Dove Cameron in The Light in the Piazza... ?

LA Opera has cast Dove Cameron as Clara along side the goddess that is Renée Fleming. Okay. I have questions...

Can anyone tell me if Dove is a legit soprano? Saw her in Mamma Mia at the Bowl. That role suited her very well, but this one... this show is very different. Adam Guettel's beautiful operetta has such a graceful flow to it that I can't help but get bel canto vibes every time I listen.

That being said, I'm worried Clara's style of signing will be altered towards a more pop/belt vocal. I understand companies need to bring in ticket sales and gobs of money. Dove is a Disney actress with 22 million followers on Instagram. I get it. It's just... *caution: rant ahead* ...can we please, PLEASE leave one g*$%@n f*@%king musical with legit singing alone!!?? Just one. Phantom is now cast for pop voices (it takes place in a f*@%king opera house) and now I'm hearing talk of Spielberg's West Side Story going pop as well. The latter isn't surprising since it's a film. But, still... I... I cry.

Hopefully, she'll surprise us with a hidden, bomb ass lyric soprano. Until then... my heart shall lie in wait.

(...and, I swear to the internet gods, if someone so much as hints at the comment "..but she's had opera training since she was a child" I will virtually punch you in the face because that isn't possible, nor is it a thing. Please do your research.)

Updated On: 7/12/19 at 06:45 PM

So... Clara a la Ariana Grande style?? *le sigh*

Updated On: 7/12/19 at 06:53 PM

I'm honestly more optimistic about Dove's performance than I am about Renee's, who we've seen try to act. Margaret doesn't need that "much" of a voice, I would much rather see someone act the heck out of it. But I can't stand Renee's vocal inflections (is that the right word?) when she's singing non-opera pieces.

In the snippet on Instagram, Cameron does have a bit of that 'pop-crooning' thing going on, which is wrong for the part, but with the right vocal coaching she'd be fine. She walked away with her scenes in "Hairspray Live' among far more experienced people so she can act. I give her credit for trying to stretch her talents. Doing 'Light in the Piazza' eight times a week in front of an audience is very different from working inside the Disney bubble.

AADA81 said: "In thesnippet on Instagram, Camerondoes have a bit of that 'pop-crooning' thing going on, which is wrong for the part, but with the right vocal coaching she'd be fine. She walked away with her scenes in "Hairspray Live' among far more experienced people so she can act. I give her credit for trying to stretch her talents. Doing 'Light in the Piazza' eight times aweek in front of an audience is very different from working inside the Disney bubble."

Dove’s “pop crooning” could just be her comfort area but she understands musical theater singing and it’s technique. Vocalists understand the form. Even Lady Gaga knows how to suit her vocals to the musical genre she’s singing. Her work with Tony Bennett stands on its own in the standards genre.

Vanessa Williams (and even Debbie Gibson) who admit that their vocal comfort zone is musical theater use a different vocal for their pop recordings. In their words: in musical theater you honor the score — you don’t embellish. On your pop recordings — embelllish and riff to your heart’s desire. That sh**t don’t fly in musical theater.

SomethingPeculiar said: "Give me Audra or Rebecca Luker or Kelli O'Hara or Victoria Clark or the late Marin Mazziedoing soprano MT roles over Renee any day."

It's Laura Benanti's "Soprano Island" where they sit around and sign "Glitter and Be Gay" all day.

Or you can listen to this and realize how horrible of an actress Renee Fleming is and how amazing Vicky clark was in comparison.
Just listen to the phrasing and how Renee has no idea how to act. Its amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2mfDOFKKJU

No, no, 100 times no.



Cameron was the worst part of a bad Clueless. Not a single good thing to say about her unless you are casting Barbie: The Wax Figure



Fleming at least has comic timing. Saw her at WTF in Living on Love, which was a dreadful play, but she at least belonged on the stage.

I think she can hit the note no problem.



https://youtu.be/mnqFaj4SPK4

John Adams - I said opera training as a child is NOT a thing. Which quote are you referring to?

massofmen - You make absolutely no sense. "Listening" to someone act?? You're comparing Victoria Clark's overly characterized Broadway soundtrack to Renée Fleming's LA Opera audio teaser and making a statement about her acting? *lol* Mmmmmk...

EmeraldOzian - It's not about Dove "hitting the note". Also, the clip you provided shows her using her throat to scream out a note. Much like what people do when imitating opera. That isn't opera singing. Side note: cool user name

I'm noticing the divide here... very few people seem to understand opera and what it takes to produce those sounds and sustain them. It isn't musical theatre. The show is at the LAOpera, not the Pantages. Also, there's a reason why more and more Broadway performers are having to undergo surgery even though the shows they're in are mic-ed. If Dove doesn't have the training, I assume they'll probably mic her which makes me kinda cry.

To everyone else commenting on Renée in general... please educate yourselves with this AMAZING interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncyG38c2tSw

Honestly, this is one of the best interviews I've seen in regards to opera and musical theatre. So, grab some

popcorn and enjoy.

Updated On: 7/12/19 at 06:33 PM

I don't see anything on this thread, but it was announced a while back that it will also be coming to Chicago in December.

I love Piazza very much, so last night I went with all the concerns we have been expressing on here since it was announced. The original Broadway actors and their replacements were cast in heaven, and I don't think they'll ever be surpassed, so there is little point in dwelling in comparisons. That said, it's a very fine production and Renée can indeed act and Dove can indeed sing.

Renée is more of a tragic actress than a comedian, some punchlines get lost and some jokes don't land, but the poignant scenes when she discusses her marriage or her daughter are very moving. And she's very charming on stage, very elegant and beautiful. Dove has a pretty little voice, no one can accuse her of being the next Kelli O'Hara, but she sings it nicely and acts the part well. She doesn't have the technical skills to sustain this kind of singing for 8 shows a week for months of performances, but for a run as short as this she should be fine.


The rest of the cast is also very fine, especially Rob, Celinde and Alex Jennings. Lovely set, costumes and great great great orchestra, that makes the show really soar. I'm moving back to Milan on Wednesday so I don't think I'll see it again, which I regret: acting and singing are in fine shape, but there were also a few previewesque issues like props-dropping and line-forgetting. I really recommend it!

BTW, they probably went even a bit too far with costumes. Renée pretty much changes one for every scene, and some times it's just weird. Towards the end of act 2, when she discovers that her daughter has fled she runs after her, but she nevertheless finds the time to get changed before finding her. No shade, this is probably the kind of parent I'd be, but still...