The Greatest Triple Threats — Page 2

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.

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susan egan

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.

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Norbert Leo Butz. :)

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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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!

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