Alice Ripley in Next to Normal in Los Angeles- Page 2

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 2:46pm

Who is bashing Alice?

It's the truth that she has had major vocal problems with this score. It's no secret. I still love her performance though.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 2:59pm

"When someone dicontructs on stage"


Huh?

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:06pm

I think it was all the rain in LA. Did a number on my singing voice, that's for sure. Can't imagine how low the morale amongst the cast must have been, slogging through all that rain.

[KA2007]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:08pm

lol...deconstructs...oops!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:44pm

but her vowel formation and placement is just SO WEIRD

It always has been. I found that to be the most distracting aspect of the show. I adored it, though. I went in knowing nothing about the show and for me, it was magical. I just loved the f*cked up characters trying to get through another day dealing with crap no one likes to talk about. I don't know why I loved it so much, but I am SO thankful I got to see it.

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 6:23pm

I saw Next to Normal in NYC more than a year ago and at the Ahmanson a couple of weeks ago.

While I am a fan of Alice's I thought her voice was definitely strained and not as good as it was when I saw the show on Broadway. One of my friends who had seen the show in NYC said the exact same thing.

Emma was fantastic and vocally stronger than Jennifer
Asa was good, but I prefer Bobby
Curt was also a strong Gabe, but again I prefer Aaron and Kyle
Preston did an excellent job as Henry.
Jeremy was fantastic as the Doctors.

[bk]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 9:02pm

"Curt...I like him, I've seen him do great work...he has a ways to go still with Gabe. But, I think he'll grow into the role nicely. He seems to still be figuring out Gabe's physicality, which is leading to some indicating in his acting. Vocally, he was fine, but not exceptional. His tone was a bit thin and reedy (bordering on nasal), but he hit his notes and did a KILLER high B at the end of I'm Alive. It's just NOT a performer-friendly score, especially for Gabe."

Wow, all those acting class phrases really come in handy, don't they? I'm surprised you didn't throw in my favorite - "he's playing results."

Where you are correct is that it's not performer-friendly (the score). So many of today's writers have no idea how to write for the human voice - they just bang out notes and the performer be damned - not how Cole and Noel and Jule and others did it - they knew how to do it. And today especially with these freak belts they just keep pushing it higher and higher - I hate that screeching - it has no interest for me and it's showboating and a bore. I was talking to one of the great belters - Karen Morrow - and we agreed that it's screaming not belting.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 6:26am

Umm...I'm sorry my acting class lingo is off putting, but I was trying to contribute something beyond "he was okay".

As far as scores...it's a weird phenomenon...Someone with a ridiculous range originates a show and gets a score written for said range. Then, student singers spend hours and hours working on extending their ranges so they can play that role too. Then, all those students get out of college and start doing shows, which get written for their new giant ranges. It creates this strange positive feedback loop. Everyone thought Stephen Schwartz was insane for writing Elphaba the way he did, but...they keep finding girls to fill the role...because it's the new standard of training.

10/15 years ago, a woman belting a D was serious business. Now Ds are a dime a dozen and Fs are the new hot ticket.

I'm really waiting for the day when a Bway show has to change keys all over the place because they simply CAN'T FIND can't a replacement who can sing the role as written. It's going to happen.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 6:36pm

I know she signed up for the entire 36- weeks of the tour, but do you think that her voice can carry her there? And if she does leave would Pearl Sun replace her?

[bk]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 7:46pm

Before the day comes when they can't find the replacement, the day is going to come when a lot of female singers will have trashed their voices so badly that they will not have them anymore. A little of that crap goes a long way - everyone sounds the same today - it's ridiculous. Even a decade ago we still had unique to the performer voices. Not so much now - just a lot of caterwauling into the stratosphere where it loses all impact because it happens in every big number in a show.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 10:32pm

"loses all impact because it happens in every big number in a show."

I think that is another factor that pushes it higher and higher. If an E is expected nowadays then a composer writes in a G so it is more impressive and impactful. And the cycle continues like that.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 12/30/10 at 11:48pm

People like Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera,Carol Channing, Lansbury and Stritch would never stand a chance today. They never could really sing that well. Producers don't want personalities anymore. They want voices they can plug in and check once they have shredded them.

Once those ladies are gone Broadway will be starved for legends because no one is replacing them.

[KA2007]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 12:50pm

I caught the final L.A performance last night and I am happy to report that Alice's is voice was in Amazing shape. I don't know what happened (there were reports of her sounding strained and hoarse) but I guess not performing because of the New Year's day holiday made a HUGE difference. I was lucky to catch the show on opening night in L.A. as well, and I think that Alice sounded just as good last night. Everyone seems to be more comfortable in their roles so I think the rest of the tour will go well. If last night's performance was any indication of what is to come, I don't think that Pearl Sun will get a chance to go on as Diana. What a great final L.A. performance from the cast!

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:46am

I saw the closing night of the LA portion of the tour and also saw it earlier in the run. Despite having heard people complain about her vocals, I thought she was incredible both times. I was lucky enough to have really great (and close seats) both times and agree that what some might have found as vocal issues seemed from the close seats a result of her crying throughout much of the show. Really, I was blown away by her acting and had no problems at all with her singing. I can not even imagine someone could embody Diana in the way she does. To me, the character is imperfect and thus her goal is most likely not to sing it perfectly but to sing it as Diana would and I think what she is doing is really effective.

[steven22]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:53am

KA2007,

Pearl Sun will be on in the near future. I love Alice as Diana but she's going to need a break soon enough...time will tell...My guess is that it will be in the next few weeks..

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:42pm

We saw Alice in LA on Tuesday 11/21. (Rows K and L in the orchestra). We were concerned Ms. Ripley wouldn't make it to Chicago, so while out visiting relatives, we got single tix.

My daughter said Alice's placements were "different" and not as "clean" as on the OBCR. Still, my daughter thought that Alice was great. However, a person sitting next to her very much disliked the way Ms. Ripley sounded.

To me, seeing the show was so different from the OBCR - having everything in context and in a flow and seeing the actors act was just a different experience and a better one. Alice absolutely creates a full character that she inhabits throughout the show. The "pain" she communicates in her voice - singing and speaking - comes through. That said, her curtain call was kind of odd or different. She stepped forward with a sly smirk on her face, gave a little skip, and then left the stage with the cast.

However, Emma Hunton was amazing - and had the night's largest ovation. I thought Asa Somers was too young looking for Dan. Curt Hansen looked kind of "goofy" to start with, such that it wasn't a "shock" that he wasn't "alive". But, he grew on me. My daughter, on the other hand, thought he was "amahzing" and perfect. And my daughter is thrilled to finally understand the line "you're not a scary rock star anymore"

That said, I found the experience a little odd. I really appreciated the show, but didn't find myself drawn in. As such, I felt awkward and intrusive looking in on these people's lives. This may have been due to lack of sleep and driving through the rain to the theatre, but it's the way I felt leaving the theatre.

[shob]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 6:45pm

Uh oh! I have tickets for February 3rd in San Francisco. Alice is what I am looking forward to most (of course). I wouldn't mind her rough vocals. When she discusses figuring out Diana and going deeper with Diana, I REALLY have this need to witness her performance. It will be my first time seeing the show. Pearl has a tough job understudying Ripley. Hold good thoughts for me/Alice. I hope she keeps up her "momentum" until the San Francisco run.

[provocation]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 9:56pm

Whoever gave Ripley the o.k. to continue with the show made a poor decision. She is obviously having vocal troubles and as an audience member, it's difficult to sit through.

However, her performance is still glorious and shouldn't be missed. Just know that when you see the show with her, Diana may sound like a deaf person when she sings. :]

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:45am

Respectfully, I disagree. I really felt like her voice sounds healthy, it just seems to have a deeper placement (ack, that sounds weird but you guys know what I mean) than it did before.

As for seeing her in SF, I would guess that she isn't going to miss many shows there or anywhere else unless she gets sick or something. They seem to be billing the tour as "with Tony Award winning Alice Ripley" so I would guess that its a lot like the RENT tour with Anthony and Adam and they seemed to go on almost all of the time.

Also, as far as I know, she hasn't missed one yet. That said, I'm seeing it in San Diego in a few weeks and (like everytime I've seen the show) I am nervous that it might be the one night she's out.

[KA2007]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 12:42pm

steven22,
Like you, I am acutally interested in seeing what Pearl might do with Diana. As on B'way with Jessica, you get a different take and most of the time, a more subtle and nuanced version of Diana. I do hope she gets a chance to go on as I'm sure it would be frustrating to tour for a year and not be heard.

[Popular]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 12:58pm

Pearl and I went to high school together. Would have LOVED to see her go on as well!! Hope she gets a chance to, but soooo proud of her either way.
Updated On: 1/5/11 at 12:58 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:18pm

I saw Ripley in previews in NY, and she was already singing flat anytime she went past the first break (around G). Add to that her strange pseudo-rock nasal placement, and it made a really unpleasant listening experience to this musician. However, many other people don't know flat from sharp from on pitch, so they couldn't care less, as long as they feel they're getting a "soulful" rendition. This is also why Tonya Pinkins ripped her voice to shreds during the relatively brief run of Caroline or Change.

Bruce above has called it right - a lot of composers today write for screamers, not singers. But the public who call for screaming (and who find musical education annoying and unnecessary) are more to blame than the writers.

[provocation]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:17pm

s.e.s.2 If you think she sounds healthy, you're delusional. She doesn't sound like she'll make it through the show. Her voice will be non-existent after this tour. I've overheard many audience members comment on the state of Alice Ripley's voice and it's been overwhelmingly negative. My mom, a former Maggie on an A Chorus Line tour, was commenting on Ms. Ripley's voice and performance and stating it was her least favorite partt of the performance we saw.

I'm sorry--audiences are not quite as receptive to her performance as we had hoped.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:51am

I just got in from press night for the show in Denver (Their actual opening night was last night but we were informed that they didn't want press there) I am most likely reviewing it so I won't say too much. It has been a while since I listened to the OBCR. It sounds like Ms. Ripley is singing in a lower register and some of her vocals are missed or overpowered by the other cast members. A few semi flat notes. One in particular in the scene where she is walking out near the end. But as far as acting goes, she nails it.

[TheBatBoy]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 3:01am

I don't know, I mean I brought this up years ago when the cast recording came out. I took one listen to it and thought "this isn't the Alice I grew up on." Some people say that it's just what happens when you get older. But I mean when you have women like Patti Lupone (who is an exception I understand) singing strong well into their 60's, it makes you wonder what happened. Alice used to the be the big it girl when it came to flawlessly belting roles 8 shows a week (Sideshow, Rocky Horror). I know that she really hurt herself during the first tryout of the show, but is that what destroyed her voice? I don't know if a technique like people have been complaining about is really what truly hurt it. Thoughts?

When I saw the show in Los Angeles, I was surprised because she sounded pretty strong. Granted she loves to hover around notes, but it added to the rock sound. But there's nothing like watching her fall apart onstage. She still owns that role.