Hugh Jackman at Radio City

I also find his vocals completely lacking and often “enhanced” in concert. I’d never pay the obscene prices for someone who doesn’t sing better. He is very charming and a talented actor but I pay to hear songs sung well.

There was a period where he was okay, I wanna say 1995 to 2010, but since then it’s gone quite downhill.

willep said: "I’ve never found his singing voice all that pleasant. I saw The Music Man because a friend wanted to, and Jackman was very charming and charismatic, but I just still couldn’t get into his singing."

I completely agree. He is a huge star but his singing voice is below average. I only saw The Music Man for Sutton, and Max Clayton was on and he was outstanding. And the weirdos who told me "That character isn't supposed to have a great voice!" should really go back in time and see Norm Lewis in the part. Who can actually sing, beautifully.

But, if people want to stare at Hugh Jackman for 500 bux? Treat yo self!

He used to sound ok (see: Oklahoma). But it’s like either through lack of use or aging or something over the years it sounds very forced. Like an actor who can’t really sing being performative and delivering it with this strange uncanny valley singing technique - clearly not the best of broadway but also seems to have a faint impression of it.

Still, I will die on a hill that Hugh Jackman was the best and only person in the whole world literally who could have done the ‘Les Miz’ film. Balancing box office and celebrity status, singing technique and fit for the part there was no better choice. And he really delivered with the acting.

I also enjoyed him in the greatest showman.

His singing voice reminds me a lot of the traits people associate with Francophone cabaret artists like Jacques Brel or Edith Piaf: the grit and gravel, the somewhat shrill tone, the less-than-lyrical pacing and the rapid vibrato. I don't hate it, most of the time, but it's certainly not a voice of velvet and roses. Either you like that flavor of unusual, or you don't.

To me, it depends on his material: I really like him in Boy from Oz and Music Man, and even some portions of Les Mis. But in Beauty and the Beast, he doesn't have the lyrical but muscular baritone it takes for Gaston's quasi-operatic and highly melodic songs.

Really looking forward to seeing the show. Have tickets for Saturday night, Memorial Day weekend. Also, seeing him at The Hollywood Bowl a few weeks later.

darquegk said: "His singing voice reminds me a lot of the traits people associate with Francophone cabaret artists like Jacques Brel or Edith Piaf: the grit and gravel, the somewhat shrill tone, the less-than-lyrical pacing and the rapid vibrato. I don't hate it, most of the time, but it's certainly not a voice of velvet and roses. Either you like that flavor of unusual, or you don't.

To me, it depends on his material: I really like him in Boy from Oz and Music Man, and even some portions of Les Mis. But in Beauty and the Beast, he doesn't have the lyrical but muscular baritone it takes for Gaston's quasi-operatic and highly melodic songs."

He was fabulous when he played Gaston in the Australian production of Beauty and the Beast back in the 90s, he was also in great voice when I saw him do a concert version of the Boy from OZ (although Todd McKenney, who played Peter Allen in the original and best - untampered by Americans - version of the show was a better Peter in the show). I was supposed to see him play Joe Gillis in the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard back in about 96/97 but sadly he was out the night I saw it but I saw him sing the title song on TV a couple of times and he did a great job and I was a big fan of the pro shot of him in Oklohoma.

However I do think his voice isn't what it used to be. I watched a video of him rehearsing for these concerts and his voice seems very strained and I do wonder if its because he hasn't been putting in the work to keep his voice where it needs to be to do these concerts.

I saw an interview with Lea Michele a couple of weeks ago where she mentioned being nervous about whether she could sing again (for her concerts) after such a long break after having her baby, the hosts were shocked she would suggest such a thing and she said it's a muscle and that it's like not going to the gym for a while and wondering if you still have that strength, but she's alway been one to look after her voice properly and she's mentioned in the past about when she was a little girl in Ragtime, Audra McDonald taught her how to look after her voice and how important it was to practice properly etc and she works with a vocal coach too.

I think Hugh doesn't do this work in the same way to keep his voice in shape sadly (and I can think of at least one Elphaba whose voice isn't what it used to be either for a number of reasons including questionable technique and i say that as someone who likes that performer) , and someone mentioned he didn't have lessons and i doubt a vocal coach these days so I suspect that contributes to his fading vocal ability and as someone who has followed his work since the early 90s I find that disappointing.

Updated On: 4/21/25 at 01:23 AM