What is with Colm Wilkinson?

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 4:13am

What the hell is the big deal with this man? His voice sounds so awful and strained, and it's like he has the inability to sing legato. I got the Canadian Cast POTO today, and i am not even keeping it. Can any music theatre star sing worse than this?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 4:15am

he was actually my favorite phantom before Gerry. he's still my favorite stage phantom aside from the 1992 Japanese cast... I like my phantoms to have deeper voices I guess... not that Crawford's is bad I still love the London CD too...

[DTBG2]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 4:16am

I think he is great!
Love is Jean Valjean...are you kidding me?

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 4:22am

he somehow works as valjean. His phantom is just so incredibly bad though!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 5:11am

His accent, in Les Mis, drives me insane. I can send it up so well. I just wish he would sing it all properly

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 7:17am

He is horrible on the J/H concept album

[scooter38432]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 7:17am

I'd rather hear Colm Wilkinson sing PHANTOM than I would want to hear Michael Crawford.

Then again, I'd rather hear just about ANYBODY sing the role other than Michael Crawford.

Of course, if I really had my way, I wouldn't hear PHANTOM at all ... ever again!

I agree about CW's accent, too. His phrasing and diction are completely annoying. He does have some mighty vocal power coming out of him, though. (To give credit where it is due.)

[suchclumsytime]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 9:48am

His diction makes me want to claw my eyes out, too, but there's this extreme emotion in his voice when he sings that is hard to match. Of course, that's true for most actors in musical theatre, but he's just so raw and extreme about it.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 12:53pm

He creeps me out. In voice and general aura.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 12:57pm

Oh thank god, I'm not the only one out there. For some reason his VJ works but his phantom is horrific. I thought I was the only one who found him waaaaaaaaaaaaaay overrated.

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 1:11pm

I've only heard him sing Music of the Night, in terms of Phantom stuff, but I think he's great as Valjean. The fact that he's playing opposite an actress (in Phantom) who once played his adopted daughter (in Les Mis), though, creeps me out a little...

"Can any music theatre star sing worse than this?"
Yes.
Updated On: 4/24/05 at 01:11 PM

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 1:22pm

I actually really enjoy his Phantom (and of course his Valjean is definitive). His voice has an ethereal quality that lends to the role well.

[MikeH]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 2:05pm

Love Colm WIlkinson. After growing up on Michael Crawford as the Phantom, I recently discovered Colm a couple of years ago (now my favorite Phantom). I think his voice drips with emotion and his highs are fantastic....

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 2:35pm

When Colm is good, he's amazing. When he's bad, watch out.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/24/05 at 2:47pm

Well said magic.

I have trouble seeing him as the Phantom and as J&H because, well, he's old, and it's kinda nasty.

I don't really like him in general, he really good in some spots as Valjean, but not that great in Phantom. (He did alright in the Poto bits in Hey r. Producer though).