Broadway's obsession with Belting.

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:16am

So I was wondering what everybody thinks about Belters. Recently it seems like people are judging performers, especialy female performers, on how high and how loud they can belt. What happened to judging performers on how beautiful their voices are? I know there are exceptions, but it aggravates me that so many woman are getting by in this buisiness by their high belt, even when their acting abilities leave somthing to be desired. Im really not talking about anybody in particular, and not bashing belters, as some are extremely talented actresses as well. Im just confused over this latest craze!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:18am

There were days when people didn't have to sing with a mic dangling on their brow.....

[corfriends]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:22am

i personally prefer belters. that's personal preference though. i also apreciate other singers, it just so happens i enjoy belters the most.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:27am

how TRUE TheatreDiva...

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:28am

Just clarifying somthing. I know belters have been around for a while, and its not a "new thing." This probably doesnt make sence, but it seems like the newer "belters" have no talent, except their loud belting voice. Again, there are exceptions. Im waiting for another Merman. A talented belter, with the acting ability to back it up.

[broadway_star_tomorrow]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 3:28am

i personally enjoy belting, but again that's just a personal preference. it also has a lot to do with my voice, and the fact that the increase in music being written for belters leads to an increase in performance opportunities for me.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 4:13am

Belters who neeed to stop belting and start acting

AKA

Idina Menzel
Eden Espinoza

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 4:21am

I agree, whatever happened to appreciating a voice for its tone, rather than how strong their lungs are? I don't want to be an Idina basher or anything, but I don't like her voice. Too much brash and not enough beaut.

Posted: 12/5/04 at 4:27am

thank you munkustrap178, you said exactly what I wanted to say. Luv ya Blue Wizard.

[broadway_star_tomorrow]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 4:35am

i totally understand where you guys are coming from. i am an actress primarily, and agree that there is a new tendency to equate singing loudly with singing well.

Posted: 12/5/04 at 4:48am

yah, my feelings exactly. I have no problem with belters who act well. One of my favorite current broadway performers is Sutton Foster. Shes a versatile singer and a great actress. Sutton belted the crap out of "Gimmie Gimmie" but the way she truly became Millie, is what probably won her the Tony.

[fiyeros_elphaba]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 7:15am

Well.. I think what makes a real broadway star is the ability of doing both- singing and belting.
I personally think belting is more of a condition,than a type of singing- some songs have to be belted out,just for showing the emotion behind the lyrics. The hype is going a little too far... I think it depends on the musical and the part. I mean can anyone picture "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" sung by Idina Menzel.
ps:sorry for wrong grammer and punctuation...after reading the "Idina FAN'S!" thread I don't want you to blame any WICKED-fans for this, I'm German *lol

Posted: 12/5/04 at 9:48am

I guess I would agree with idina...but she has improved A LOT since wicked opened. And I hear she acted pretty well in rent, am I wrong? but I agree. I love people who have beautiful soprano voices as well as people who have big belting voices. I feel bad for the soprano voices, because the only oppurtunity is pretty much "Phantom of the Opera", lol. Updated On: 12/5/04 at 09:48 AM

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 9:52am

well, anyone who doesn't think Idina's voice is "pretty" has never heard her in anything but Wicked. The girl can belt, but she has a beautiful Soprano voice as well! Personally, I adore belters, and there are those who would argue that The Merm couldn't really act either! (please don't flame me, i'm just playing Devils Advocate)

[Penalers]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 9:54am

I don't think it's so much at the fault of the performers as much as it is the composer. If the music is written that way, then that's how it's supposed to be sung. How powerful would defying gravity be in her falsetto?

[wildcat]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 10:01am

I think the turning point came with ANNIE, when every little girl in the world tried to emulate Andrea McArdle and we suddenly had a whole generation of brassy metallic voices with no heart, all sounding interchangeable. When you listen to the great show singers of the 50s and 60s like Susan Johnson, Karen Morrow and Dolores Gray, there was real warmth , intelligence and wit in their performances.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 10:12am

No one has mentioned Kerry Butler yet...*shocked*

She is a talented actress, has a beautiful soft voice, and can belt her lungs out.

[geri loves wicked]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 10:36am

I adore Kerry Butler.
Personally though, i do like belting. Because it just seems so much harder, and i admit whenever i hear anyone since Defying Gravity I flinch right before that "DeFYing Gravity" high note...im always expecting someone to crack. And then when they dont, im really impressed.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 10:53am

I think people are not used to the fact that Broadway actors have to wear those damn microphones, so whenever we find an actor that probably doesn't need them as much as other actors do, we focus our attention and fascination on them. And belters are just mesmerizing! To be able to hear someone singing clear as day from the back row of the theater WITHOUT AMPLIFICATION is absolutely mind-boggling! I LOOOOVE belters!

And about finding a belter with acting talents: They do exist. But they aren't in the "Broadway circle", so they don't get to Broadway. For example, I've worked with this one actress here in Connecticut who can belt the roof of off anything and she is a phenomenal actress. She's gone to NYC/B'way auditions and gotten callbacks after callbacks, but when it came to the FINAL callback, she wouldn't get hired. And so she is stuck doing professional theater in Connecticut. Why? Because she wasn't Equity and wasn't part of the Broadway people. So don't lose all hope! One day, one of them will get in!

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 11:01am

One of my favorite actresses is Sutton Foster, but I like those sweet, pretty soprano voices like Cinderella in Into the Woods or Phantom of the Opera.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 11:24am

i like the actresses that can hold thier ground onstage, and blow the back wall off the theatre. before body mics, thats how all musical theatre actors and actresses were trained. and im not saying actresses with those pretty, "choir" soprano voices are bad, because i love them too, but if trained correctly you can belt a "choir voice" and sound great...

[Plum]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 11:44am

First of all, you don't need to sound like you're screaming in order to project to the back of the theater without a mike. Second, I'm not exactly sure it's Broadway that's obsessed with these belters with no finesse so much as *cough* this message board, which is reflective of only part of the theater-going community. I can't even begin to count the number of times people have gawked that certain singers must be amazing because they belt the same old high note over and over. (When first of all, they're mixing it, and second, they don't hit it every time.)

As for Ethel Merman? I tend to be in the "she could barely act" camp. But as strident as her voice can be sometimes, she was a Broadway legend for a reason. No one else has ever been able to sing the score of Gypsy full-out over the long term. And by all accounts she was a great comedienne.

When we start focusing more on "anything you can belt I can belt louder (and higher)" contests, we're not just risking the voices of young performers, we're de-emphasizing acting, which should always be the top priority in a book musical. Maybe musicals that are extremely score-centered, with a book built around it, can afford to have singers with no acting ability. But in a true book musical everything, including the music, serves the story. So the ability to tell the story should take priority over the ability to shatter glass at 50 feet.

As for Idina Menzel- I bought Wicked, Rent, and The Wild Party at least partly so I could understand what the hype is about her. And still all I see is an actress with a huge voice she uses like a sledgehammer- and her timbre makes me feel like I'm being hit with one. And seeing as the scores she's been singing aren't exactly Gypsy, I'm less willing to grin and bear it until I get used to her style.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 12:24pm

If you want to talk about all singing and no acting, look no further than Kerry Butler. Her performance in Little Shop was simply embarassing, constantly looking out to the audience when her jokes didnt land (because she delivered them like sh**).

As for Idina, I hated Wicked, but I did think she had a beautiful voice, though Defying Gravity definately gets a bit off key at times (anyone recall the tony awards??). But acting-wise, Cheno blew her away. If kerry butler wanted to play more to the audience without looking like a whimpering dog up there, she shouldve taken a gander at Chenowith's performance as Glinda.

But im sorry, as for the posted topic, belters generally work for me if they are driving at something bigger than "hey listen to this!"

[LilElphaba]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 12:27pm

I like it. Especially when someone Is good enough to actually hit the high notes. Like Idina when she does Defying Gravity. I think its great how her voice is so big while singing that song, and im always expecting people to mess it up but she never seems to.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/5/04 at 12:30pm

I must say that I highly enjoy reading these intelligent arguments with no personal attacks or "sreaming". It is nice.