Lip Synching - A Moral Question

So,

I wanted your opinion on something: I have been approached by a theatre company I used to work for about recording my singing voice for the lead male part. The person they originally cast had to be let go from the production, and the replacement, while a great actor and dancer, can't sing the role at all. They want to use my singing voice, without letting anyone outside of the production know.

I don't have any problem with doing this ego-wise, since I have totally retired from acting and I won't even be in the same city as the performance when it happens. My only reservation is that I feel like I am helping cheat the audience or something. For me part of the magic of theatre is its immediacy and how real it is, and I feel like I might be undermining that.

At the same time I LOVE the recording studio so much and this would give me a chance to record some fun music and sort of relive my days doing musicals a bit. So I am pretty torn.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Akiva

Shaaaaaaaady.....

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I'd do it, but I wouldn't want it to be kept secret.

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and pm us what show it is :P

i personally get very upset about this

i almost worked for a dance company that literally would have us hold microphones while we danced so it looked like we were singing, but it was all on tracks. it was disgusting. i realize this isn't the same thing, but live theater is about being LIVE..it was ridiculous. we could have just danced to the music and not held microphones.

i mean, it's not a reflection on you, so do it if that's what they want, but it just makes me upset with the company. the broadway people i love have to do all 3 eight shows a week.

I agree that it should be out in the open.

I have seen a production of Secret Garden where the lead male was FAR from a good singer, so another cast member played his "internal voice" and sang things for him while he sat onstage. While it seemed awkward for a few seconds, I appreciated he different interpretation to the problem more than I would have if the character had been lip syncing.

If they can't come up with another solution AT LEAST get them to acknowledge you in the program. The audience will know eventually and it's better that the director is the one to inform them

I would think that the audience would appreciate the honesty. They should just make an announcement or put a note in the program explaining exactly what happened, that the leading man had to be replaced and on very short notice the best ACTOR was cast, but in order to maintain the integrity of the performance we decided to have the role SUNG by the best SINGER. We know you will understand and enjoy the show! Still not convinced that a recording is the best answer, though.

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It happens on Broadway. Dunno if they do it this time around, but the original ACL featured pre-recorded vocal tracks during "One"--and Liza Minelli would lipsynch her high notes in "The Act." There was a whole thing in the times about it. Of course this is ancient history to most of you readers. At the time the didnt use the term lipsynch, instead it was to 'sweeten' the sound of the show. Prerecorded vocal tracks are prerecorded vocal tracks. Go for it.

Theatre is ephemeral. A month -- heck, a week -- after this closes, no one will care whether it was lip synched or not. We're not talking about something to recorded for posterity on PBS. It's a short term performance and nothing more.

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I disagree, Sean, if they can't pull it off this could be what the theater is known for and be laughed at for years.

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I would tell them that you want the role. THey'll have to choose which is more important - acting and dancing......or singing. This IS musical, I know which one I'd pick.

bertandrew... Did I miss something? Where did Akiva say he can't act? Perhaps he can. He just said he used to work for this theatre company.

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I did...

"I wanted your opinion on something: I have been approached by a theatre company I used to work for about recording my singing voice for the lead male part. The person they originally cast had to be let go from the production, and the replacement, while a great actor and dancer, can't sing the role at all. They want to use my singing voice, without letting anyone outside of the production know.

I don't have any problem with doing this ego-wise, since I have totally retired from acting and I won't even be in the same city as the performance when it happens. My only reservation is that I feel like I am helping cheat the audience or something. For me part of the magic of theatre is its immediacy and how real it is, and I feel like I might be undermining that.

At the same time I LOVE the recording studio so much and this would give me a chance to record some fun music and sort of relive my days doing musicals a bit. So I am pretty torn.

Any thoughts or opinions?"

Nothing about him being a crappy actor. Just that he won't be in town.

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