LBB. So Much Better, ending note problem has been solved — Page 2

Theaterkid, I was talking about the most recent London revival of Evita. Not the original production.

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Anyone know why Orfeh was out on Sunday's matinee? I thought she was back from vacation?

agree with BrodyFosse.

No girl will be able to maintain the vocal demands of the role - it's far too aggressively written, requiring the poor girl to literally be on stage - literally - the ENTIRE show, and scream a LOT. Star vehicles are supposed to be written with offstage time - Gypsy has plenty for Rose, even Evita has offstage time.

and if your role is that demanding, HAVE AN ALTERNATE. don't be STUPID. Lloyd Webber understands this, all of his leading ladies have alternates. bundy used to be able to sing the whole role no problem and im sure most nights she's still able to...which brings me to...

also agree with allofmylife

the internet is tainting this gal's rep over one little note. Worse things have happened. let it go.

and winston, elena roger most certainly had an alternate in the recent revival. she's even credited in the booklet on the cast recording as part of the five leads. (Eva, Che, Peron, Magaldi, Mistree, Eva Alternate)

Updated On: 5/28/08 at 12:12 AM

Wait a minute. The note is only C (the one above middle C)?

I know it's held long. But it's not THAT high. Patti is hitting C's right now in GYPSY 8x a week. Granted she's not holding them like that.

Updated On: 5/28/08 at 12:18 AM

I would answer your question by saying I think its the highest note she sings in the show. But, keep in mind that if we are comparing it to her run in Wicked then we are talking about a different sound out of the voice altogether. We are talking about her operatic soprano as oppose to her belt.

I think that the last note in So Much Better might be the highest thing she hits in the show. I could be wrong though.

And, I agree with having an alternate in the role. However, there are shows that have them in place even though the current actor playing the part might not feel that they need them. Like I said before I have heard of a few actresses who have gone on as Christine who felt that the score wasn't that demanding for them that they couldn't do 8 shows a week. But, as I said earlier in this thread why would you complain if you got two paid nights off.

I guess maybe the producers or Bundy thought at first that she didn't need one but now as time went on they were wrong?

Either way. I have seen the show a 4 times and three out of the four I saw Bundy in as Ell. One of the times I saw Becky. And, when I saw Bundy even when it came to just the speaking she sounded horse and raspy. Because when I have seen her she has always sounded she is in desperate need of vocal rest or something I am wondering if maybe she isn't doing as good a job as she can taking care of her voice.

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It's exactly the same note in for "So Much Better" and "Defying Gravity" for the ending... a C sharp. In "Wizard and I" it is a C, while "Take it Like a Man" it is a B. .... the lyrics 'American flag' is a D in "Legally Blonde Remix".

Your right that Bundy is a freak of nature specially doing a show that came was based off a movie.

I don't mean to come off as sounding too harsh or too critical towards her. When I have seen her thought I have always said to myself that yes she is giving a good performance but her voice os very off and she should take some rest. I am only saying this because I know that she has a good track record for this particular role. And, I guess I am saying it because Even though I might not really like the show or am not the biggest Bundy fan out there. I do find it amazing that she is on pretty much the entire time. I just worry for her that she isn't taking care of her voice because sometimes it doesn't sound like it.

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The issue with "so much better" is that leading up to the end, Elle has sixteen bars of singing over the break - up to a D (i think, could be an E flat) at least four times in rapid succession - then when she sings the last lyric ; "than before", the than is written on a high E, then she sustains the C, literally the note that is the break in the female voice. since she doesn't have time to mix and then switch down to chest, she has to scream the E in chest before the C. Gulsvig has the same problem with the song and is often flat on the E.

not to mention, this monstrously difficult song, with tons of consonant sounds that force a singer to aspirate away their breath support, comes at the end of 90 minutes of NEVER being off stage, belting most of the songs in chest voice, and when not singing or dancing, having to shriek, squeal, cry, yell, (just doing one of those once can hurt your voice more than belting an entire song) in every scene, which are all packed with jokes that you have to lift up, and energize vocally.

easily the biggest, toughest role on Broadway now, (though Elphaba is a close second) and although the show may not suggest the aura of greatness we uphold for many diva roles before it, this role is right up there with Eva, Charity, Caroline, Effie, and Cunegonde as being among the one of the most difficult and challenging roles for any musical theatre actress.

so, what I'm saying is, leave bundy alone. lol.
and get the girl an alternate.
and get the girl playing elphaba an alternate.
and most of all, get this reality show girl an alternate, PRONTO.

in response to James, i blame it entirely on the movie to musical craze. Movies are not written with offstage time and it's very difficult to adapt a star-centric movie and have that person not be in every scene/every song because they're pivotal to every plot development. to be honest, there really should be NO blame, because there's really no problem. Bundy is DOING HER JOB and doing it well. This whole internet msg board thing is just blowing the issue out of proportion. I'm sort of being hypocritical defending her because there's no problem to defend. the girl's a titan for holding up the attendance record she has, a true broadway star.

Updated On: 5/28/08 at 12:43 AM

ljay, I meant in terms of new musicals, primarily.

I do think Elle and Elphaba are more demanding though, as they are demanding to no true end, to no avail. they are not written with offstage time and the music is written to do things the human voice is not meant to do.

Rose is a fantastically structured role, with generous offstage time, and music written in a place that is natural for the voice to sing but still manages to stay exciting.

the difference, imo, is that a woman playing elle or elphaba will come offstage, their voice and body exauhsted, and not feel fulfilled by what they've done. Just beat up. someone playing Rose will come offstage and feel exhausted, but wonderful and fulfilled. LuPone herself has said that Rose is extremely cathartic. there's no catharsis for the other two. Just lots. and lots. of screaming.


nonetheless, your point is well taken, and Rose deserves to be on the list. I stand corrected.

Updated On: 5/28/08 at 12:52 AM

Rose is a fantastically structured role, with generous offstage time, and music written in a place that is natural for the voice to sing but still manages to stay exciting.

- And this is why these new roles like Elphaba and Elle are so problematic.

exactly, ljay.

so really, the problem here isn't a "bundy final note" problem - the problem rests on how we're structuring musicals these days and the source material we're taking them from.

so, props to any actress that can have a solid attendance record for a year doing such.

shame to any producer/director/composer/bookwriter that thinks a girl can scream for three hours straight 8 times a week.

and shame to us on the message boards who have to keep bringing up the fact that the poor girl is having issues with one bloody note when she's suffering physical punishment to make a problematic show work.

I was wondering that myself.

Winston.

Are you literate? Like, at all?

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