The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever? — Page 2

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#26

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:44pm

1. David Elder

1. Sutton Foster

Other male: Gavin Creel, Brian Stokes Mitchel, and Jason Raize

Other female: Bernadette Peters, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Susan Egan, Heather Headley, Erin Dilly

I adore the black band holding on the Phantom's mask. ~ Jenna2

#27

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:48pm

Julie Andrew- Best Female

Jerry Orbach- Best Male

Hands down

"All the while making faces like a baby platypus who forget to take some Beano before eating a chimichanga." FindingNamo in reference to Jessica Simpson's singing.

#28

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:49pm

Female: Patti and Bernedette of course! I just love them. Also Audra Mcdonald and Sutton Foster for the newish singers.

Male: Mandy Patinkin and Chip Zien. Also love Malcolm Gets, Anthony Rapp and Raul Esparza as well as Norbert Leo Butz.

You're always sorry, You're always grateful, You hold her, thinking: "I'm not alone." You're still alone.
-"Sorry-Grateful" Company

#29

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:50pm

Greatest female vocalist Broadway has ever heard: ETHEL MERMAN
Why? Clear, clarion voice; Excellent diction; and attracted top songwriters of her day (Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, and later Styne & Sondheim and Herman.) Runner up: JULIE ANDREWS - again excellent voice and diction, and attracting top talent. Sadly she gave up Broadway after only 3 shows. Ethel stayed on Broadway through 7 shows in the 30s, 3 in the 40s, 3 in the 50s plus two returns in the 1960s. By the time she closed in HELLO DOLLY! in 1970 she had celebrated 40 years as Broadway's top diva.

Greatest male vocalist: ALFRED DRAKE - a first rate singer and actor and later a director. Three hit shows (OKLAHOMA!, KISS ME KATE and KISMET) plus many others in revival and on the road. Runner up: JOHN RAITT though onl;y 2 hit shows to his credit but Raitt stayed with it a lot longer.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#30

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:52pm

Oh my gosh, without a doubt Ethel Merman.

A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

#31

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:53pm

Linda Eder. Anthony Warlow.

'nuf said.

#32

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:55pm

Patti LuPone
Liza Minelli
Jerry Orbach
Audra McDonald
Jennifer Holliday
Barbara Cook
Maureen McGovern
Bernadette Peters
Brian Stokes Mitchell

On the newer/"potential to be a Broadway great" end:

Sutton Foster
Kudisch
Carolee Carmello
Laura Benanti
Billy Porter
Stephanie Block
Kristin Chenoweth

#33

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:56pm

define "great" for me. are we talking just about vocal ability? or technique? or just the voice on its own, independent of what is done with it? are we factoring in the ability to PERFORM a song live?

"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep. Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse, till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers

#34

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:59pm

For guys I'd have to say Anthony Rapp and Jerry Orbach, oh and Marc Kudisch.

"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."

#35

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 9:33am

Barbara Cook
Robert Morse

#36

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:05am

Female: Julie Andrews, Barbara Cook, Judy Garland (not on Broadway, but still...) Nowadays: Marin Mazzie Rachel York, Audra McDonald (sp) Patti Lupone, Donna Murphy

Male: Alfred Drake, John Raitt, Jerry Orbach, Brent Barrett, Brian Stokes Mitchell

~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~

#37

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:11am

EVER is hard since a lot of us have only been on the Broadway scene the past 10-15 years. I remember the first time I heard Linda Eder -- she's still my favorite singer of all time. I think Heather Headley, was also phenomenal. Audra McDonald.

Men: Robert Cuccioli (who NEEDS to be back on Broadway soon), Colm Wilkinson, Brian Stokes Mitchell... to name a few...

Let's just say, "EVER" in this generation.

"Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker" -- Willy Wonka

#38

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:13am

OMG, I can't believe some of these people listed. This topic would have been better labeled "Greatest Musical Voices You Have Heard" because some of these people are good but they fit nowhere in the same category as some of the voices that have filled theatres, especially without the aid of a microphone.

Female: Ethel Merman
Male: John Raitt

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#39

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:14am

Male:

JOHN RAITT
George Hearn
Anthony Warlow
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Michael Arden

FEMALE:

ETHEL MERMAN
Patti LuPone
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
Bernadette Peters
Julie Andrews
LIZA MINNELLI
Audra McDonald
Carolee Carmello
BARBRA STREISAND

I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting, too (especially men).

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 10:14 AM

#40

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:23am

C'mon...Anthony Rapp for best VOCALIST? I agree that he's a great performer, and a good singer...but I wouldn't label him one of the best voices EVER...

Michael Ball
Alice Ripley

Two people with AMAZING ranges and stamina. Plus, they give you chills to hear 'em sing!

#41

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:26am

How could I forget ETHEL MERMAN??????????????

*sob* I'm a terrible person!

~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~

#42

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:27am

Just because the title says "ever" doesn't automatically mean that modern theatre doesn't count. It's called an opinion, people. There are no right or wrong answers.

For male, I think Joel Grey (Especially for Cabaret). For Female, I have to say Ellen Greene.

-Jera

p.s. I think Kerry Butler is amazing, but I will refrain from listing her in this topic because I fear that I will be shot for being "naive".

jera

"It's not a problem, it's just a challenge, it's a challenge, to resist temptation."

#43

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:36am

Just because the title says "ever" also doesn't automatically mean that non-modern theatre dosen't count either. It IS called an opinion and EVERYONE gets to have one so you should accept those that are different from yours also. No one said that you could not have an opinion just that some of them were not as agreeable as others.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#44

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:44am

I'm just saying that there seems to be more trashing of other people's opinions than actually discussing musical theatre on these boards. For instance, If someone says "I think Kerry Butler is the best thing to happen to Broadway..", people will freak out and completely trash the author of the post instead of saying *why* they don't agree. Sure, we've got freedom of speech, but there should at least be some respect and class.

"It's not a problem, it's just a challenge, it's a challenge, to resist temptation."

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 10:44 AM

#45

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:46am

I'd put Merman down for Greatest Performer In Musical Theatre without question, but I wouldn't consider her to be the greatest vocalist. OK I guess you could say it was the greatest voice, using "great" in the sense of "large". If "great" is to be an indication of quality, I'm stuck somewhere in the Barbara Cook/Julie Andrews/Lupone area.

With men, it's hard to surpass Warlow from a technical standpoint. But I've never seen him perform live or on video (unless you count that PATIENCE DVD from Opera Australia) so it'd be silly to make any huge claims about his greatness in musicals. I know he's great on recordings. Alfred Drake or John Raitt I'm thinkin'

"Let's just say, "EVER" in this generation."

what does that mean? who is to say what age group owns the current generation? more alarmingly, in what generation anywhere in history would Cuccioli be one of the great voices?

"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep. Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse, till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers

#46

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:58am

Best female voices:

JULIE ANDREWS - such a beautiful voice!
EMILY SKINNER - so versatile
IDINA MENZEL - what a belter!
CHITA RIVERA - maybe not a beautiful voice, but v. distinctive!
BARBRA STREISAND - ok she hasn't been on a theatre stage for decades, but still

Best male voices:

BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL
MICHAEL CRAWFORD
JERRY ORBACH
COLM WILKINSON

#47

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 11:02am

Best Female Voices:

Fritzi Scheff
Emma Trentini
Fay Templeton
Peggy Wood
Mary Ellis
Evelyn Herbert
Evelyn Laye
Vivienne Segal
Natalie Hall
Wynn Murray
Tamara
Fannie Brice
Anne Brown
Ethel Waters
Muriel Angelus
Mary Jane Walsh
Gertrude Niessen
June Havoc
Nancy Walker
Carol Bruce
Maureen Cannon
Patricia Gillete
Nanette Fabray
Dorothy Sarnoff
Marta Eggert
Doretta Morrow
Julie Andrews
Barbara Cook
Edie Adams
Angela Lansbury

Best Male Voices:

Robert Halliday
Howard Marsh
Dennis King
Todd Duncan
Eddie Albert
Ronald Graham
Alfred Drake
David Brooks
Ray Middleton
John Raitt
Ezio Pinza
Stephen Douglas
Wilbur Evans
Robert Preston
Bill Johnson

Miriam

Every movement has a meaning--but what the hell does it mean!

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 11:02 AM

#48

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 11:09am

Is it too late to add Fanny Brice to my list?

#49

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 11:11am

Fanny Brica was soooo talented

~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~

#50

re: The Greatest Musical Theatre Voices Ever?

Posted: 4/10/05 at 11:26am

She was an incredible performer but what I've heard, in recordings, her voice was just passable not great. What she lacked in voice she made up for in performance.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

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