Saycon Was AWFUL!!!!!- Page 2

[sassypanz]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:11pm

Yes. She got bad reviews but she probably got better in the role. Kendra was AWFUL but I bet she will improve(I hope).

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:20pm

Due to a complication that I'm just not going to go into, I ended up seeing Aida twice around the time you did.

I saw Saycon in the role of Aida in a matinee that was just... really bad and sloppy. There was sunlight coming through windows that hadn't been covered all the way. The show overall- from the effects, to the ensemble, to the lead actress- just seemed really bad. I saw Saycon in that, and I did not enjoy her very much at all. She was pretty good in the beginning, but she hit her peak like... five minutes into her stage time. The whole scene on the ship and into The Past is Another Land was really, really great but she never got any better. Thus, that was like the climax of her character, that was her moment... and she still had the rest of the show to go. She stayed exactly the same for the rest of the show, and quite frankly, that was boring. And, I would agree that her "covals were not up to par with the rest of the female cast".

I saw Michelle in a night show the next day. It was infinately better. The overall performance seemed much, much cleaner. There was no sunlight shining in (and quite fraknly destroying "the illusion" and making everything seem cheesy and stupid). And, as much as I tend to dislike stunt casting, I personally enjoyed Michelle very much. In the beginning, she was pretty weak. The scene on the ship did not come off very well, and her The Past is Another Land wasn't anything to speak of (though, it demonstrated that she did have a good voice). However, she got better in each song. She did an amazing job at more climatic moments, and thus was more effective. Her The Gods Love Nubia was pretty darn amazing, and her It's Easy stole the show. Those are good climax points for the character of Aida. There was more character development, it was more interesting! I loved the night show.

After that, I avoided matinees like the plague ('til I saw a matinee of the last tour of Rent... wow, was that great!).

Updated On: 5/17/05 at 07:20 PM

[Elphabuff2]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:22pm

Capn, thanks for clearing that up. Got it.

If you will, though, give her a chance. She is very good as "Elphaba" and puts much of her soul into the role, or at least...that's what it sounds like. She has a great new spin on riffs and notes that are a welcomed refreshment.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:22pm

Who played Radames with Saycon, loudasthehell? Probably Will Chase, should my memory serve me correctly.

I think with AIDA, a lot of people were draw in by these vocal divas... these pop stars, because many of them could usually kick ass with the score. I avoided *them* like the plague, however; I couldn't bare to see the part poorly acted.

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:37pm

Yup, it was Will Chase.

Michelle's acting was pretty blegh in the first scene, but it got a lot better after that. I think she was great overall, in both voice and acting, whereas I found Saycon average in both areas.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:38pm

I avoided her like nothing else. Can't comment.

[ProducersFan]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:40pm

I saw Saycon in Aida when Deborah Cox was starring in it (we went on a Wednesday matinee so Deborah was out). I thought she was horrible, and my parents agreed. She seemed like she was so uncomfortable, and her voice was so shaky and weak, it made me feel uncomfortable too - a feeling that I never like to have when I see a show. Beforehand, I noticed that she had played Mimi in a Rent tour so I was very excited to see her performance. After her first song I found myself wondering how she had ever pulled off that kind of role. I agree completely with you Capn.

~Jessica

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:42pm

See, it's weird. I noticed a bit of the shakinees early in the show, but I almost brushed it off as a choice in character interpretation - she's just been taken from her home, and as much as she wants to defy this captain, it's scary. She'd belt out GLN and EAL like nothing else when I saw her, though.

[bwaybound865]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 4:35am

I have to disagree with all the Saycon haters. I absolutely LOVE Saycon, she has such power in her voice! I think Idina is by far the most amazing woman to ever play Elphaba but Saycon is VERY close second and I've seen Idina, Saycon, Shoshana, and Eden. Eden was good too but Shoshana is BY FAR the worst of them all!! I couldn't stand her voice or her acting. The way Saycon did Wizard & I which is my personal favorite, SHE TORE IT UP!! she totally rocked the house with her amazing voice, and at the end of Defying she won my heart. I love everything about Saycon, I think she is someone we need to look out for in the future.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 6:49am

'Shes got a squeaky voice!'

Sorry I'm confused. Do you mean Saycon with that? If you did you obviously have never seen her in anything. Squeaky is certainly not the right word to describe her voice.

I haven't seen Saycon as Elphaba but as Aida quite a few times. She had a pleasant voice and was a good actress. Nothing to shout home about but I liked her. She was a very calm Aida and had less 'attitude' than others I saw in the role. Worked for me as I never quite got why Radames would fall in love with an arrogant diva but hey, that was just one of the flaws the show had (and I loved the show).
What disappointed me about Saycon as Aida is that she never attempted to go for 'the' Aida notes (like 'enough' or 'live'), hence people never went crazy for her portrayal.

It continues to amaze me that people will refuse to go and see a name. Yes, I would rather see a professional singer/actor to take on a role than a 'name' but if the 'star' can pull it off good for them! I've seen a lot of stars that blew me away and I find it a real shame that people just won't give them a chance just because they heard others trashing their performance or simply because they 'can't be good because they were in a boy band or a soul diva'.

Never managed to catch Michelle as Aida but heard audios of her and don't think she was as bad as people said she was. Yes, she had problems but her voice seemed good enough for me. I believe people were criticising her more because of her constant crying on stage anyway.
Deborah Cox, on the other hand, was fierce as Aida and sang the crap out of the notes. Yes, she wasn't the strongest actress but I tend to forgive someone's weakness when it comes to the acting part if they have an amazing voice. Deborah tried to act and came across as a bit clumsy from time to time but she completely blew everyone else (apart from Heather obviously) out of the water when it came to her singing.

Deborah and so many others are the perfect examples why I insist on making up my own mind and so far, have been positively surprised a lot of times.

QM

Posted: 5/30/05 at 9:47am

While I am not a Saycon "hater", (to hate is an awfully strong word and very personal I feel), I do agree that she was not the strongest of Aidas and I was very surprised to learn that she had been hired as the Elphaba Standby.

I found her voice as Aida to be very very raspy and not full at all which made me wonder how she was going to pull off Elphie's belt.

I've yet to see her as Elphaba and probably will not as I've seen the show now 7 times, (for specific purposes), and don't really need to see it again, (although to see Rue Mc as Morrible I may have to make an exception!).

[58012dude]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 9:53am

I thought your review was harsh and uncalled for.

I LOVED Saycon when I saw her in Wicked even better than Shoshana which I also saw. (Saycon is shoshana's standby) You have to understand everyone takes a role differentely. That's what it's all about.

For example, my favorite Elphaba was Idina, and, to tell you the truth, Shoshana wasn't that great. But I don't say, OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! SAYCON WAS AWFUL!!! That was really rude and mean. I think Saycon has an awesome voice too and by the way, Elphaba has a more demanding part vocally. Wicked songs are harder.

So next time YOU feel like getting up there and performing, people like you will be critizing you. You've gotta deal with whoever you see in the part that day. It's show business.
How about you click this link, buy a Wicked songbook, and go up on the stage and be Elphaba.

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:28am

58012dude, you're preaching to the choir hunny bunny. I've tried before to ask people to be a little more polite in their reviews of performers. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I agree that we don't have to be as harsh as to say that someone was "AWFUL" and we don't have to be mean spirited about it. I was met with people agreeing with me and people jumping on me saying that obviously I was only taking offense because someone bashed my favourite performer, (which was not the case at all).

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:03am

'Elphaba has a more demanding part vocally. Wicked songs are harder.'

Don't get me wrong, Elphaba is a hell of a sing but to say her part is more demanding than Aida's is just incorrect and makes me wonder if you've actually ever seen AIDA.

QM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:04am

Sorry I'm confused. Do you mean Saycon with that? If you did you obviously have never seen her in anything. Squeaky is certainly not the right word to describe her voice.

Okay, we just didn't describe it correctly. Saycon's voice isn't nasally or squeaky, like Marissa Jaret Winokur. We didn't mean it like that. When Saycon sings, she does this thing where at the end of a note, she will squeak. Lots of female singers do it once in a while, but Saycon does it a lot. I have a recording of her singing and she does it a lot, if you would like to better understand what we mean. Personally, I like the squeaks, but some other people don't.

58012dude- I would love to get up on that stage and play Elphaba. I'm a countertenor; I can sing the role, trust me. But I don't think they'll hire a 6-foot-3, 155lb. man to play the role.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:11am

Joshua, NOW I totally get what you mean although I still don't think squeaking is the right word.
She does this 'Michael Jackson thing' at the end of a lot of notes... suddenly taking the note up a bit, a bit like an annoyed guinea pig.

QM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:13am

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! And I love when she does that! I heard a recording of Saycon singing "Defying Gravity" and she does it right at the high F. "I'm flying hiiiiiiiigh, de-FYYYYYY-(squeak)-ing gravity..." I love it!!!

[58012dude]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 12:48pm

could you tell me Joshua488 where to here the recording of her singing defying gravity?

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 12:53pm

I found them on Limewire.

[58012dude]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 12:59pm

what did you type in to find it?

[58012dude]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:21pm

hello??

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:22pm

Whoa, sorry! God forbid I leave my computer.

Umm, I typed in 'Saycon Sengbloh'. It only makes sense.

[Elphabuff2]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:04pm

I got the show from a friend. It is perfectly logical for you to ask what to exactly search for. I have typed in "Saycon Sengbloh" I dunno' how many times, with zero results.

I love her "spueaks." Makes it more authentic for me...somehow.

[Kevo711]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:12pm

This is a HORRIBLE comparison to Saycon, but Ashley Simpson has that squeak at the end of her notes lol

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:16pm

Saycon is a fierce Aida and an even better Elphaba. Read my review of her in my blog.

Saycon was amazing and I was quite happy to see her. She made a few mistakes as it was her first performance as Elphaba - but vocally - she was HOT!

What I love about Saycon is she has this pleasant voice - as in DG - but at the same time it is full of emotion. She SUNG the role and had all the attitude. I would see her again and again.

EDIT: Can we change the title? I can't bear looking at it on the board.

Updated On: 5/30/05 at 02:16 PM