Sondheim Masterclass -- Who Is This Girl?

I believe that's Clare Burt who has played roles such as Grizabella and Rose in Aspects of Love in the West End, as well as Company in the 1996 London Revival

Updated On: 8/13/13 at 01:36 AM

I'm sorry but that ain't Clare Burt. Burt played the Witch in the Donmar's Into the Woods in 1998, and Susan in the Donmar's 1996 Company... She looks nothing like this woman, so I think you must be mistaken

Thanks guys. I looked up Clare Burt and I can't tell for sure if it's the same woman. If it Burt, she does an incredibly good job at an American accent. I have rarely ever heard a Brit perform a regional American accent with much success, and this girl's accent was quite idiomatic and natural so I assumed she was a native American.

Hmmm... I agree that the best part of these videos is Sondheim himself, but I'm not sure I see what you're seeing in the Amy. In a masterclass setting, where one has selected a piece to perform out-of-context, you'll inevitably not have a fully fleshed-out character. We don't know how long these students have been rehearsing this song, but judging from the other two in this video, it probably wasn't very long. The patter in that song is a nightmare to sing and I can't say I blame the girl for feeling a little "Okay, I finally got all the words down! LOOK AT ME!!!" lol. I also have to disagree that she's a singer who can't act. Although she could turn the "manic" dial up from the 6 where she is up to about a 9 or 10, I think she's a fine actress.

"Therefore, whoever she is, she's almost certainly British. "

British drama schools often have a quota of American students. (They get more money from them in fees).

"Therefore, whoever she is, she's almost certainly British."

I'm not sure I follow. Unless performing arts programs are different from academic programs, British schools have been accepting international students at least since the 1970s. My father received his Ph.D. in the U.K. in the 1980s and was not a British citizen, albeit in a scientific field. I don't see why it would be out of the question that an American would end up at Guildhall or perhaps an expat who relocated there as a teenager or something.

I'm not saying it's impossible that she is British. For all I know, she might very well be. I just wanted to find out who she was.

Updated On: 8/13/13 at 06:13 PM

http://www.sondheimguide.com/television.html

Hope that helps.

Elizabeth Rodger is the soprano who went to Guildhall, meaning Jane Shaw must be Amy in the video.

http://www.evmonteclair.fr/pages/Direction_et_partenaires_artistiques-3745167.html

Updated On: 8/14/13 at 10:43 PM

The only one of those students I'm aware of having a long-term career, and who is performing today, is Jackie Dankworth.