The Caliber/Amount of Acting in Broadway Musicals

There is something that has always sort of bothered me It is a little jumbled even in my head so I will try to express it articulately.
Here goes: In many musicals I have seen I think the acting is pretty crappy and it always seems to me that the casting directors care mainly about one's ability to sing. Obviously, I understand people have to be able to sing because it is a musical . But since singing is what matters most why are the people in musicals referred to as actors instead of singers?-yes, I realize they are taking on a role but it just seems like so many of them are really more of singers than acotrs. And many of them can't really act very well but might have fabulous voices.
Shouldn't they be referred to as I don't know not just "Broadway Actors" in the same vein as the people down the street doing Shakespeare? Does this make sense to anyone?

---

And plenty can't do either one. There are also the actors who can't sing but can pull off a lead in a musical because they are such GREAT actors.

---

I'd opt more for examples like Kevin Kline, Michelle Pawk, John Lithgow, etc...

You are dead on, FOCI. In my VERY LIMITED experience as a non-eq nobody, casting people and directors seem only interested in voices rather than actors. I think the idea is that they (the director) can coax a performance out of a singer, but you can't coax a singer out of a good actor. Odd, because by and large, the BIG Broadway stars are not especially great singers or have unique voices that have an appeal. I speak of Nathan Lane, Channing, Martin, Merman, Verdon, Lansbury....you get the idea...of course, we will always have Audra, who is the Eighth WOnder of the World as far as I'm concerned. It really is unfortunate more people won't take a chance on a so-so singer who can act circles around a great voice.

a person CAN sing legit AND pop....



a good actor with an okay voice is much preferred to a a greats inger who is like a block of wood...

But I must say I haven't ever seen a great actor really pull off a lead in a musical, could I get some examples please?

*gawks*

Well, that depends on what you think of the acting skills of Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, and Tonya Pinkins, for a start.

Let's take Lansbury, a perfect example. She's a musical theater legend, originating roles from Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd to the title character in Mame. Her portrayal of Rose in Gypsy is also the stuff of legend- many prefer her to Merman. And though the film world never embraced her talents the way theater did, she did amazing work in films like The Manchurian Candidate. (The original, of course.) She's a consummate actress and musical theater leading lady. There's your example.

Updated On: 8/24/04 at 03:17 PM

I'm glad. Because otherwise I'd be throwing out about 50 cast album recommendations to ease your deprivation. :)

George Hearn is one of the greatest musical actors of the past handful of decades.
-d.b.j-

---

I personally think it has more to do with the show than the actors, in a lot of cases. Take Assassins, for example. There is no way you could pull off that show if you can't act. It's just impossible. However, there are certain shows -- 4nd Street, to name one -- that are pure spectacle and rely heavily on dancing and singing. You could put someone brilliant as a campy character and you'd have no idea if they could act -- and possibly, you would think that they couldn't. Obviously in some cases, talent transcends the book...but for the most part, it's based on the material your given to work with.

"But I must say I haven't ever seen a great actor really pull off a lead in a musical, could I get some examples please?"

Tyne Daly in GYPSY. Won a Tony. Can't sing her way out of a paper bag. Won a Tony.

---

Amen, Eponine.

John Lithgow
Carol Channing

2 great examples

---

I will neither take a bad actor, NOR a bad singer. There are just too many talented people that need work, and I won't support a show unless the leads do their jobs better than other people.

Can't stand seeing someone who can't act, and can't stand listening to JOhn Lithgow-type singing anymore, either.