Kerry Ellis' Audition on UK Version of The Voice

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 6:56pm

Awkward, or not?

[binau]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 7:06pm

OH god. This is seriously so awkward/sad. What IS this show?

Updated On: 4/2/12 at 07:06 PM

[Matt2]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 7:06pm

Ouch! That's gotta hurt.

"How long have you been singing?"
Oh my God! The judges didn't even know who she was! She's only been on the West End and Broadway for the last decade...jeez

Updated On: 4/2/12 at 07:06 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 7:14pm

Its the UK version of the US show The Voice. A few West End singers have gone on an got rejected. Twinnie Lee Moore was rejected the other day (Flashdance, Footloose etc)

[Matt2]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 7:16pm

It makes you wonder how many other celebrated singers would get rejected if they went on shows like The Voice...

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 8:29pm

Why... would she even audition for this show?? I can only echo one of the comments:

I. Don't. Understand. Why. She. Was. Auditioning! She's appeared on BBC shows before, sometimes even as a pundit (a couple of times on Over The Rainbow for example) so I suspect this whole thing was a set-up and? she was hand-picked in order to show how EVERYBODY wants to audition for The Voice wow so massive! She probably knew full well she wasn't getting through.

[shomeika]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 9:09pm

Staged to hell and back....yeah, right.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 9:24pm

Oh my, that was awkward sure enough. I felt bad for her - though that was a bad song choice - nobody could top Dusty Springfield, not even Liza.

It was a bad idea for her agent to let her on this show - having appeared to have already "made it" now she seems like just another poor reject wannabe.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 10:32pm

I did feel bad that she was not selected by any of the judges, but then I thought that this was not a good move of her career wise. She should be trying to create a role in a musical that will help her win a Laurence Olivier Award or a Tony instead. She is already a very established star of musical theatre and she does not need this show. She even performed at the Royal Variety Performance in 2008. Fortunately for her she will have a minor role in the "Les Mis" film and she will also be doing a European tour of "The War of the Worlds."





Updated On: 4/2/12 at 10:32 PM

[HBP]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 10:36pm

^ agreed. she has performed at the royal variety performance, she works often with brian may of queen, she has had star billing in several west end shows (elphaba in wicked, fantine in les mis, meat in we will rock you, among others), and she already has several records of her own. i don't think THE VOICE was the right step for her at this point in her career. if anything, this looks to be a setback.

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 10:37pm

Continuing the stereotype of Broadway/Musicals being thought of as 2nd class to the pop world in reality TV shows (X Factor, Idol). Shame she went on.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 10:48pm

Something that she should also realize is that Adam Lambert auditioning for 'American Idol' was different because he had been in the ensemble of musicals for most of his career. Kerry has been BEYOND that point of her career for a long time now. She also try to do what other 'Wicked' women have done, which is film and television. Idina Menzel appeared in the hit film, 'Enchanted' and she had a recurring role on 'Glee'. Megan Hilty has done plenty of TV guest spots and now she is on the series, 'Smash'. Plus, she has done voice work in animated films like 'Shrek the Third' and the soon to be released, 'Dorothy of Oz'.

Updated On: 4/2/12 at 10:48 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 11:04pm

This is so depressing.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 11:17pm

I know that Kristin Chenoweth has done plenty of film and television as well, she's even won an Emmy. However, the reason why I didn't think of her in my previous post was that I already knew who she was prior to 'Wicked'. I knew that she already had won a Tony for 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown' and she was one of the many reasons why I loved the ABC television adaptation of 'Annie'. I did not know who Idina Menzel was prior to 'Wicked' because my parents thought I was too young to see 'Rent'. I first learned about 'Wicked' and Menzel in a school magazine.

Updated On: 4/2/12 at 11:17 PM

[Matt2]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 11:23pm

"Adam Lambert auditioning for 'American Idol' was different because he had been in the ensemble of musicals for most of his career. Kerry has been BEYOND that point of her career for a long time now."

Exactly! It's not like Ellis is some unknown chorus girl. She's a well established stage actress who's given many well reviewed performances in shows like My Fair Lady, Wicked, Les Mis, Oliver!, the Chess concert, etc. TV shows like The Voice and American Idol aren't interested in a "theater voice"-- which is exactly what she has. I was pretty surprised that NONE of the judges had any idea of who she was and just spoke to her like she was just another amateur trying to make it in show business. She can at least take some consolation that the audience recognized her. She really needs to continue in the theater, hopefully finding a a show that allows her to originate a part and bring her further recognition and stay far away from singing competitions.
kidbroadway2 is right on about these shows perpetuating the idea of stage singers being somehow less than those in the world of pop music.

End of Rant

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 4/2/12 at 11:55pm

Her comment about how maybe the audition would "turn things around" for her was also kind of appalling. She has played the starring role in some of the biggest musicals out there, in west end and Broadway productions (as well as recording CD of her songs). What exactly does she feel she needs to turn around? How many theatre hopefuls would give everything they have to be in her position? What could going on a show like this possibly accomplish for her in terms of opportunities that she doesn't already have access to because of her track record? Would a producer who saw her on there be less likely to hire her now, seeing how desperately she acts like she wants to get away from all that to something much better? Maybe they wouldn't care, but what kind of publicity would it bring to the next show that she is in - good or bad?

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 12:31am

ok, everyone calm the hell down. the whole thing was so clearly staged and i guarantee they paid her over 10,000 euro for that one audition alone just to "prove" that the person that wins this show deserves your record/single purchase.

Kerry Ellis is an established singer and actress, and there's no way in HELL her agents would ever allow her to do that without good reason.

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 12:34am

Sorry if I'm missing something, but what do Kristin, Megan, and Idina's acting roles in movies and TV have to do with Kerry's audition on a reality show?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 12:48am

I highly doubt that it was staged. This is the BBC. Funded by the British tax-payer...I imagine it would be a major scandal if they were found to be con artists. Also, if they were to pay her at all, surely they would use British pounds and not Euro.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 12:50am

Jay, ok, fair enough about the pounds.

But this is an American production, driven by American producers, that was picked up by the BBC. the BBC is distributing, not producing it.

fixed.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 1:18am

I think Kerry is a fantastic talent who deserved a lot more than that piece of crap audition. It's sad when not one of those judges knows enough about theatre to realize it was Ellis auditioning. Typical.

Hope it was staged. She's got bigger fish to fry than competing on some reality show. Agree that her goal should now be to try to ORIGINATE a role to go for the award/acclaim.




BN

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 1:18am

Really?

I would've imagined that the BBC were capable of producing their own output, and that both their version and the American one were both based on the original Dutch show - one having nothing to do with the other.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 1:21am

"Sorry if I'm missing something, but what do Kristin, Megan, and Idina's acting roles in movies and TV have to do with Kerry's audition on a reality show?"

I'm just saying that if Ellis wants to find success elsewhere besides musical theatre, then she she should try film and television like Menzel, Hilty, and Chenoweth.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 1:33am

Jay, I'm not trying to argue - all I'm saying i would hope that Ellis' agents would never have let her do something like this unless there was a reason - whether it was personal promo for a new album announcement, the producers of the show asked her personally, etc.

Nonetheless, she may have great agents who respect her as an artist, and supported her choice to do this. I just love the woman and sincerely hope that this was a publicity stunt, and that she didn't take such a risk at wounding her pride, while at the same time perpetuating the competition reality show stereotype that pop singers are somehow "above" those that sing for the musical theatre.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 1:41am

Well I agree with that. I just don't think it was staged. I'd say she was pretty confident of getting through, and who knows, maybe even win the whole thing. Anyway, to me it just made the coaches look bad.