The controversy over Gerard Butler's voice.- Page 5

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 3:07pm

Woah kinda random bringing this thread back, but maybe I'll reread it...totally recommend bringing it the off-topic board and the Gerard Butler love thread, particularly for the posts these are referring to, but I'll just add I'm not saying that Gerry's vocal in itself is necessarily better than Crawford or Panero but the key does lie in his whole performance-he just made the part so much his own and the singing just was part of the whole package and fit in well with the rest...oy, I love Gerry! 28 days to the DVD woohoo!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 3:23pm

Actually went to reread this thread since I'm now completely in love with Gerard Butler and have now seen the movie 7 times. Obviously I mostly agreed with those who liked him, disagreed with most who disliked him but one quote really got to me: "whenever he embraces Christine, the lack of passion is astounding." What?? I could hardly believe the amazing passion between to the two, particularly Point of No Return, waht a great scene. I actually even read somewhere that Patrick Wilson was crying real tears because he just couldn't believe the chemistry between the two. Just had to get that out. Hrmph.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 3:55pm

I got the cd and hated his voice. when I saw the movie seeing him as he sang was alot better for some reason. Though I dont think he is well suited for musical theatre if ALW liked him then u cant really argue.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 4:07pm

For Moulin Rouge Nicole and Ewan were given 6 months or more of training for singing, and if I might say, they taliored the songs in such a way where it was the most comfortable to them.

Gerard was trained for 6 WEEKS. Show me a middle aged man who has never sung before in his life and lets hear how he sounds in 6 weeks. Unless someone is a born extrodinary singer, 6 weeks not barely enough time.

The stupid part is Schumacher knew he wanted Gerry for a very long time. But never had him start training.

I don't think he sounds horrible (well some parts he does) but I think in 5 years if he kept up his singing and really practiced, then he would be really good. But it sucks that they didn't give him the time to grow vocal wise.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 5:23pm

Like I said before, what controversy? Gerard Butler sucks, plain and simple.

Posted: 4/5/05 at 5:52pm

LORD. Dont get me started on his casting.

At least Euan and Nicole are celebrities!

In my opinion, when you make a musical movie, you can either cast CELEBRITIES who you tain to sound passable (aka: Chicago, with Rene and Richard Gere etc)

OR

you can cast an unknown with a killer voice! (a BROADWAY PERSON..ETC)

The downside of casting a celebrity is somtimes they dont sing as well as a known person.

The downside of casting an unknown talented person is they have trouble drawing people to the box office.

LETS SEE

Gerald Butler is unknown

AND not a strong singer.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD THE PRODUCERS OF THIS MOVIE WANT TO GO WITH BOTH!!!! DOWNSIDES. CONFUSES ME TO THIS DAY.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 7:16pm

Call me crazy (and I probably am) but I kinda liked the voices of Gerard, Emmy, and the others they cast. I wouldn't recommend having most of these actors perform on broadway, but for the movie, I think it was nice to get a contrast from the more "broadway" sounding voices.

I think the movie had a nice soft quality to it that would have been lost if the singers had been exceptionally strong and belted out the parts. Movies are different than broadway and so you need different voices for movies than you do for broadway.

Just my opinion. What do I really know?

EDIT: Also, Gerard Butler was on a talk show and he was saying that originally he was only picked for the acting side of the role, and that they were going to have someone else sing it. However, the director heard him sing and liked his voice, so they switched it. That may be the reason why he only had 6 weeks of training.
Updated On: 4/5/05 at 07:16 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 7:59pm

Since it's a sung-through show, why have someone dub his voice (although this might have been a better alternative to the finished product).

[Sporkie]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 8:54pm

I definately think his voice was mediocre. At best. I cannot listen to that movie's soundtrack. I'm not kidding- I have to leave the room, literally. He just can't sing well and I have no idea why he was cast.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/5/05 at 9:05pm

"Like I said before, what controversy?"

There are people who feel differently than you.

I think it's odd that everyone hates Butler's voice, but no one ever mentions Rossum.

[kikki327]

Posted: 4/7/05 at 11:03pm

Well, i dissagree with all of you. I found Gerard Butler's voice to be extremely good for never taking a singing lesson before Phantom. He brings out the tourtured soul of the Phantom and his emotion is overwhelming...not to mention is good looks!

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 12:55am

I didn't mind his voice when i saw it on screen. Didn't MIND it. But when i get the CD, i hated it. He screams, he has no grasp of the concept of legato, he breathes in awkward places, his vowels sound like crap, and this is all after the film makers presumably touched up the rough points in his voice. His voice would never stand up on stage.

And whoever said that trained operatic sopranos scream, wtf?!

[kec]

Posted: 4/8/05 at 4:48am

"Gerard was trained for 6 WEEKS."

Where did you hear/read that? Everything I've read indicates that GB started working on his singing as soon as he heard people were interested in having him audtion. I read stories about how he was vocalizing between takes on both the second Lara Croft film and Dear Frankie. Plus, he had training throughout the course of filming.

Sounds to me like a LOT more than six weeks.

[susan3]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 7:51pm

i'm new but i just wanted to add my two cents...i just saw the broadway show two weeks ago (with hugh panaro)and i own the london soundtrack with michael crawford and sarah brightman...

mr panaro has a beautiful voice but i really do believe that gerard butler put more heart and passion into his portrayal of the phantom...that comes out in his voice as well...

Posted: 5/16/05 at 7:57pm

About the only thing I've ever felt that the score had going for it was its melodic beauty - however repetitive. Whatever else can be said, Gerard didn't seem to accentuate that aspect.

Edited to more precisely say what I intended.
Updated On: 5/16/05 at 07:57 PM

[I-Man]

Posted: 10/17/19 at 9:47pm

I like his voice because of the disfigured boy were to grow up in the opera house, he would cone to love the musical arts a HAVE a raw voice. It said nothing in the play about him being trained, only Zutat he trained Christine. He is a true Phantom down to the marrow.

[I-Man]

Posted: 10/17/19 at 9:53pm

If the disfigured boy were to grow up in the opera house, he would come to love the musical arts a HAVE a raw voice. The movie is realistic that way. Also he’s supposed to be a luring, and very shaken vibrato voice would knock ANYONE out of a trance,

[I-Man]

Posted: 10/17/19 at 9:56pm

Michael Strathmore said: "Gang, his voice is horrible. Simple. Period. You don't cast someone who cannot sing in one of the most popular roles written for a man on the stage.

No doubt Schumacher got excited at the site of Butler's good looks at the auditions, and that clouded his less than stellar artistic faculties.

Patrick Wilson can sing and act his role quite well. Butler can not do much of either. Seriously, wait until you see it. He is terrible. He moves without grace or cunning. Like a poor man's Batman, actually. (Thanks again Schumacher.) And whenever he embraces Christine, the lack of passion is astounding.

But if you don't beleive me, watch it again and count how many unmotivated gestures Butler has throughout the picture. This man was clearly out of his element with this genre.

Schumacher is out of his element with every film, but at least I was expecting that going in...

--M--"

 

Yeah...okay, sure. Don’t try to consider why the CREATOR of the play chose him for the role in collaboration with the director.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 12:04am

Gerard, you realize you are joining a discussion that ended almost 15 years ago? Let it go.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 12:12am

I saw the title of the thread and thought, “What controversy?” and then noticed my post from FOURTEEN YEARS AGO saying the exact same thing!

Howard McGillin, Davis Gaines, Gary Mauer...THOSE are the kind of voices that should sing The Phantom of the Opera.

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 8:00am

amen to Davis Gaines

[Dave28282]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 9:07am

Maybe it's time for a decent remake?

With Kaley Ann Voorhees as Christine?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 4:08pm

I wish I'd been part of this original discussion because I hated Emmy Rossum as Christine more than anything. I found her far worse than Gerard Butler. Then again, a bad soprano singing a legit role is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

I feel the same way about people giving Russell Crowe so much flack in Les Mis - yes he was terrible, but can we talk about Amanda Seyfried?

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 4:22pm

lol I actually liked Amanda as Cosette. I thought her warble suited the role.

 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 10/18/19 at 4:50pm

Has it been long enough that we can consider a Phantom re-make, this time with a competent director and singers who suit the score?