BRANDI CHAVONNE MASSEY Eplhaba U/S

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 9:12am

anyone going to see Wicked and gets her should not be too bumbed out, i saw her in London as Nala in Lion King and she has an excellent voice (even though it isnt in her bio) and she is on that new hair recording. the only prob i may see her having is that she seemed rather "short" as nala, i guess the pointed hat would make up for that, LOL. but i think she is good and will do well in the role.
which leads me to think, if Heather Headley hadnt turned her back on Broadway she would have been an "interesting" elphaba (although her acting and dialogue skills need work)

[Social*Dynasty]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 9:40am

Brandi is AMAZING! She'll be a great Elphaba, and I can't wait to see her.
As far as the comment about "Heather Headley turning her back on broadway", I think it's rude and unfair. Just because she decided to do other things doesn't mean that she's turned her back on B'way. She's said over and over that the theater will always be her home. The bottom line is, sometimes, the bottom line. Heather just started a family, and had to use the momentum of Aida to jump start the rest of what's sure to be a long career. Theater artists don't make the money that recording artists and TV/Film actors do. And to quote Sherie Rene Scott (in a personal conversation): "You can do music/tv for three years, and then afford to do theater for another seven or eight". If opportunity is presented to her, why shouldn't she take them?

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 9:44am

oops, didnt mean it to come out that way.

[Elphabuff2]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 11:28am

Justin, could you please indicate which song Brandi sings on the HAIR Benefit Concert (that's the recording you are referring to, right?). Thanks.

[kim1061]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 12:02pm

I saw Brandi in the show, she has some singing parts, she took over Kristy Cates role. She's really good although i HATE her Dancing Thru Life costume. I don't think she learned that dance yet because i saw her and a few others step out briefly and then enter back in at the end.
My friends and I talked to her, she's very nice. We told her she did a good job on Sunday and she said thank you.
Very nice, I would love to hear her sing more.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 12:16pm

i think she could play elphaba based on her name alone...

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 12:29pm

I think it was "white boys" but not sure which one she was (3 were singing) i suspect the first singer in the song, but not sure.

she is also in the J&H video, but doenst sing (she is the girl that the bishop is about to molest)

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 5:46pm

Her current headshot looks terrible. Is there a site for Chicago wicked yet?

[Kev]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 8:37pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=852448&dt=060205091047

and JustinD, The Lion King is mentioned in her bio at least on Playbill Online.

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 9:44pm

From what I've heard, Headly doesn't have the range or strength for Elphaba...here it comes...

-Vincent

[JC14]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 9:47pm

Heather belts Fs on the AIDA CD (think "It's Enough" in Dance of the Robe)...I think she's got the vocal heft and prowess to handle the part.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 9:48pm

jukebox- I don't want to start anything, but don't hate on the headley. She has more power than the woman you're standin with in that picture.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 10:09pm

i LOVE heather's voice so much... she has a great voice and I love the note at the end of Easy as Life, but I dont think she can sing as high for Elphaba.

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 10:12pm

AMEN Jwei!

Heather TOTALLY needs to come to WICKED! OMG! I would FREEK OUT if I got to hear her sing Defying Gravity and No Good Deed!

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 2:18am

Brandi is AMAZING ...I love her voice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 8:08am

I beg to differ. I've mentioned it several times on this board, so I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I can't help but explain my Headly experience. I've seen her perform twice, both televised concerts. She was off key through most of her songs, STRAINING to hit notes that are nowhere NEAR where she would have to sing for "Wicked." Now, if it was once, I'd chalk it up to illness, an off night (although, Lord knows some people on this board don't think that people deserve to have an off night) but these were two different programs, two very different events and nights. I was left feeling, "THAT'S what all the hype is about?!" Even AOL has a clip of her singing in their studios, singing a song from her solo album, and she hits some FLAT notes. I don't know, to each his own, but the comment about the person I'm standing with in my picture...at least when I saw her live, she sang on key and hit some truly high notes, which didn't sound like screaming to me.

-Vincent

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 9:13am

I cant really tell, is he standing next to Eden?
Ive seen many threads on here saying she is schreaking in her songs... Ive heard many bootlegs of her in wicked, some not soo good quality, but she always sounds excellent! i would love to see her in the role.

[Thetruth]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 12:28pm

I agree with Jukebox on this one. Heather seems to attempt songs that are out of her range. I heard her sing "Home" once and she was hittin' all sorts of bad notes. Dreamgirls is another example. Whoever told her she could sing "Ain't No Party" lied to her. She was magnificent in Aida though.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 12:34pm

But that's just it, Jukebox...you saw Eden live, and you didn't see Heather live. I have, many times, and can tell you, no, she is NOT perfect but she was not "off key through most of her songs"
Aida has some pretty high notes that are just as high as the notes in wicked.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 9:22pm

Has she even gone on yet?

[PJ]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 9:27pm

Nope.

[JasonGreen]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 12:16am

Brandi was also in both NY runs of Caroline or Change (Public and B'way). She replaced Ramona Keller as one of the Radio girls when the latter left to do Brooklyn. If I'm not mistaken she was the only Radio standby to play all three vocal parts throughout the run.

[Alphonso326]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 12:29am

Any one who knows Wicked knows that half of them dance and half them watch and then come back in in the end.

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 2:24am

kim1061
"saw Brandi in the show, She's really good although i HATE her Dancing Thru Life costume. I don't think she learned that dance yet because i saw her and a few others step out briefly and then enter back in at the end. "

Sweetie that's called choreography.....pretty much know the number and can say that the ensemble doesn't stay on stage for the entire time....