#126
Posted: 2/17/05 at 4:10pm
Honestly, anybody who thinks Liza could sing this score is absolutely and intentionally being dishonest with themselves. I'm not trying to attack Liza, because she was incredibly talented in her younger days, and even though much of her talent has faded, she still, probably more than anyone I can think of, gives 100% when she performs. She is perhaps the most generous performer of the last century, and I don't say that lightly. That woman gives her all when she performs. Just imagine what someone with a great wealth of talent could do if they worked as hard as Ms. Minelli.
But that's not the point. She has done permanent damage to her voice, and the shift is obvious. I'm talking, not just about a shift in the tone of her vocie, but an extreme register shift. At her prime, like in her Oscar winning role, she was belting through the roof, but she couldn't even dream of hitting those notes anymore. And it's not a matter of her working on it and getting her voice back in shape; it is no longer within her capabilities. It doesn't make me happy, but it's true, and if people can't realize it, then they're in denial or they're deaf.
Again, I'm not saying this to be mean. It actually saddens me a great deal, because Liza was a phenomenal performer, and she could have been phenomenal for much longer if not for her poor health.
As for the Swanson/Minelli comparison, it's a complete fallacy of logic. Swanson was a faded glory simply because she hadn't worked in so long. People basically thought her time had passed. It was not an issue of the talents that made her famous being absent, and that's the issue with Liza. I also feel people are overlooking her speech impediment, which for me is a serious problem. I don't want to hear whoever plays Norma singing, "I won't shee you now til I shurrender".
Just my thoughts (although I stated many a fact). Again, I'm not trying to attack Liza because I hate her. It couldn't be further from the truth.
P.S. - I love Liza's work on Arrested Development! I've thought for a long time that people have seriously overlooked her as a brilliant comedienne. Again, she's probably so good at it because she gives so much of herself to any role she plays. I would love to see her in a non-musical film, comedy or drama, or preferably mix of the two. I've also always thought she'd be great on Will and Grace as Karen's best friend, someone who would be just as shallow and bitchy as Karen.
But that's not the point. She has done permanent damage to her voice, and the shift is obvious. I'm talking, not just about a shift in the tone of her vocie, but an extreme register shift. At her prime, like in her Oscar winning role, she was belting through the roof, but she couldn't even dream of hitting those notes anymore. And it's not a matter of her working on it and getting her voice back in shape; it is no longer within her capabilities. It doesn't make me happy, but it's true, and if people can't realize it, then they're in denial or they're deaf.
Again, I'm not saying this to be mean. It actually saddens me a great deal, because Liza was a phenomenal performer, and she could have been phenomenal for much longer if not for her poor health.
As for the Swanson/Minelli comparison, it's a complete fallacy of logic. Swanson was a faded glory simply because she hadn't worked in so long. People basically thought her time had passed. It was not an issue of the talents that made her famous being absent, and that's the issue with Liza. I also feel people are overlooking her speech impediment, which for me is a serious problem. I don't want to hear whoever plays Norma singing, "I won't shee you now til I shurrender".
Just my thoughts (although I stated many a fact). Again, I'm not trying to attack Liza because I hate her. It couldn't be further from the truth.
P.S. - I love Liza's work on Arrested Development! I've thought for a long time that people have seriously overlooked her as a brilliant comedienne. Again, she's probably so good at it because she gives so much of herself to any role she plays. I would love to see her in a non-musical film, comedy or drama, or preferably mix of the two. I've also always thought she'd be great on Will and Grace as Karen's best friend, someone who would be just as shallow and bitchy as Karen.
