Ashlee Simpson Confirmed for Chicago (London); Already in Rehearsals- Page 6

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 9/13/06 at 7:58pm

Ashlee Simpson's voice sort of reminds me of Zellweger's.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 9/13/06 at 8:32pm

In the words of Miss Saigon, "Why God Why?"

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 11:29am

I've read a few posts grumbling about how this type of casting takes work away from the strugling off-bway and stock actor. Let's face it the way the entertainment industry is today, big names generally get the big parts. As a regional actor myself, I can say that the stock actress has as much a chance at Roxie Hart on Broadway as I have in being the next lead in a Paramount film. However, because of that ONE big name, pulling in ticket sales and keeping a show open, 25 other actors work, who more than likely have come from.....bway,offbway,regional. That smaller role in the Paramount film becomes possible, if the lead is not. Actors work for a paycheck, and anything that provides that is a good thing for them (except porn..lol). People that go into this business looking to play leads and become a star are most assuredly in for an unrealistic journey.
But I digress from the topic.It's not like she was cast as Mrs. Lovett for God's sake, its Chicago, and this show has never been confused for being high art. The show is vaudevillian in nature, and a trampesque Evelyn Nesbitt is typecasting if you ask me.

[CJR]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 1:30pm

Ashlee Simpson's voice sort of reminds me of Zellweger's.

Renee didn't do her own singing in the Chicago movie. She was dubbed by Veronique DiCaire (Roxie from the Canadian and Parisian companies)

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 1:41pm

Seriously? I've never heard that before.

Even so, Renee's singing in Empire Records still reminds me a bit of Ashlee.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:02pm

Geez...this is so old. Yes...Renee did ALL of her own singing in the film-version of CHICAGO.

Per Veronique herself, she ONLY dubbed-in for Renee that 'high noted' "...jazz" line in "All That Jazz".

Veronique has cleared this up numerous times in the media when her name was linked for 'dubbing' Renee and she has made it her mission to clear this rumor.

Again...Renee Zellweger did ALL of her own singing in CHICAGO.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:06pm

Yeah that seemed fishy to me. Renee also sang in Down with Love and her voice sounded pretty much exactly the same as in Chicago there.

[CJR]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:19pm

Geez...this is so old. Yes...Renee did ALL of her own singing in the film-version of CHICAGO.

No she didnt. This came straight from the source (and no, I dont mean Renee)

As per a conversation two weeks ago, I was told yes, she did dub Renee in Chicago.

Updated On: 9/14/06 at 02:19 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:40pm

The stories of Zellweger being dubbed aren't true. A close friend worked on the recording sessions and I've seen the video of Zellwegger singing all those songs live to prove it.

Sometimes second singers are brought in to "sweeten" vocal sounds and maybe Veronique did that on Zellweger's tracks, but to insinuate that her voice is actually being used in place of Zellweger's (a la Marni Nixon) is totally bogus, and yes you can listen to Zelwegger sing in other movies to quickly realize that.

[CJR]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:48pm

Whether dubbed was intended in it's literal sense or in the sense of enhancing the sound, I have no idea. I only know what Im told

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 2:55pm

But the ramifications of what you are insinuating CJR are very big, so next time you should ask more questions. There is a big difference between "sweetening" and "dubbing." Almost every recording you will ever hear to come out of a recording studio uses sweetening of some kind. Dubbing is to insinuate Zelwegger didn't sing the role at all, taking away a huge part of her performance.

Jessica Molasky was the vocal sweetener for Zellwegger and Zeta Jones' duets ("Nowadays" and "I just Move On.") but she didn't "dub" their voices.

[CJR]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 3:01pm

The direct quote was "dubbed Renee in Chicago". My response was "really? I didnt know that. I thought she did all her own singing." The response to that was "nope." Beyond that, I didnt think there were many questions to ask.

[AshleyBrownFan123]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 3:46pm

I found another pic of her in costume!
Ashlee on Broadway.Com

[CJR]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 4:10pm

Is it just me or does she all of a sudden look exactly like her sister, just with shorter hair?

[justme2]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 4:20pm

It ain't me and yes, sshe does look somewhat scarily like her sister in that photo.

That's kinda sad, actually. She should have at least attempted to keep her own physical identity.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 5:09pm

i do NOT like her promo shots... I mean for Ellison they look sexy and seductive and there's a theme... like a police in the taxi thing... but this one's too happy and cheesy and she's exactly like Jessica... Im not liking it!

[thejcm]

Posted: 9/14/06 at 8:46pm

That picture on broadway.com looks just like Jessica...I don't care that she got a nose job, but why did she have to get her SISTERS nose?

[luvliza89]

Posted: 9/15/06 at 6:13pm

Backing up and going off topic with...

How does "sweetening" actually work? I'm interested in knowing more about this...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/15/06 at 6:23pm

A second or even a third voice is subtlety mixed at a much lower level with the main voice giving it a richer, fuller sound.

Molasky, for example, was brought in mainly to sweeten the sound on "I Just Move On" because Zeta-Jones and Zellweger recorded their vocals separately in studios on opposite sides of the world. Think of it as filling in the cracks or blending in to make the voices have more color.

Like I said above, almost every vocal done in a recording studio uses sweetening of some kind. When its done well, you don't really notice. When its done poorly, like with Rosario Dawson's vocals in RENT, it sounds digitally altered.
Updated On: 9/15/06 at 06:23 PM

[luvliza89]

Posted: 9/15/06 at 6:28pm

Thanks for explaining!