The Greatest Triple Threats- Page 2

[Tigger]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 4:20pm

Ann Reinking
Shirley Maclaine
Twiggy

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 4:37pm

Twiggy? Oh, no. She was lovely in My One and Only, but NOT a singer.

Honestly... haven't you heard most female members of a junior high school choir sing better than that? A very sweet, basic voice.

Try to look at it this way... Would people by a CD of "best loved songs" by this person? Many of these triple threats (Reinking inlcuded, Verdon included) really are not GOOD singers. They have "personalitiy voices" but they're not competetive singers, any more than Bert Lahr was. (But boy did he practically steal The Wizard of Oz movie away from Garland with King of the Forest!).

When I think of singers, I think Garland, Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Rosey Clooney, Doris Day, Streisand, k.d. lang, etc. Not Verdon. And certainly not Twiggy. She got by very nicely with a character voice, though. And her "star power" on stage is undeniable.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 4:39pm

The true definition of triple threat is excelling as a singer, an actor, AND a dancer. Not excelling at one or two and being just okay at the third.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 4:43pm

susan egan

[WonderBoy]

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

Michael Berrese
Michael Gruber

Anyone who has ever been in ACL.

[best12bars]

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

Very true, Rath. Very true.

And I think there are (and were) SO few of real triple threats.

Many chorus boys and girls can sing and dance much better than most leads. BUT... they aren't great actors (most of them), and they don't have that "star power" unique quality that sets them apart from the rest. The ones that can act (REALLY act) usually get out of the chorus as quickly as possible, like Shirley MacLaine, Shirley Jones, John Travolta, Bebe Neuwirth and Christopher Walken.

But most are lacking in one or the other. Fred Astaire had many shows and songs written for him. His vocal timing still remains incredible, but he didn't have a great voice. It was passable. Irving Berlin used to say that he liked writing songs for Fred Astaire the best, because he sounded like your average guy. He succeeded as a talent because he was FRED ASTAIRE... a one-of-a-kind performer. The whole package was more than the individual parts. But if Fred didn't dance at all, or act (passably) at all, and tried to make it ONLY as a singer alone... he would have failed very early on.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 4:58pm

I disagree 100% with you on this one best12bars concerning ensemble performers. Most do excel in all three and often times are far superior to the leads. Not only do they play their roles but very often cover leads which require them to excel in acting, singing and dancing.

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:16pm

Norbert Leo Butz. :)

[Tigger]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:24pm

Ben Vereen
Julie Andrews

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:26pm

Julie Andrews? She would be a double threat who moves well. Same for Butz.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:26pm

I think the fact that "A Chorus Line" ran for over a decade and produced only one or two stars during the entire run proves my point pretty well.

Good singers? Some, to be sure.
Good dancers? Pretty much ALL of them.
Good actors? Questionable... but no real breakouts. Bebe Neuwirth being the biggest among them.

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 05:26 PM

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:32pm

Would Donna Murphy count or would she fall under Actor-singer who moves well? (I didn't see Wonderful Town)

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 05:32 PM

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:44pm

Donna Murphy -- actor-singer who moves well.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:53pm

Here's the real problem with "measuring" all of these qualities, and I'm actually re-thinking my opinion on this...

Do we MEASURE these performing arts by level of skill or level of artistry? It seems that they are two entirely different things. I'll probably get bashed for this, but here are some examples:

For singing... Some people have terrific vocal instruments (usually chorus singers), but can't sell a song with enough star power and personality to sustain a lead successfully on Broadway. It takes way more than just a good voice. Others have far less vocal ability (Verdon, Reinking, Lahr, Mostel), but can "put over" a song better than a chorus kid with ten times the training and skill.

For dancing... Some people can kick higher, leap farther, and do quadruple turns... but they can't "sell" a dance with personality better than Vereen, Butz, Foster or Murphy. (Take a look at the chorus dancers in Fosse. They put me to sleep after about 20 minutes. They are not "star" dancers, but their skills and abilities are undeniable.)

For acting... There are performers that can read lines well, have studied extensively with all the right people, and perhaps have played a defining role on Broadway that totally fits their abilities and personalities. But there are not too many break-out actors "stars" around like Cherry Jones, Meryl Streep, Marlon Brando or Jessica Tandy. They rise above their skill and take the human art of acting to a whole different level.

I guess given the choice, I would rather hear Verdon sing than a beautifully trained, technically perfect (but otherwise boring) opera singer. I would rather see Butz dance than watch the bland, yet seemingly perfect ensemble in Fosse. I would rather listen to Cherry Jones read the phone book than listen to a monologue done by many that are fresh out of their prestigious acting schools.

...But, hey, that's me.

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 05:53 PM

[LostLeander]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:54pm

Like mother, like daughter... Judy Garland.

What a woman, and boy could she dance! Look at her earlier stuff!

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 5:58pm

Donna Murphy-that is a triple threat. A Great singing voice (especially in the King and I and Passion), a wonderfull actor and presence(she is in so many movies), and really moved exceptionally well in Wonderful town. She is such a throwback to early musical theater, and she has such charm. Each aspect of the performance, she does with ease and confidence----that is, to me, what a triple threat is.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 6:03pm

Leander, you are so right. I think we missed her because she wasn't a theater actress, but boy, she was top of ANYONE'S game at all three.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 6:15pm

Liza and Judy were both triple threats. I could almost count Liza as a theatre/Broadway actress first, because that's where she first made a name for herself as a star with Flora the Red Menace. She had appeared on "mamma's" variety shows and specials, but Flora kind of put her on the map as a star in her own right.

Regardless... A true triple threat!

[BrendanStryker]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 6:32pm

We're keeping Shirley MacLaine in the triple threat category? She's a horrible singer, imo. Can someone, seriously claim she's as good a singer as she is a dancer and actress? She's a double threat.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 6:39pm

Caroline o'connor, you guys got to see her as velma in Chicago a few years back, when Billy was played by Billy Zane (?)

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 6:49pm

I agree that Shirley MacLaine is in the "can carry a tune" category... NOT the "singer" category.

Singing: OK / passable
Dancing: Good
Acting: Brilliant

EDIT: I feel like launching into "Dance 10, Looks 3" right now.

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 06:49 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 7:37pm

Sorry to those who don't agree with me but Karen Ziemba is not a great singer or great actress. She is good at both. She is however an excellent dancer. This does not a triple threat make...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 7:39pm

So you've said. I think you'll find more people disagree with you than agree.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 7:54pm

sutton foster - maybe not THE greatest (yet), but a pretty damn talented triple threat.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 7:57pm

Debbie Allen...Before she got so over the top!