Toni in Aida- I'm dying to know- how was she.

[slw]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 7:59am

Ok- anyone go and see it last night?????

[Rob]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 9:02am

Yep... She sounded a little bit hoarse last night, though a lot better in the second half than in the first when I think they improved her micing. It was my first time seeing Aida, so I unfortunately don't have much of a reference to compare it to previous casts. I will say that both Mandy Gonzalez, and Will Chase were awesome... If I wasn't already making Mandy's web site, I'd have offered to make her one after last night.

Rob

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 7:17pm

Can you elaborate, Rob? I may be seeing this soon. Deescribe Tony's performance. She impress you vocally? And was her acting good?

[PJ]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 7:41pm

I can honestly say that I don't really enjoy Toni Braxton's voice. As a recording star that is, not as a star of the stage.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 7:45pm

A good friend went last night and said she was awful. Guess we were spoiled with Heather Headley.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 7:48pm

apparently all of the keys had to be lowered, and her diction and pronunciation is horrid.... very hard to understand.

[Bwaybaby109]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 12:21am

I can't imagine why they would have to lower her keys? Aida's songs are low enough!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 12:23am

I'd image that for Braxton, they'd have to lower them into a grave.

oops. Did I say that out loud?

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 8:06am

I saw Aida with Simone who was fabulous. My friend said Heather Headley was surperb. She has a hard act to follow.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 8:38am

I was at the show Monday night. I didn't care for Toni Braxton at all. I'm not familiar with her singing so at first, like RobD, I thought she sounded hoarse from a cold. Further on into the show I realized that her style is to clip a lot of consonants from words which not only makes her extremely difficult to understand but also creates the impression that she is having problems reaching certain notes. It's a style I found quite irritating.

LilianB

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 2:11pm

I was very unimpressed with Toni in Beauty and the Beast. Her voice didn't fit the music at ALL. I am, however, going to see her in Aida in October with an open mind. Who knows? Maybe by then she'll have grown into the role...

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/2/03 at 10:10pm

I saw Heather with the original cast. I also saw Paulette Ivory when the tour came to Atlanta. Heather was by far better, but Paulette was still great. When I first heard Toni was in talks, I was speechless. I couldn't believe it. Toni is no Heather, or Paulette. I could picture Beyonce, but not Toni. Her voice is very deep. I'm not sure if she has a higher register that is not used. Some artists hide their talents because it doesn't fit their style. For example, Jewel is a classically trained opera singer, but it would be odd to hear her bust into that in the middle of "You Were Meant For Me." I thought, "Maybe Toni can tackle this." From what I'm hearing, she can't. Can someone tell me how her "Easy As Life" was?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:14pm

did they lower anything for Toni, like in Beauty and the Beast? If so which songs???

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:17pm

Apparently, all of her music had to be transposed lower for her.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:19pm

o crap!

well what about her duets, trios, and quartets??? does everyone hafta sing lower as well????

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:21pm

not sure, but I believe it would be aranged for her to sing lower, but no one else.
Otherwise, I would have serious pity for the cast of Seussical when Rosie did it and all of her stuff was transposed!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:22pm

true but that's hard to just randomly lower the music then raise it during a song, especially

Step to Far
Elaborate Lives
Written in the Stars

and the harmonies

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:25pm

yeah, but that's what arrangers and orchestrators are for! :)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 6:32pm

i guess but i'd be so embarrassed if they had to lower something for me. Thats not a true artist, the fun is taking it higher, lol

[chasing_rainbows43]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 7:05pm

Toni Braxton's like, a bass...there's no way she could sing I think *anything* as written.

I'm going to see her next Wednesday night, so I'll report back.
I sooo adore her as a recording artist and I love her voice, I think she's got a great sultry quality and I really look forward to seeing it.
Second, I adore the living crap out of both Mandy Gonzalez *and* Will Chase, so the combo of the three of them on the same stage...I am so there.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 7:05pm

thanks chaising rainbow, we look forward to the report!

[LAMANCHAFAN]

Posted: 7/3/03 at 8:10pm

Guess we were spoiled with Heather as well. Really do not have a desire to see Toni as Aida, even though we like her albums.

Seeing her in "B & B " was enough for us !!