Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
#1Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:37pm
Tony Award winning Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth is reportedly finalizing negotiations to make her West End full-production debut in Leonard Bernstein's Candide.
Playbill.com
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#2re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:40pmI really want to see this happen because it would be incredible to see her live in this role, but I don't want it to happen because my bank account can't afford another trip to London for a show...
#2re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:37pmWell, it appears I'll be asking for a trip to London for my Christmas present.
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#3re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:45pmShe did it on some special not too long ago. Barbara Cook, she ain't.
BroadwayEd
#4re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 8:48pmI really do wish she'll come over! Really wanna see her live!
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#5re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 8:51pm
I actually appreciated her performance more than that of Cook.
Get her back onstage. Seriously.
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#6re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 9:05pm
Who on earth could sing Cunegonde better than Cook?
I like Cheno's reading.
#7re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 10:23pm
I don't think anyone (at least in terms of recordings of both CANDIDE and the number "Glitter and Be Gay" alone) has sung Cunegonde as exquisite and delightful as Barbara Cook. No one has, and probably no one will. Period. When you hear Cook singing "Glitter and Be Gay," it sounds so effortless it's scary.
Having said that, Chenoweth does a nice portrayal of the role and London would be lucky to have her. With the success of PUSHING DAISIES I thought it'd be a while before she went back to live theater but it's nice to see she is committed to theater even if all she can do are short runs.
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MerMaggieGalinda
Broadway Star Joined: 11/29/06
#8re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 10:42pmI saw Kristin in the concert verison DVD of Candide over Thanksgiving break and I was completely enthralled! Her performance was outstanding, her comedic skills just made her Glitter and be Gay a million times better, when her voice made it great in the first place. If this happens, I really wish I lived in London to see her live.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#9re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 10:48pmBarbara Cook said that by the end of Candide she'd always pretty much have lost her voice, though.
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#10re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/10/07 at 10:51pm
You're right. To me that just adds more to the greatness of the performance though, the fact that she MADE it seem so effortless when in reality it was taking such a toll on her voice.
I'm not saying Chenoweth is bad by any means (though I don't think the Lincoln Center DVD shows her best rendition of the song, there are better clips online) but NO ONE will even sing that score as wonderfully as Ms.Cook.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#11re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/11/07 at 3:23am
I actually love Natalie Dessay's performance of Glitter and Be Gay the best. Actually, just one of her performances as some others have her way overacting. It's on youtube and it's the one where the uploader says he/she does not know the date of when it was recorded.
Cook's rendition was wonderful as well.
Chenoweth's was a different take and her dominating stage presence and comedic timing can't be denied. I know some don't like her technique on the song (she seems to use the whistle technique quite a bit), but it seems people eat it up. I'm sort of hoping that she'll be able to tone it down a bit from the Lincoln Center Performance, but I don't think she knows how to tone it down.
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Isabella2
Broadway Star Joined: 10/6/05
#12re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/11/07 at 4:13amhaha i like how this turned into a chenoweth vs. cook thread.
#13re: Is Chenoweth London-Bound as Cunegonde?
Posted: 12/11/07 at 8:33amI think it's just a matter of taste. Barbara Cook does it much more classically, and Kristin Chenoweth does it in more of a mix/Broadway style. Personally, I like Kristin's version better. Plus, I don't think anyone can beat her comic timing. If she does this I'll be very jealous of everyone in London who gets to see it.
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