Just announced....Diana Degarmo- Page 5

[I <3 Broadway]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 9:20pm

As KellyW said, Diana has experience with acting in theater. I also respect her for auditioning for a role in a regional theater, instead of going straight to Broadway after Idol.

As for the weight issue...so you all are saying this is fat? These pics are all from this summer:




As for her singing ability, listen to "Go On and Cry" from her album.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 9:25pm

Well she definitely looks great, she's not fat all.

And we know she has great singing ability. But Maria is one of toughest singing roles for a female in Musical Theatre. An alto can't sing Maria - that's why I'm thinking maybe they will lower keys? Or she worked very heard on her head voice.

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 11:01pm

Wow, I loved Diana on AI but she's certainly matured since then. Her weight is irrelevant in this discussion though I must say, she is nowhere near fat. In fact, she's looking quite thin in those pictures.

While we don't know much about her acting other than she's done musical theatre in her hometown of Atlanta before, I definitely think she can pull it off. She's only 18 but I think she'll be good as the innocent, naive Maria, especially since Maria is supposed to be young anyhow. She could be able to convey the emotions quite well.

I think Diana's a soprano and I'm almost positive she'll be able to hit the notes in the songs Maria sings in the original key (no need for transposing here). I've seen some recent performances of hers and I definitely think she can sing in the original key.
Judging from the poster, I think Diana will be able to look Puerto Rican quite easily (it's odd because she looks paler in the poster than she does in those recent pictures above, which are more of a reflection of her skin color). The accent we'll have to see about though. A lot of non-Puerto Ricans have played this role in the past so it isn't a stretch.

I'm going to take a "let's wait for the reviews from critics and fans" before I reserve judgement on this. Diana playing Maria could either be really great or not. I just really wish I lived in San Jose so that I could see this for myself.

[KellyW]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 12:01am

I didn't say she was in Annie as a way of saying "See, she can do Maria!" I was just pointing out that she has done some musical theater and LOVES musical theater to boot.

Diana actually has a greater range than people realize. If she isn't doing it in the original key (which right now word is she will be) it will not be that much lower. Each actress who plays Maria should try to make it their own to one extent or another, just like any role. I'm afraid many are going to pre-judge her and make their minds up ("Oh, that AI girl doing theater. how awful!") that they won't see her performance with an open mind.

For what it's worth, I'm flying in to San Jose just to see this show. That is how confident I am in Diana's ability. I wouldn't spend that much money if I felt it was going to be a trainwreck. The 18 year old Diana is a far cry from the giggly AI kid who was accused of having a "wall" between herself and the audience. If you haven't seen her in the past year, put what you remember out of your minds and give her a fresh look. : )

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 12:20am

"For what it's worth, I'm flying in to San Jose just to see this show. That is how confident I am in Diana's ability."

So, KellyW, this would indicate that you are not, in all likelihood, seeing this performance "with an open mind." It reads as if you have "pre-judged her performance."

It's funny how many people in this thread say that Diana's weight is irrelevant and in the very same posts go out of their way to point out and insist that she is thin, dammit, thin.

I don't care what her weight is. She DOES look like a hostess at The Olive Garden. Particularly in those US Postal Delivery Person-style Capri pants.

[KellyW]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 12:22am

I'm going into it not assuming the worst. If it's a trainwreck, I'll be ticked, but I'm not going into it looking for one.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 12:31am

No. You're going into it investing significant amounts of time and money. Something tells me you're going to be predisposed to liking the show.

Posted: 8/14/05 at 12:40am

"She DOES look like a hostess at The Olive Garden."

I have just discovered that blowing scotch through your nasal passages is not a pleasant sensation. Shame on you, Namo.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 2:17am

I'm not judging her looks at all..I watched AI religiously when she was on..she never once had a performance with feeling, and never once had a performance that wasn't incredibly pitchy...

I remember in particular "Someone to watch over me" (one of my favorite songs) she was flat the entire song and did a sorta "country" tawng to it...

I can hear it no "There's a place for us..down by the tractor!"

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 5:10am

Well about her voice, she was in choir all in HS, and in my choir we never sang any of the pop stuff that people are saying that she can only do, and I'm sure her choir was probably the same way. That said, Maria is a hard role to sing, but Diana has had experience with other types of Music.

Also, as for all these comparison's to Idina's voice, I think Diana's voice is much like Sutton Foster's voice. She belts but it's much prettier and not as harsh.


As for comparing her performances on American Idol along with the American Idol typical type of music to West Side Story and saying she can't do it, is a weak arguement. You know that that's the type of music AI and the audience wants to hear and if you were to sing show tunes or classical lyrical pieces you'd get voted off cause you weren't hip enough. And most of the time you couldn't sing songs like that anyways because they have genre's each week(although this year they had a showtune night!). Updated On: 8/14/05 at 05:10 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 5:48am

ljay889: People who speak languages that developed from Latin, such as Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese are considered Latin. That means that eventhough Italians don't speak spanish and aren't considered Hispanic, they are still Latin.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 6:03am

And by the way, since when do legitimate sopranos do well on American Idol? I know plenty of good legit sopranos who auditioned for idol belting, don't you think she could have been the same?

I liked her, she had a few downfalls, but she's just a kid, and has a long way to go yet...

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:27am

Muscle. I don't speak Italian. I am 100 percent Italian - but I was born in America. Therefore I am 100 percent Italian American.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 11:06am

But that is the thing. If she cant hit those notes, it's pretty obvious to tell that she won't be able to hit them the way Marias should. And lowering down the keys just makes it all go to hell. Seriously, that's how strong I am about how a really, really GOOD soprano has to be cast as Maria.

[Mercutio121687]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 11:28am

SHE'S HORRIBLE. I've seen her because I'm from Atlanta. She cannot act to save her life and her voice is horrific. The rest of the cast is good though. Unfortunately she's going to ruin it.

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:42pm

If the rumours are true, Diana will be singing in the original key so she must have the vocal ability to do so.

The AI themes were nowhere near able to showcase any sort of vocal ability that would be put to good use in musical theatre, except for maybe the Big Band theme. Still, the vocal arrangements are sometimes jarring. I definitely think Diana is a "legit" soprano. I don't think any of the AI songs she did really showcased her vocal ability in those upper registers/head voice since singing pop, r&b and the like don't showcase it. From what I could tell, she was able to employ head voice but never got the chance to really showcase. I do think she'll be able to sing in the original key for West Side Story.

I think the casting is a bit interesting but could work.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 3:14pm

ljay889,then you have Latin backgrounds...anyone who is Italian does. Even if you were born in America. My grandparents are Russian so, that makes me slavic...eventhough I don't speak a word in Russian. =) so anyone who is Italian American is Latin. Ask your parents. Latin doesn't mean always mean "Hyspanic".
PS: please...don't call me "sweetie", you don't know me.

Updated On: 8/14/05 at 03:14 PM

Posted: 8/14/05 at 4:08pm

Hilarious thread. So WHO do you think Marissa Jaret Winokur eats for breakfast every morning? I haven't seen Shaiman around lately? Did she eat him? Any Marissa Jaret Winokur sightings in Finland? Say what's Emily Skinner up to lately? 250 pounds? Maybe I'll just create a new thread where we can dish about legit actress' weight to see how many people join in on it! It'll be fun!

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:09pm

Muscle, I'm going to have to ask about this. I've NEVER once heard my family consider ourselves "latins."

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:36pm

the word Latin is immediatly associated with the Hispanic community...but that is really a mistake. Anyone from Portugal is Latin as well....but they will call themselves "Portuguese" not "Latin" but they really are Latin, because their language and heritage comes from Latin. But anyways...I was just making an observation. So let's just drop it...maybe now you know where you come from and understand your backgrounds a little more. By the way....i agree with you when it comes to the crazy Wicked fans...when i saw the show...i felt like i was seeing an N'SYNC concert...that's not my idea of Broadway.

[croft]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 4:02pm

Seriously though. BKLYN requires no acting and AI level screaming. Just put together a touring cast and book them into arena. Perfect venue for all of them. And was I the only one who prefered nails on a chalkboard to Fantasia singing? Her summertime was just a disgrace.



I don't agree with that sentiment one little bit , Fantasia's performance of "Summertime" must surely go down in history as one of the greatest reality TV moments ever , you need to get your ears cleaned out , seriously

[bella cantato]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 4:48pm

Diana has certainly lost a lot of weight since her run on American Idol.

That aside, does anyone have any PROOF of this? How are we sure that someone didn't randomly just make this up?

[freeadmission]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 4:56pm

"I don't agree with that sentiment one little bit , Fantasia's performance of "Summertime" must surely go down in history as one of the greatest reality TV moments ever , you need to get your ears cleaned out , seriously"

Yes, cleaning out the blood she caused to flow from my ears probably WOULD be a good idea.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 5:05pm

MAHAHAHA

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 5:17pm

bella cantato -- here is a link the the American Musical Theatre of San Jose website with the WSS poster:

http://www.amtsj.org/shows/shows_wss.html