
My friend who knows nothing of Rent or Broadway saw the cover of my Rent recording and the first thing she said was "I love looking at that girl's tongue and inner mouth." I started cracking up when I saw the pictures of her mouth.
I think that it's fine that she does the same thing with her hands. It's the same thing as someone repeating a whole bunch of hand gestures when they talk. It's just a habit. At least she's showing more emotion than standing with her hands straight down.
#94re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/15/05 at 11:17pmBroadwayGirl107, I totally agree with you!
you say i'm weird! look at everyone you're sitting with! and hey, those guys over there just threw napkins up in the air like they were on something! it's contajous! you can't help it!
BwayLeadman
Broadway Star Joined: 9/29/04
#95re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/16/05 at 4:37pm
Back to the hands
+++++++++++++++++++++
Idina Menzel- "I can ugh. I can ugh. I can ugh, ugh ugh, that won't get me demands! So I ugh and I ugh. I can ugh, ugh, ugh, but I do it with my hands"
- Inspired by GYPSY (gotta get a gimmick)
Maybe thats ger gimmick. lol. : )
#96re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/16/05 at 4:45pmShe's hot and talented - she can "yell" at me anyday!
deevine_idina
Swing Joined: 4/20/05
#97re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/20/05 at 11:14am
I agree! I think we need to start a new topic bc this is getting old. Idina is one of the most AMAZING actresses I've seen. She brings the Elphaba we know and love from the book to the stage. I have seen Eden & Shoshana perform in the roles and they do a very good job, but there is something about Idina that makes the character complete. Her voice is unbelievable! She works hard to be able to perform the way she does. As for her mannerisms, everyone has their quirks. I would rather have someone be animated and enjoy what they are doing than see a robot perform. It makes her entertaining. She's out there doing what she loves and having the time of her life. So, if we could kindly stop bashing her supposed "lack of talent" it would be greatly appreciated.
elphaba.scares.me
Broadway Star Joined: 10/23/04
#98re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/20/05 at 11:56am
Okay, you don't have to like everyone who wins, but to say the Tonys have nothing to do with talent is idiotic. I mean, seriously.
#99re: The 'Idina Hands'
Posted: 4/20/05 at 12:56pm
Of course they have to do with talent, that's not the point. It's difficult to be on Broadway, let alone be nominated for an award and be completely devoid of talent. You may not have a lot of it, but you've got to have some. The awards are certainly about having talent, but not necessarily always about the "best" performance. After all, best is totally subjective.
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