Sutton Foster's voice type

[winston89]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:11pm

I was wondering what sutton's voice type is. After listing to the final note in show off i think she is a soprano but don't know for sure. Also, she can go pretty high. Am I the only one that would like to hear her do more higher stuff in terms of singing?

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:13pm

She is without a doubt a soprano.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:22pm

I've heard mezzo soprano.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:23pm

Sure, I'd say mezzo.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:27pm

With a strong belt.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:30pm

Well generally with musical theatre singers, the better your head voice and the more comfortable you are as a soprano, the bigger/better your belt is.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:40pm

Mezzo with belt.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:43pm

Definitely mezzo, as much as I love Sutton that was a top A at the end of Show Off, which Janine LaManna is now taking up to a top C

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:45pm

OOH! I wanna hear Janine sing that! She has a fabulous voice.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:48pm

You can hear her sing it now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTgHyxNnakU

That top C is impressive.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 8:55pm

Whoa. Thanks so much!

I love that woman. She sounds amazing. That top C does sound great.

Janine's voice is so versatile. She sounds so different from Seussical, to Sweet Charity, to Drowsy. I love it.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 9:10pm

Glad to be of assistance ljay! I love seeing Drowsy in London, so good to have Bob over. The only disappointment about Summer Strallen is not doing a high note at the end of Show Off (she does a middle C and the octave above, staying there), apart from that her dancing is amazing (she can do more than Sutton) and her singing has improved A LOT since the previews. Her chemistry with Elaine Paige is darn funny as well.

[nygrl23]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 9:17pm

I'd say mezzo, too. Her belt is very carefully placed--it's a twang technique that I've found to be pretty useful, too.

Comparing people is kind of a weird thing to do since each person has his/her own uniqueness to contribute, but I do find Sutton's performance to be stronger than those of her London and current-bwy counterparts.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 9:19pm

I don't dislike Sutton, but I'm not so much a fan of the twang technique. However, whenever she goes into her head voice in order to hit her mezzo notes, she doesn't seem to bringing the twang technique with her. Which I think is good because it makes her versatile.

[bwaymizfit2]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 9:51pm

She hits a high b-flat at the end of "Could You?" in Little Women, doesn't she?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:04pm

Janine is taking a high C?
She is such a show-off.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:28pm

She sings some high note at the end of "Astonishing" which seems really high for her cause she screams it more than "sings" it. But that might be how they wanted it on the recording because I've heard her perform it live and it didnt sound like she was "reaching" for the note at all.

Sorry to be a dumba$$, but what is the diff between mezz and just soprano?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:30pm

In non technical terms - Mezzo is just a lower soprano. In choir it's considered Soprano 2.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:34pm

It's an E flat at the end of Astonishing as opposed to an A in Show Off. It's weird I do agree, the note sounds 'higher' in Astonishing because of the effort (and musically it's more of a climax), even though it is actually lower. I really don't think she screams it at all.

Updated On: 6/18/07 at 10:34 PM

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:37pm

I'm with RentBoy on this one. We did a Little Women workshop at my community theatre, and I was scared of out my mind to sing "Astonishing" but it turned out to have perfect range. Not high at all. But the sheet music you can buy is different at the end from what she does.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:42pm

Range does not a voice type make. Just because you can hit a C6 doesn't mean you're a soprano. And A5-B5 isn't that high.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:48pm

I think it's just cause its not as "placed" as her other notes. She seems to always have full control and place every note and that one just seemed very..."Wicked-esque." But I know the feeling, sometimes if you dont set the other notes up right, then you feel like you can't hit that note, when in reality it's not that high for you at all, its just you exhausted all your effort.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:49pm

I agree, neither Sutton's A in Show Off (and particularly the Eb in Astonishing) are that high. But a C6? I would hardly call that alto or mezzo territory...

[ahmelie]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:54pm

I can hit a C6 and I am definitely not a soprano. I would absolutely call her a mezzo with a strong belt.

Updated On: 10/24/07 at 10:54 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/18/07 at 10:57pm

Mainly, tessitura. You have to be comfortable singing high notes and staying there. It's like Celia Keenan-Bolger. She can sing beautiful soprano notes, but she is more comfortable singing lower. So I'd classify her as a mezzo soprano. Also, I'd qualify it too on the strength of the high note. From that video, Janine's C6 was not very impressive to me (but I am picky about my high notes.)

These other things are more for opera and classical than MT, but:

- Timbre. Sopranos tend to have a lighter voice. Of course, that's more for opera than musical theatre, but it can still apply.
- Strength of the register. Sopranos tend to have a stronger upper register and a weaker lower one.

Honestly, for MT, I think it's a very grey line because of versatility. Ruthie Henshall is considered a mezzo soprano and can sing pretty darn low, but she played the role of Amalia in She Loves Me. Claire Moore's another good example.