Best Fantine on record...- Page 2

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 2:23pm

Ruthie Henshall

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 2:33pm

Unfortunately, I have only seen Ruthie in the concert video. But I was AMAZED at her acting. She showed so much emotional growth in "I Dreamed a Dream" alone. And that was only standing in front of a microphone!!! Hats off to Ruthie.

I have only heard Jayne Paterson, but she is phenominal. She and Ruthie are my favorites.


I saw Tonya Dixon on the tour this year and she was GREAT! This was the first time I'd seen Les Miz, and before "I Dreamed a dream" was over I knew i had to make it my life's mission to someday play fantine.

EDIT:
<- no longer jayne

Updated On: 9/9/05 at 02:33 PM

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 2:37pm

Ruthie Henshall is the best when she says God it is absoultly amazing.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 3:06pm

Ruthie!!! she has sooo much emotion in all her songs! Something I really don't get much out of Randy and Patti...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:07pm

Wow. Is this as close to a consensus as this board will ever have?

I expected lots of people to like Ruthie, but didn't think it would be like this...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:13pm

Alice Ripley was the best Fantine. Too bad she was never recorded.

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:19pm

Ruthie for me too. :)

~Rosalynn

[dotmarie]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:22pm

Ruthie Henshall pretty much defines Fantine for me. =)

[leon1489]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:25pm

Ruthie Henshall...

[Jimmyojimmy]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:38pm

Ruthie Henshall wins.

[RaininSmilies]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 12:36am

Ruthie Henshall

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 3:38am

i will say Ruthie... but i must ask for those that liked Debbie Byrne (or is is Debra.. meh)... why do you like her? was she better live or something because her Fantine sounds so freaking odd to me on the CSR.... she sounds like a ghost or like she's shivering and cold while singing it... annoys the crap out of me

[BwayLover]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 10:27am

Hmmm. I agree with Mother's Younger Brother - English version, Ruthie, but overall, definitely Louise Pitre.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:01am

'she sounds like a ghost or like she's shivering and cold while singing it'

Wellll... to be fair at that point in the show Fantine should at least be showing some signs of the consumption that eventually kills her... that's one of the reasons I like Debbie Byrne, she doesn't fall into the trap of belting the song for all it's worth and then suddenly getting sick and dying a few scenes later.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:12am

Laurie Beechman hands down.
Fantine Foyer

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 12:45pm

I have a recording of Judy Kuhn singing "I Dreamed a Dream" which is pretty terrific. Too bad she never actually played the part! I think they should have cast her as Fantine in the OBC over Randy Graff.

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 1:00pm

I haven't seen or heard all of them, but I do like Ruthie Henshall.

[cindy013]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 1:05pm

Ruthie, by far. I love the part- "you let your foreman SEEEEEEEEND me away..." Her voice is amazing!

[Nokros]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 2:55pm

I have come on to add my vote to Ruthie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 2:58pm

I agree with LuPone. And it does have a lot to do with the first time you ever heard the song.

[JayKid]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 3:06pm

Umm... never seen her, but I'm pretty sure Ruthie is the one on the 10th anniversary CD and I love her personally. Definetly my favorite.

The 10th Anniversary CD is the best in all aspects really, except Thenardier, his wife and his gang... I don't really like them in that recording. Everything else is awesome though...

[GypsyRoseLee]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 3:15pm

One more vote for Ruthie Henshall.

Patti just failed to thrill me, she sounded so...blah. I wasn't swept away by it.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 3:19pm

Prinsoner 24601, YES! I TOTALLY agree! I have the Broadway, London & Symphonic Recordings of Les Mis and I am a huge LuPone fan in general, but when I recently saw Tonya Dixon on tour I absolutley fell in love. She has one of the most powerful and poignant voices I've ever heard and is by far my favorite Fantine. After the show, I went to a couple Les Mis fansites and found a recording of her singing "I Dreamed a Dream" and it is my "definitive" version of the song (no matter how poor the quality of the clip is).

[jacco]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 3:56pm

Patti. First love.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 4:01pm

Please click on the link and listen to a clip of Laurie Beechman singing "I Dreamed A Dream" and you will see what I mean.
"I Dreamed A Dream"