Tonya Pinkins as Caroline — Page 2

TonyaFanatic: Well put, that's exactly how I felt. It's really a shame that the show didn't do as well as it should have, and anyone who saw it with half a brain should realize that it's one of the best shows and most amazing performance to come along in a while. I'm so glad that it's having (or had) a successful run on the west coast.

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nystaeofmind: now thats what im talkin about! tell it like it is. awesome. nuff said. that should sum up everything thank u so much for getting the show and looking at it not only as a musical theater fan, but someone who wants to get a better understanding of the world around u, jus like EVERY theater fan should be.

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When I left Wonderful Town, I was humming the praises of the wonderful Donna Murphy, finally giving us a delightful and perfect comic turn.
When I left Avenue Q, I was thoroughly charmed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Kate (and Lucy). Oozing charm and personality.
When I left Wicked, I was impressed by the vocal power of its stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
When I left Caroline, or Change, I felt I had just seen my generations Ethel Merman in Gypsy, or Angela Lansbury as Mame, or Carol Channing as Dolly.
Imagine my surprise on Tony night...

I have to agree. While I thought all 5 ladies were terrific, for me Pinkins' performance was the stuff of Broadway legend. Simply brilliant vocally and some of the most nuanced acting I've ever seen by a musical theatre actress. A killer performance in a killer role.

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Updated On: 2/4/05 at 12:45 AM

Actually, Tony voters are peers in the theatre. Not Producers, but performers as well. I have known many actors who had performed on Broadway, that go to shows so that they can vote for the Tony's.

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I agree that vocally, Tonya was not in the best shape. However, I go to the theatre to see actors not singers. I believed every moment of her performance and if she cracked, it worked. She's a stupendous talent and I would also have to agree that if I had it my way, which I don't, she would have won.

I saw Caroline... several times over the course of the Broadway run and she never failed to amaze me no matter what her vocal condition was. I also found her to be incredibly gracious and warm. She was always the last person to leave the theatre. She would stay until she had spoken to and signed for anyone who was waiting for her. What a lady!

The Tony should have gone to her! Enough said.

Updated On: 2/4/05 at 11:49 AM

I'll tell you why I, for one, will credit Tonya's cracking as "character" and not Idina's.
Wicked's roles are built upon vocal pyrotechnics. The whole emphasis emotionally in almost every single one of those songs is "look what I can do with my voice." At least, that's how it comes across to me. That's pretty indicative of pop songwriting in general, anyway.
Now, for Caroline. The songs were semi-operatic sendups of gospel and funk and blues and music of the period but they weren't literally pastiche. The show was through-sung and definitely had elements of magic realism but the singing was meant to be, mostly, taken for speech. Also, the emphasis of the songs in Caroline was rarely "listen to my awesome belty high note while I'm being lifted by a cherry picker." It was "I am so wrapped up in this moment and these emotions I can barely sing."
It's much the same reason poor singers are often so accepted in Sondheim shows. The intent here, as with Sondheim, is the impact of the moment and the words, not the voice.
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Sorry, quick edit: With that said, in a role like Elphaba where the vocal style is paramount, you'd darn well be able to knock it out of the ballpark every time.

Updated On: 2/4/05 at 12:02 PM

I have this continual prayer that it after it has these successful runs in CA, and perhaps other places, it will come back to NYC. Realistic or not, that's my wish.

Tonya was amazing. The cracks made me believe her heartache even more. Beautiful, legato notes would not have worked.

She didn't crack all the time, we said that. We also said that later in the run when it got tough and her voice did her rough, it worked.

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If people are gonna say Tonya wasn't up for the role I'd like to ask WHO WOULD BE. As Tesori has said it is in many ways a role that--if it had been performed in opera stages they woulda had alternates perform half the performances so she oculd rest her voice (LaChiusa said the same about Audra McDonald's role in Marie Christine).

I also thought, cracks aside, she was VERY powerful and great on the Tonys--and better on the cast album. My mom who knew nothing about the show saw the Tony clip and immediatelyw as impressed--it wasn't till I went online after that it seemed everyone hated it.

E

If it's about CONTEXT, the role would have STARTED that way and it would have been RECORDED that way!

-Vincent

You obviously don't understand what various people have said. Tonya didn't always have vocal issues. Towards the end of her run, her voice grew tired and wavered a little bit. It obviously wasn't intended that way, but it didn't detract from the integrity of her character or the show - it added to the heartbreak of it. And it is certainly NOT like that for every show. It is not excusable in, let's say WICKED for Idina to start loosing her voice. It works in some cases, and doesn't in others. We're not saying that Tonya made a conscious decision to make her voice gravely - it naturally happened and it worked. Tonya never went off-pitch, ever - from what I've seen. It's not hard to understand that not every role allows that.

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