Can Bette's voice handle it? — Page 2

Dollypop said: "She's not singing Turandot. Dolly only sings 5 songs."

She also has time off-stage, too, which helps.

It's a formidable leading role, sure, but it's not a grueling one.

finally something funny

justoldbill said: "If fatigue sets in, she could do the show in a wheelchair- with red sequined fins."

Justoldbill, great comment!

@Benjamin, the human body is a glorious thing but one of its shortcomings is that it is integrated. People can talk all they want about someone's voice, but the body-especially when it has been doing the same thing for more than seven decades-functions as a unit, and when the back aches, or the stomach growls, or you stub your toe, your brain will not line things up as it normally does. When any of these things happen, the voice can suffer. We are not machines and our icons are not immutable.

@Auggie I agree. We don't know. I just kinda bristle at folks that are over-confident about something they have no way of knowing. I hope she astonishes us all.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I'm so excited about this show, I'm plotzing!

When the original production opened in 1964, I was a junior in high school. Since then I've graduated high school, attained three college degrees, taught for 36 years, directed countless productions and have been retired for 10 years. The show has been my magnificent obsession since I first saw it. I saw it 73 times after that.

Now it's coming back in a new production.

Counting the days until March 15th!!!!!!

Thanks for letting me butt in.

Updated On: 2/20/17 at 05:28 PM

I only know the Vegas show from the filmed performance(s), but a lot of the "I'm so tired" was shtick, pure and simple. I thought it was an ill-advised choice for a running joke, but I didn't think it meant she was actually exhausted.

Moreover, she was onstage almost the entire time, save for costume changes. As others have pointed out, while Dolly is a vehicle role, there are long sections where she is off-stage.

I really don't think the two can be compared.

OK. One more dose of reality: that TV show was filmed in 2010 or before. It is now 2017. The performance risk at 71 is not the same as it would have been at 64. The actuaries at Mr. Rudin's insurance company can tell you all about that if you care to ask. The issue and thus the uncertainty is not what's in her mind but in her body, and that, as Jay Lerner-Z observes, throws this question into crystal ball territory. And none of us have one.

Gaveston, my comments are mostly about non-voice issues rather than the original question. There is a huge infrastructure supporting the voice, but as I said somewhere above, the body is an integrated whole, and what I am articulating is the risk of a problem down the line the impairs the performance, whether manifested through the voice or not.

GavestonPS said: "I can predict boredom, but I doubt she can be more bored than Pearl Bailey, who according to legend once started a performance by telling the audience she was too tired to do her costume changes. So she rolled out the rack with all her costumes and said, "Here's what they look like." Then she proceeded to do the show in her street clothes.

I wasn't there. But I've heard the story from numerous sources."



Someone tell me that's not true, Or rather, tell me it's true and then the whole story, repercussions etc.

HogansHero said: "Gaveston, my comments are mostly about non-voice issues rather than the original question. There is a huge infrastructure supporting the voice, but as I said somewhere above, the body is an integrated whole, and what I am articulating is the risk of a problem down the line the impairs the performance, whether manifested through the voice or not.



"

I did understand you, Hogan. You were so articulate on the subject, I just didn't have anything to add.

I used to know people who worked for Midler, but that was 20 years ago. I don't have any inside info on her current health. But she sounds great on recent recordings (yeah, I know about auto-tune, etc.), so the best I can assume is she will have no problem singing six songs per show (only one of which isn't carried in large part by the chorus). But we shall see...

I agree. With her return to television in Ryan Murphy's highly anticipated mini-series FEUD: Bette & Joan, Ms. Davis' career resurrection is in full swing again and she'll do just fine. Heck, maybe Ms. Crawford will sub for her on occasion as Dolly Levi Gallagher.

I don't understand all the worry. A question that makes more sense is "Can Glenn's voice handle it?" She couldn't do it the first time and still can't.