"Sutton Foster is indeed a terrific dancer, and while Liza's vocal talents are far superior in contrast to her dancing, nobody can dance Mein Herr like she did. She was a dancer before becoming a singer and is one of Luigi's disciples not to mention Fosse's." I think we're mostly in agreement, all that jazz. I just think our ideas of what defines excellent dancers or singers are a little different. You'll get no argument from me that Liza's "Mein Herr" is unique and unforgettable.
"In regards to Ben and Donna not being good singers or actors, Ben's rendition of Life is just a Bowl of Cherries gives me chills every time, not only for his amazing vocal abilities but also for all of the enormous amounts of raw emotion he puts into it. He's a brilliant actor in my opinion. And Donna, is a Tony wining actress with a fabulous voice." I may be splitting hairs here, but I didn't say they weren't "
good singers or actors". I said they weren't "
great singers or actors". Vereen is no doubt a talented performer, but he doesn't strike the same chord with me that he does with you. I've seen him perform in many venues in over 30+ years - and it's like I'm seeing the same persona over and over again. It sometimes feels manufactured and a little forced - but it works for him. Donna's a good actress and I believe did deserve her Tony, but (to my mind) in general, winning a Tony (an Oscar, or just about any other showbiz/music award) is less about talent and more about money and politics.
"Maybe there are lesser known or unknown people who can dance better than Chita, but for me no one will never come close to her brilliant level of performance." Again, unique - plus she is/was an incredible dancer. She's got "it", whatever "it" is.
"Was Shirley MacLaine a triple threat?" Not to my mind. She isn't that great a singer.
Clearly I'm in the minority here, but I believe you can sing and dance well without truly being a singer or dancer. The acting, well, as qolbinau quoted, you "either got it or you aint".
Again, all semantics and subjective.
Updated On: 3/31/13 at 10:03 PM