Scores lowered to fit certain actors? — Page 2

#26

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 10:43am

Marylouise Burke sounded like a toad in the ItW revival... the casting directors should've gone with someone who could sing the F# instead of taking it down to practically baritone range.

#27

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 10:44am

Howard also sings to higher keys in Phantom.

#28

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 10:47am

in addition to "as long as you're mine" they also dropped "dancing through life" down a ton for taye, and from what i've heard it seems they raised that song up a bit for sebastian on the tour

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#29

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 10:48am

Sebastian sounded really good on tour. I didn't notice a change in the key, though.

#30

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:05am

I likes Sebastians acting, but he really didnt sing.

In "A Chorus Line" they had to adjust the song "Music and the Mirror" for the Cassies. I'm sure shes not the only one, but Ann Rienking had to have the song lowered. Also, there was a lady in the London cast, I think it was, that didnt have a strong voice so they had to have all the girls off stage sing a certin parts. I cant remember what hey were called. I'm sure Margo knows and can help with out with this London thing.

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#31

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:58am

I know the casts of The Producers get the songs in keys comfortable for their range..."Flaunt It", "'Til Him", "Betrayed", "Haben Sie", "Bavaria", "That Face" have all been raised and lowered for different actors and understudies.

#32

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:02pm

They made the score higher for Rex Smith in as Chauvelin in Pimpernel, which is why "Where's the Girl?" lost all it's hypnosis on me (Terrence Mann's version is amazing to me).

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Percy: Sink me! If it isn't Javvurt!
Javert: Zsah-vair, it's pronounced Zsah-vair.
Pecry: But it's spelled J-A-V-E-R-T Javvurt.
Javert: Repeat after me Zsah...Zsah....
Percy: Oh! Zsa-Zsa! Like the Gabor sister! Well I personally have always prefered Eva.
Javert: (Looks for gun)

#33

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:48pm

Liza Minnelli in Victor/Victoria

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#34

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:02pm

Jerry Herman adjusted keys for every one of his Dollys and Mames. Why shouldn't the lead sound great?

#35

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:16pm

Let's see. Scores have been lowered for numerous actresses and actors. Some examples include Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard for the part of Norma (the song "As If We Never Said Goodbye" was lowered), for Susan Egan in Cabaret for the part of Sally (the song "Cabaret" was lowered a half-step down), and for Boyd Gaines in Company for the part of Robert (the song "Being Alive" was lowered to adjust to his bass-baritone voice).

#36

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 3:23pm

I don't know about scores being lowered to fit understudies, but i read an interview with sondheim once and he said that he transposed the score of sunday in the park after Bernadette and Mandy were cast, it was not originaly written for either of their vocal ranges.

#37

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 4:16pm

I actually liked Burke's frumpiness...it made the character more real for me than a beautiful voice like Merle Louise's.

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#38

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 4:24pm

"I actually liked Burke's frumpiness...it made the character more real for me than a beautiful voice like Merle Louise's."

You mean Barbara Bryne.
But I can understand what you mean. While I much preferred Bryne's Jack's Mother, I like Burke's take on the character. It just takes some getting used to.
And Burke is HILARIOUS in the film "Series 7"

#39

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 4:34pm

Bette sang all the original Merman keys for Gypsy. And has been the only major Rose to do so. I know she was very proud to sing the original keys.

I'm sure Patti will sing the original keys also.

What Sweeney songs were lowered for Patti?

Some of the material was taken up a bit for Christina Applegate in Charity.

#40

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 5:38pm

Oh yeah--here's another one: Boyd Gaines in the revival of "Company". They brought Robert's songs WAY down.

#41

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 5:41pm

Ben as Antony in the new sweeney sings a much lower key than what the original score is.

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#42

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 5:46pm

This doesn't ahev to do w/ Boradyway too much, but in the Rent movie, I think the score for Without You is lowered for Rosario since her voice is so deep.

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#43

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 5:46pm

"Oklahoma?" was lowered for Mylinda Hull in DRS.

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#44

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 7:09pm

I remember Joey McIntyre singing "As Long As You're Mine" about a half a step lower than Norbie does on the album. And he also had a little country flair to his voice.

#45

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 7:12pm

I know when hasselhoff did TITH in J/H, the ending was changed as he could not hold a note that long

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#46

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 7:39pm

ALAYM was raised for them. They went much higher at the end and David hits higher notes than Norbert.

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#47

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 7:57pm

i have no idea if this is true or not, but i have heard that in Wicked, on occasion Defying Gravity is dropped a half step or so if the performer's voice isn't in best form... is this true?

#48

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 8:00pm

Victor/Victoria had different keys for understudies. You fit the song to the performer's range.

One should be very careful not to confuse the changing of the key with talent. It's about where a song sounds best on each performer. It's not an Olympic track event where if so and so can't hit that high note, they aren't golden.

Is Madonna as good a singer as Patti LuPone? Not by a long shot. But this has nothing to do with key changes.

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#49

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 9:59pm

All the actresses who followed Patti LuPone in SUNSET BOULEVARD had the keys of the major songs lowered: Betty Buckley, Diahann Carroll, Elaine Paige and, of course, Glenn Close. LuPone (other than Streisand on her Back to Broadway CD) is the only singer who belted D's in both WITH ONE LOOK and AS IF WE'VE NEVER SAID GOODBYE.

#50

re: Scores lowered to fit certain actors?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 10:06pm

You also need to keep in mind that even the Original Broadway casts don't necessarily sing the scores in the key they were originally written in. Keys are always adjusted to best fit the singers voices; it's very rare that a composer writes something in one specific key and insists that it not be changed.