Idina "Let It Go" New Years — Page 5

"Let's not forget that a pro like Megan Hilty sang in WORSE weather conditions on NYE, outside, different year-same show and nailed the performance. 'Let Me Be Your Star' is no walk in the park vocally.... And she stepped up and knocked it out of the park. That's her job."

Actually, Megan's performance was of extremely similar quality to Idina's. Somewhat timid vocals throughout but okay, cracked on the last note.

All of this criticism over one lousy performance is unwarranted and mean as all hell.

"Let It Go" already. Unless you are ready to walk in her shoes and perform in frigid temps. to others expectations. No one in the business, as performers that is, are spewing about any of this.

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Funny, because according to my Facebook feed, plenty of performers - including Broadway ones - are talking about it, though they are not being crass or snarky. I do see quite a few saying that she should lower the key of she is going to sing it live and far more avoiding discussion of the performance, but having an active dialogue about her response to the criticism.

I won't be snarky here. I will just note that she has a track record of having major misfires singing this live in it's original format and great success when it is rearranged. I think the greater issue is her response to it... It is rather sad.

Oh, there are so many faceless people sitting in front of their computer screens who never put themselves out there in their LIVES on this board, and it's depressing that every time I come back to these boards, it seems to be the same sorry souls.

I wish Idina hit the note. I wish she hit every note every night just PERFECTLY, but she doesn't. It's reality, folks! Whomp whomp. But for every singer known or hardly known that we could list that would have sang it "better" (i.e. maybe possibly hypothetically could have hit the note under the same circumstances?), I become more and more grateful that Menzel is the one who sings this song, even if sometimes she swings and doesn't quite hit the home run. You can list your Stephanie J. Blocks, your Shoshana Beans, your Kristin Chenoweths, your Megan Hiltys...whoever you'd like to bring up. I'd rather listen to Menzel because for me (and obviously so many others), she, in spite of her faults, has something unique, engaging, human, and relatable to bring to the songs she sings and the stories she tells. It's beyond technique because it can't be learned. It's about who she is and how much she allows the audience to experience what she is--and here's the important part--INCLUDING HER SHORTCOMINGS. She's got "it", and so many others with they're lovely, pretty, technically on point, vanilla voices just don't. For ME, that is. (And, you know...hundreds of thousands, if not millions of others).

So is she inconsistent sometimes? Yup! When she misses notes, is it a little disappointing? Of course! When she nails it, is there another performer I can think of who has moved me more profoundly with his/her voice? No way.

You guys also need to remember that it was FRIGID on New Years Eve. When you're singing in a temperature that cold, you're not getting enough moisture and your throat/mouth is going to dry up. I would like to see all of you nail that note in a cold temperature. Let's see how you can do it.

Eden Espinosa has also weighed in. .....I hate Tumblr, ugh, so here's the full text (with some breaks inserted by me because otherwise it's kind of hard to read).

It's About Respect

Being someone who came on the theater scene right at the start of the social media boom, I often wonder where we would be without it. I realize that it has given me a platform for expression, that it has enabled me to widen my fan base, and given me a chance to share my art and myself with people on the other side of the world. For that I am grateful.

The part I dislike is how we use it. Not in the sense of promoting or sharing a new project but in the way we react to people and their work. Time and time again I see and hear people wielding words in social media like weapons against each other while using the computer screen as a shield and it's disturbing. Let's not get it twisted; I'm not saying we have to like everything. I'm not saying we can't have an opinion. I'm not even saying we can't have a "healthy" debate or discussion.

What I am asking is, how does it make us feel better to take somebody's humiliating moment and post it to our page or feed, spreading it even further? Why be a part of the toxicity? I truly don't understand how we can forget that there is a real live person that is the subject of that video. Imagine not only having to replay it over and over in your mind when you make a mistake but then to see it every time you sign-on as well.

Artists are told, "well you chose this field, and you chose to be in the public eye. Not everyone is going to like you." Yes. True. But we did not ask for this. We're accustomed to rejection, scrutiny, opinions, and reviews. But we didn't ask for you to bootleg our performance when we weren't at our best. We didn't ask for you to watch us perform, only to relish in the bad parts. There will always be bad parts. Always. Amazingly, society is constantly asking for "live singing" and "no auto-tune" and for "real vocalists." These days there there are very few pop artists that do it, but in the theater community you bet your ass we are singing live every time you see a performer on a Broadway stage.

Sadly, when we do get "live" singing, we freak out and tear the person apart if it's not flawless. There is not one human being on this earth who is flawless. Not one. Please remember that the next time you share an opinion about someone's performance. They are real people, with real feelings, bad days, and good days. Maybe don't post anything online that you wouldn't say to their face. Because I'll bet that many are shooting arrows one minute and asking for an autograph the next. Have your opinion. Just be kind and respectful. It's not that hard. Lift each other up in 2015.

#edenespinosablog wicked respect
139 notes Jan 2nd, 2015




Eden's Tumblr

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Updated On: 1/2/15 at 11:10 PM

Uh oh! No one told Eden about click tracks.

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"I wish Idina hit the note. I wish she hit every note every night just PERFECTLY, but she doesn't. It's reality, folks! Whomp whomp. But for every singer known or hardly known that we could list that would have sang it "better" (i.e. maybe possibly hypothetically could have hit the note under the same circumstances?), I become more and more grateful that Menzel is the one who sings this song, even if sometimes she swings and doesn't quite hit the home run. You can list your Stephanie J. Blocks, your Shoshana Beans, your Kristin Chenoweths, your Megan Hiltys...whoever you'd like to bring up. I'd rather listen to Menzel because for me (and obviously so many others), she, in spite of her faults, has something unique, engaging, human, and relatable to bring to the songs she sings and the stories she tells. It's beyond technique because it can't be learned. It's about who she is and how much she allows the audience to experience what she is--and here's the important part--INCLUDING HER SHORTCOMINGS. She's got "it", and so many others with they're lovely, pretty, technically on point, vanilla voices just don't. For ME, that is. (And, you know...hundreds of thousands, if not millions of others).

So is she inconsistent sometimes? Yup! When she misses notes, is it a little disappointing? Of course! When she nails it, is there another performer I can think of who has moved me more profoundly with his/her voice? No way."

Amen BroadwayGirl :)
So many people rip Idina apart for her mistakes and inconsistencies but there really is no one else out there like her. I am like you, can't think of many performers who have moved me more profoundly with their voice. I know people disagree, but to each their own and there is no reason to be nasty. Ok yes I laughed aloud when I heard the New Years performance but it does not change my feelings on Idina as a whole because she is human and puts herself out there and that's what those of us who are fans love about her. And I am with you I haaaattteee the technically perfect "vanilla" performers of the world. I think "safe" performances are a waste of time.

And Eden Espinoza called the NYE performance "humiliating."

I just watched this to see what all the fuss is about. Good lord. It's a shame so many of you never had any rock and roll in your lives. If so, you'd have learned the most important mantra of any rock show: "It's close enough for rock and roll!"

But a lot of you have been weaned on the hermetically sealed laboratory stylings of your Barbras and your casts recordings, and well, I've always felt bad for you. This just magnifies that.

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Namo! <3

When the world ends, the only things left will be Cockroaches and Musical Comedy & Drama Queens. After a half hour, the Cockroaches will be the next to go.