John Lloyd Young Isn't Singing High Notes - Riedel — Page 2

Wow, this guy dishes the dirt!

A lot of well seasoned performers have done this in the past, it's not a big deal, really. I mean, yes, it would be nice to hear the man I'm seeing singing but people seeing "Phantom of the Opera" never complained when a many bits of the show are pre-recorded, included most of Christine's high notes.

Or even Julie Andrews, always a consumate performer, had her high notes pre recorded for "Victor/ Victoria."

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He probably didn't write it - press agent and Dodgers did it.

Between this and a post over at ALLTHATCHAT yesterday about Young's attendence record, there seems to be a number of people gunning for him right before Tony time...which is a terrible shame.

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I am with you. I mean who cares if they do double his voice, It's not he does not have 8 shows a week. I wonder what he would say if he saw this message board?

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Updated On: 4/14/06 at 10:29 AM

To "double" a voice during an on-stage performance, there must be TWO people singing at the same time.

This is not the same as having an off-stage singer cover high notes which the on-stage actor is unable to sing and have the on-stage actor just mouth the words to make it appear to the audience he is singing when he is not.

JLY IS SINGING EVERY NOTE OF EVERY SONG. At certain places in certain songs (and only in certain songs)where Frankie Valli's voice in the original hit record was "doubled", the same doubling effect is used in Jersey Boys. That is why the music in the Show sounds so great and is indistinguisable from the original Four Seasons recordings.

If JLY was twins he would be doubling himself. But since he is not and he is singing live (unlike in the original studio recordings where the tape was rerun and Frankie Valli doubled his own voice as Bob Crewe explains in the Show to make the sound explode off the radio.)the second accompanying voice is another actor's.

This same method to acheive the unique or signature "sound" of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is used in the Play when JLY is not on and one of the Frankie Valli understudies is performing. It has nothing to do with the ability of any of them to hit the high notes....which they and JLY can do without any off-stage assistance,

Riedel has once again proven why he is not generally considered to be accurate and credible and is often more a "gossip" columnist than a legimate Broadway writer. A legimate writer would have more correctly clarified the difference between "doubling" JLY's voice at certain places as opposed to faking he was even singing the doubled notes.

Updated On: 4/14/06 at 10:45 AM

Riedel's columns are usually based on some degree of fact; he's rarely "wrong" but ddtruit sums it up - the voice doubling is used to replicate a sound. It doesn't have anything to do with Young's abilities or the direct strain of the role.

And of course, its part of an anti JERSEY BOYS campaign - a show that is becoming less of a dark horse as the other Broadway entries of the season fail to live up to expectation.

But I'll go out on a limb and say, even if BOYS wins the Tony, I still don't think Young is the front runner for Best Actor in that crowded race. I still think Cerveris or Connick Jr. have the advantage.

Who cares if it's doubled? At least it's not recorded.
You try singing those notes 8 times a week.
It will have no effect on the Tony votes whatsoever.

Michael Cerveris sings everything by himself, now give him the Tony.

Sure it's true. And it happens more than just occasionally. I don't have a particular problem with it. Frankie Valli supplied the high falsettos for John Travolta in the movie version of Grease.

If this is drama about the Tony's, it's really stupid and unfair. That award will find a little home with another one at Mr. Cerveris' place, anyway.

Wow. Talk about defensive! I personally am really let down by the stuff in this article. All the talk I(me, personally)have heard about JLY has been about his AMAZING falsetto and how totally strong it is. How this guy came out of nowhere with SUCH AN AMAZING VOICE. And now there is a caveat to that. I DON'T think his performance is really all that impressive beyond his voice... obviously my opinion... but it certainly doesn't compare to other performances this year. It isn't that the voice is doubled... it's that it's taken THIS long to be honest about it. Obviously the producers and JLY felt the need to keep it a secret. If it's totally exceptable... why didn't they say something? Why don't they credit the offstage singers?

kmc

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What's even more amazing and disappointing than the planting of this story, is the fact that SO many of you who have posted on this thread have missed the point ENTIRELY. Go back and read ddtruitt's posts and please, pay attention! Doubling a voice in order to achieve the right sound is NOT the same thing as dubbing, or having a double sing notes, to protect a voice. JLY does NOT need his voice dubbed or protected because he is incapable of singing those notes. Good lord, people, can you not read?

Wow, such a bunch of liars.

Obviously, Young is by far the frontrunner and there is a lot of JEALOUSY about it.

Regardless of whether JLY has an vocal assistance at all, he was pheonomenal. When he was on stage you could not take your eyes off of him (no pun intended) Although singing ability is the key factor in the best actor (musical) category, I think acting ability is right up there, and JLY has the chops. Added bonus is that he is such as sweetheart. I wish him best of luck on Tony night.

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