When a Show Permanently Damages a Performer's Singing Voice..

Gwen Verdon in Sweet Charity

Len Cariou in Sweeney Todd

What other unfortunate cases are there?

Updated On: 6/30/06 at 11:14 PM

I never knew about that about Gwen Verdon and Len Cariou and unfortunatley I have nothing to add to the list but this thread does look interesting.

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How about that it is not the show but the performer really can't sing the material. Like Michelle Pawk...wonderful actress but "Mamma Mia's" score was not for her!

Gwen never really had a knock out voice.

LOL! "Willact" but I think her voice was always that way. Shriek and scream.

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Please indulge me- What happened to Len because of Sweeney?

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It seems like The Wedding Singer is having an effect on Amy Spanger's voice.

I don't think it's ever worth it to sacrifice your voice for a show. You may give a stellar performance, win every award you can, but in the long run, nothing is ever worth sacrificing your talent and ability. Such a shame, especially in Julie Andrews' case.

I think she has taken more care of her voice since Dreamgirls. It seems as if her voice is clearer and less raspy than it was before. Perhaps she's worked with a coach? It's sort of like Idina Menzel; during Rent, she was incredibly raspy and had awful technique... actually, she had NO technique, she just yelled/screamed on pitch. But now, she yells on pitch with some technique. You can definitely hear the change in her voice; nowadays, it's much more nasal and forward as opposed to coming directly from her bleeding vocal cords.

The original 'Jesus Christ Superstar" destroyed Ben Vereen who, though a great tenor, really hurt himself singing the role. After being out for vocal rest so much and having Carl Anderson take over, the producers decided to split the show so that Carl sang 4 performances and Ben sang 4 performances each week. Eventually though Ben left the show because he couldn't do it and Carl took over permenantly.


For evidence of this, listen to the original Broadway cast cd *which is only highlights *, especially Judas' Death.....its painful.

Well Julie had nodes. Nodes are caused by YEARS of not singing proper. So I doubt only Victor/Victoria is responsible for her nodes.

And it was the surgery from the nodes that ruined her voice.

Updated On: 7/1/06 at 01:06 AM

I don't know anything about Norbert's experience with DRS, but simply talking for an extended period of time in a show can be more taxing vocally than singing.

Cariou's cords suffered some damage during previews of Sweeney because they were using some sort of potting soil for the dirt in the grave. The potting soil would somehow get onto his cords when he rose (singing) from the grave (stage elevator). Then he'd sing the entire performance with the soil scratching against his cords. That this was happening was discovered at some point during previews when he went to a doctor to try to figure out why he was having problems. They then did change the soil to something that wouldn't stick to his cords but some damage had been done. And Cariou wouldn't miss performances. He's missed about four over his entire career. He played 13 months of Sweeney without missing a performance.

Despite that, I'm not convinced that his voice was permanently damaged by the soil. He actually sounded very good through most of the run, except for one or two periods. In some ways he sang the role better at the end of the run than he had at the beginning. For example, his lower register was probably stronger at the end of the run and he did some really nice stuff (like holding the final note of the second-act "Johanna" for a very long time) that he hadn't done at the begining of the run. What did happen was that he lost the ability to really thunder out at high volume.

Over the years since then, he's sometimes has sung very well. Other times some vocal problems have been audible. What he seems to have never regained is the kind of volume that he at one time did command.

Pawk, unfortunately, seems to be having problems and they predated her stint in Mamma Mia.

What incident with Verdon are you referring to, ljay889? You're not getting her mixed up with Reinking, who had that horrible accident with cleaning fluid having been left in the prop beer bottle during her run in Sweet Charity?