Peformers/performances that ruined the OCR for you.

[Funny Face]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 4:30pm

Is there any performer who you saw or heard that was so much better than the original performer that it ruined the original recording for you?

For me, it's Thoroughly Modern Millie. After hearing the girl who played Muzzy in the non-Equity tour, I don't really like Sheryl Lee Ralph's versions of the songs.

Updated On: 8/28/06 at 04:30 PM

[Colle]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:27pm

Frances Ruefelle kind of ruined the OCR of Les Mis for me. She does have her good points, and I have heard worse, it is just that there are times I think her voice sounds too whinny, and I don't think that is really Eponine. I think that all the actresses I have seen in the role of Eponine: Rona Figueroa, Ma-Anne Dionisio, and maybe Melissa Lyons were better.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:30pm

I have always loved Ruffelle on that recording, but really wished someone other than Randy Graff had sung I Dreamed a Dream. Yuck.

[faithanytwo]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:34pm

I really dislike Daphne in RENT's OCR, of all the Mimi voices I've heard that's the last one I would've wanted on the cd.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:09pm

Daphne Rubin-Vega in RENT.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:15pm

yeah, I love Daphne, but I dont listen to any of her songs
I just listen to the Rosario ones on the movie soundtrack of RENT

yeah, there are a few others i dont recall

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:24pm

Call me ridiculous, but listening to the soundtrack (yes, SOUNDTRACK) from The Producers, Uma Thurman just bothered me. It would have been great without her, even with Will Ferrell, but she just ruined it for me, personally.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:28pm

^ i heard Uma's When you got it, flaunt it and it didn't sound to great. Uma is very talented but, not as a singer.
Updated On: 8/28/06 at 07:28 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:33pm

Katherine Hepburn in COCO. The whole recording sounds horrible. Was it recorded in an oil tank? Anyhow, Hepburn sounds dreadful on the recording, but she wasn't much better on stage.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:50pm

Shoshana had me hating Idina's Elphaba. it just never was the same after that...

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:03pm

I agree with Rathnait, I wish they had gotten someone else rather than Randy Graff to play Fantine in the OBCR of Les Miserables (Frances Ruffelle is sublime as Eponine, she won almost every NYC-based theater award the year she did the role by the way).
One of the reasons I cannot stand The Last 5 Years is that I completely hate Norbert Leo Butz' performance in that album specifically.

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:04pm

Oddly, I much prefered Daphne to Rosario on the recording. Rosario mildly ruined the soundtrack for me.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:10pm

agreed, Rosario just does not have the same emotion in her voice like Daphne. Whatever you want to call the quality Daphne has; rough, whiney, scratchy, for me it just adds to the depth of Mimi.

John Lithgow ruins DRS for me.

Shelly Burch ruins Unusual Way for me on Nine.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:25pm

Lithgow ruins EVERY show he's in. the man can't sing worth sh*t.

[Funny Face]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:26pm

Appreciate your comments, but what I meant was is there any performer who you saw or heard that was so much better than the original performer that it ruined the original recording for you.
Not who was so bad on the recording it ruined it for you.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:29pm

I preferred Jonathan Pryce when I saw the show to John Lithgow's performance on the cast recording. I originally thought John Lithgow was great, but after seeing the show with Mr. Pryce, I really can't stand listening to Lithgow any more...
Also, after seeing Shannon Durig in HAIRSPRAY, I don't like listening to Marissa on the recording...

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:31pm

After seeing Jennifer Laura Thompson in Wicked, I want to burn my CD. Of course, I usually want to burn anything Kristin Chenoweth is heard on anyway. Also, as much as I love him, Lamar Alford really ruined the OCR of Godspell for me. I want Merrell Jackson instead. Granted, you get him on the soundtrack, but I'd much rather he was on the OCR too.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:34pm

I agree with folkyboy about Shoshana, but also add Julia Murney to the list. After hearing them live as Elphaba, Idina's voice makes me cringe. The girl isn't even in tune a lot of the time on the CD. She's very pitchy.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 8:39pm

Oh. well then,

Jonathan Pryce, DRS
Emily Skinner and Marc Kudisch, No Strings Encores!
Christine Ebersole, A Conneticut Yankee Encores!
Patti Lupone, Can-Can Encores!
Marin Mazzie, Man of La Mancha
Sally Murphy, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Encores!
Brent Barrett, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever Encores!
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Rent

[JailyardGuy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:04pm

I simply cannot, canNOT bear the sound of Sherie Rene Scott's voice on the "Aida" recording, having heard Kelli Fournier on the tour in San Francisco.

I also agree with Ruffelle as Eponine...Lea Salonga KILLS her. Ditto Randy Graff...give me Ruthie Henshall ANY day.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:29pm

Kristin Chenoweth on the recording (even live, she didn't do that much for me) of WICKED.

Alfred Molina on on FOTR.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:38pm

Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. I agree as well.

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:50pm

Marissa Jaret Winokur on the Hairspray OCR. Okay look. I completely understand the usage of the "Tracy voice". That I can take. But she CANNOT sing. I don't even care what anyone says. When I saw Hairspray Las Vegas, Katrina Rose Didikerson did the standard Tracy, but MY GOD she could sing. There's a difference between using a character voice and no vocal chops to back it up and using a character voice and using your pipes to BLOW MY FACE OFF.

[FinallyAmember]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:03pm

I feel like I am going to be chopped up and thrown into a theater playing Cats for eternity for saying this, but Michael Cerveris had me crying for George Hearn. There is something about his voice that I don't like - it fits under that "I know he's great, but i find him annoying" category. Otherwise, I would love the Sweeney Todd revival recording (not more than the original, but still like it more - I prefer Angela to Patti too, but Patti was fine for me on the recording.)

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:08pm

I liked Kerry Butler on Hairspray's CD, but I think I enjoyed Caissie Levy's voice in the tour a little more.

Also, Keala Settle as Tracy over Marissa on the CD.

Contrary to what people think, I also enjoyed Steve Blanchard as the Beast, and would like to have a recording of him, HOWEVER, I loved Terrance Mann on the CD.