Biggest Voice on Broadway

[massofmen]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 12:13pm

Now that we are in the age of amplification, and most singers seem to be trained at the school of "no support", I am wondering who has some of the biggest (loudest) voices on Broadway.
Thinking back to the Ethel Merman, John Raitt days when microphones were not needed, wondering if any singers could do that today.
I would think, Leslie Kritzer, maybe Aaron Lazar (as I heard a rumor that this revival of Les Mis was going to be acoustic), Stephanie Block...
thoughts?
in reverse, David Ayers had one of the smallest that I can remember.

[TheatreCrab]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 12:25pm

I agree with you on some accounts however I think there is a select bunch of performers that have very strong and supported voices. For example Darlene Love from Hairspray had an incredibly amazing voice.

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 1:55pm

Tituss Burgess voice is HUGE!!!! He is brilliant!

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:00pm

For guys:

Cheyenne Jackson
Ben Veeren
Daniel Reichard

For girls:
Shoshana Bean
Stephanie J. Block
Kerry Butler

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:01pm

Nathan Lane...maybe Debra Monk?

[tinkerscanne]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:08pm

Do you think that newer singers aren't trained to project or simply choose not to when they know that their voices are backed by amplification?

I've been studying voice for many years and have studied with several excellent teachers, all of which have different approaches. The teacher I am currently studying with is always talking about projection and placement reminding me that "back in the day" there was no way to amplify the voice and it was up to the singer to use his/her instrument effectively, yet correctly.

I also teach voice to young kids (ages 10 and up) both privately and in a public school. Although I choose to use microphones for our annual Musical Theatre production, I am constantly working with the kids on their technique and projection, reminding them that sound systems are not perfect and that they should be utilizing breathing and placement techniques to project their voices to the back of the house.

OK, I didn't mean to get off topic, but I can't imagine any legitimate school or teacher teaching poor technique to those people that plan to pursue the stage.

I do think Ashley Brown has a strong voice. I also thought Shannon Durig (Tracy in Hairspray) had a magnificent "character" voice and would love to hear her legit voice.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:32pm

I think Orfeh's voice is huge. It's definitely the one that leaves the biggest impact on me at the theatre. Amazing.

[goofy108]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:34pm

max crumm

[gypsy4]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:36pm

anneliese vanderpol has a strong voice and so does idina menzel

[twogaab2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 2:48pm

To answer this question correctly you would have to hear these voices sing unmiked, without a piano. I have heard several of these voices that have been mentioned without their customary miking and they (the voices) are not very large (some are really quite small-i.e. they could hardly be heard over the piano). Much of this is because of the "mike tech" that is being taught to people nowadays.

That being said, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald have quite decent size lyric voices.


Just my opinion, I may be wrong.

[me2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:15pm

In the debate over miced voices and non, I think people train their voices for what is required. If there were no mics available, I think many, many people would just need train their voices to rise to the occassion. For most people, I don't think it would be that big of a deal.

For the performers I've seen . . . Marin Mazzie, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelly Fournier, Heather Headley, Sherie Rene Scott all come to mind.
Broadway Blog: If You Don't Like the Way I Look

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:16pm

Today's Broadway barns mandate a sound system for musical productions, otherwise you wouldn't hear anyone 100% of the time. It's actually more difficult to master the concept of singing with a mike as opposed to unmiked.

IMO, the best way to enjoy a truly good vocalist unmiked is in a cabaret setting or a small (200-300) seat house. I've heard several people do this, some quite well.

[scot]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:19pm

I'm obviously going to
say Betty Buckley...but
I do believe that is a
known fact. I would also
say Patti LuPone.
As far as Idina goes, I
must choose Eden Espinosa
as a bigger voice. I love
Idina but I think she screams
some notes.

[chinto1984]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 3:46pm

I know Aurda McDonald has a big voice. Besides being trained classically at Juilliard. I am part of the same theater company Audra grew up in before she left for New York. She was Eva at 16 and did tons of shows with out miking. You can tell who has a big voice to those actors who have smaller ones.

For example, I don't think Marissa Jarret Winkour has a big voice. Her tracy was very small in volume. She was good but compared to the new Tracies and Niki from the movie, her vocals are not that powerful, vocally not emotionally.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 4:24pm

Since most of the cast of Phantom is trained in opera, I would presume that someone in that show would have the biggest voice. Additionally, Audra, Christine Ebersole, Patti, Anneliese, Julia Murney, Marin, Carolee, Aaron Lazar, Stokes, Burke Moses, Beth Leavel, and Chris Innvar seem to have pretty big voices.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 4:27pm

Patti LuPone is the only big name performer I've heard sing unmiked (she does one song unmiked at her concerts, or at least the one I went to), and her voice is huge.

As for everyone else, I can only guess. Though I can imagine belters and those who are more classically trained would have rather large voices. (I'm sure Audra also has a huge voice, because she was trained in opera and opera singers need to have very loud voices)

[pc1145N2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 7:23pm

I've heard Patti LuPone unmiked and she really has a huge voice. I saw her cabaret act about 10 years ago and she closed the first act with "Being There." It was amazing. When she came back on for the second act, she was very embarrassed that she missed the big note on "Being There." She proceeded to sing the song again, unmiked and culminated with a HUGE note at the end. Then she grabbed a mike and started into the second act. It was chilling and I remember it to this day.

[Undeniably Bway]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 7:33pm

After seeing Marc Kudish perform a portion of Zorba at Broadway Unplugged last year... I'll cast my vote for him.

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 7:34pm

I would have thought the obvious answer was Audra McDonald, but it's true that I haven't heard her without a mic.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 7:39pm

I saw Kudisch in "Pirates" at NYCO, and his voice wasn't bigger than anyone else's. Then again, I believe they had some form of amplification.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 7:43pm

First that come to mind (not screamers but people whose voices are organically "big")
Debbie Gravitte
Sherie Rene Scott
Debra Monk
Anika Noni Rose
Capathia Jenkins
Marc Kudisch
Jason Daineley
Marin Mazzie
Patti LuPone
Sutton Foster
Alice Ripley
Orfeh
Julia Murney
Chuck Cooper

[EganFan2]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 9:10pm

If it counts for anything, Rachel York. I heard that her mike went out on the "Camelot" tour and she could still be heard over the orchestra. A triumph of technique over technology, I recall someone saying.

[theatregeek2]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:02am

Julia Murney!

She sang Is It Really Me and As Long As He Needs Me at Town Hall in one of those Broadway by the year concerts uplugged and it was AMAZING! Her voice just resonated in that hall. Beautiful!

[burntplains]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:34am

Most trained singers can fill up a space, but that doesn't mean its a healthy choice for 8 shows a week. On Broadway for example actors are stressed AND told over and over they only need to sing at 70% MAX of their full voice.

Everything is on Mic's and there is no need to preform full volume. If everyone sang everything full out on Broadway they (the singer) would be spent by the end of the first few numbers.

It's just not expected and not welcomed. We have speakers and they're used not only for volume but for aid to the singers on stage.

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:38am

Drew Sarich