Posted: 1/27/18 at 7:31pm
Debra Monk, Everybody's Girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLBc2gQo32U
Posted: 1/27/18 at 7:50pm
TheQuibbler, it's actually not about excellent singing, but about natural singing. I can tell if the singing is natural for someone. Sometimes highschool productions of shows make me cry because the performance is incredibly sincere, even though far from perfect. It's a natural feeling the person needs to have, which does not involve apologizing for notes, toning it down, speaking or moaning to achieve supposed sincerity or exaggerating notes and making it sound like a parody. It is about going all the way naturally when the music asks for it and holding back when the music asks for it.
Hathaway got away with that scene because she was crying her way through it. Her acting would have been more impressive without the distracting effort she's put in the "notes", I think the violins would have been enough. She struggles a bit too much with the material, which some people (luckily for her) mistakenly see for struggling with her supposed situation in the story. But the notes don't add anything to the scene. Or the fact that she "sang" in general. It was the crying if you ask me.
And vice versa, there are trained technical singers who miss the art of natural singing too. Everything that contempts natural singing/does not follow the natural flow takes away from the sincerity.
Updated On: 1/28/18 at 07:50 PM
Posted: 1/27/18 at 8:10pm
Posted: 1/28/18 at 11:26am
Dave28282 said: "TheQuibbler, it's actually not about excellent singing, but about natural singing. I can tell if the singing is natural for someone. Sometimes highschool productions of shows make me cry because the performance is incredibly sincere, even though far from perfect. It's a natural feeling the person needs to have, which does not involve apologizing for notes, toning it down, speaking or moaning to achieve supposed sincerity or exaggerating notes and making it sound like a parody. It is about going all the way naturally when the music asks for it and holding back when the music asks for it.
Hathaway got away with that scene because she was crying her way through it. Her acting would have been more impressive without the distracting effort she'sput in the "notes", I think the violins would have been enough. She struggles a bit too much with the material, which some people (luckily for her) mistakenly see for struggling with her supposed situation in the story. But the notes don't add anything to the scene. Or the fact that she "sang" in general. It was the crying if you ask me.
And vice versa, there are trained technical singers who miss the art of natural singing too. Everything that contempts natural singing/does not follow the natural flowtakes away from the sincerity."
Dave28282, I'm curious to hear your views on Elaine Paige's version of "Memory." I know that she's a musical theatre legend in Britain, but I can't stand this. I saw her in SUNSET BOULEVARD, and I felt similarly about that performance. To me, it comes across as overacted and forced:
https://youtu.be/B9LSyw6ZhTA
In contrast, Betty Buckley's feels much more natural. Just the way she says, "LOOK, a new day has begun," is more authentic than anything in Elaine Paige's interpretation, in my opinion:
https://youtu.be/5mlllRdIfqw
Updated On: 1/28/18 at 11:26 AM
Posted: 1/28/18 at 5:49pm
CT2NYC said: "Dave28282, I'm curious to hear your views on Elaine Paige's version of "Memory."I know that she's a musical theatre legend in Britain, but I can't stand this. I saw her in SUNSET BOULEVARD, and I felt similarly about that performance.To me, it comes across as overactedand forced:
https://youtu.be/B9LSyw6ZhTA
In contrast, Betty Buckley's feelsmuch more natural. Just the way she says, "LOOK, a new day has begun," is more authentic than anything in Elaine Paige's interpretation, in my opinion:
https://youtu.be/5mlllRdIfqw"
Thanks for your reply!
That Betty Buckley version is very impressive. She has a natural flair with combining acting with sung notes. She makes beautiful choices. Nobody will ever ask him/herself why the hell she is singing. It's like she lives the song, the notes, the acting and her story.
I think Elaine Paige is definitely talented and understands the artform reasonably well, but she often seems to have trouble to make it feel natural in live performances because she struggles with the material a little too much, as if some notes or transitions do not come naturally enough. Therefore I can see her struggling with situations and switching between acting and singing in moments, which kind of disturbs me. Her "look, a new day" is definitely a switch "oh I'm going to act that word and then back to the singing mode". I see her eyes making the switch and I hear it in her voice. Switches like that forces audiences to switch too which per definition harms the flow for the audience. In the Cats dvd filmed version, she is actually much better, she has a good voice and she can act and because of the pre-recorded magic, suddenly everything fell into place with her, the singing felt more natural and during the filming she could focus on the acting without harming the natural singing. That sound recording combined with that filmed image created magic in that film. It creates a sort of better than life magic, an ease, the illusion of sung thoughts that is so essential for this artform.
Updated On: 1/28/18 at 05:49 PM
