Who Sang The "A New Argentina" High Notes The Best? (E5-G5)

I found this fun video on Youtube. What are your thoughts?

It's crazy how much stronger Patti is than every other woman featured. She pretty much blows every single on of them out the water. I find Elaine Paige the most disappointing, it sounds like she's struggling in that clip, and I wanted to hear her nail it. And the Elena Roger clip is a reminder of what a train wreck her vocals were, and how we are unfortunately stuck with not one but TWO cast recordings of inept ability to sing this score. I know the bit is very difficult to sing, and ALW unfairly composed it for most women's voices, but it's just so powerful when sung by Patti.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbdR0eqRynM

Updated On: 2/1/18 at 12:14 AM

It's not even a contest. Patti just sounds so much better and stronger than any of them.

It's strange to hear how badly some of those women, whose voices I really like (Julia Murney, Eden Espinosa), sing that part of the score.

Patti for sure. There is no contest whatsoever.

I watched this video awhile back and it gave me a headache after.



but yes, Patti is the best.

Patti wins this in a landslide. I do enjoy Caroline Bowman, who was terrific on the tour. From that clip I wish I had seen DeCicco instead of Roger.

Some of this credit belongs to Hal Prince who gave Patti Lupone a balls to the walls character to play. His vision was that Eva was a monster and he gave her permission to manipulate the audience and be as heightened as the rest of his production.

The subsequent revivals which have tried to make the musical more realistic (like the film) and the character of Eva 'softer' and "more sympathetic'-- don't help these actresses.

And here is that high school performance of 'New Argentina." The Che is good is too but she seems like a real star in the making. I wonder who she is.

And yes, she sings this better than almost all of the women in that compilation too.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPyWBM-ZH4U

To be fair to the other ladies, Patti is lip-syncing in that video. Though she does still run away with things.

Hannh Corneau (Yitzhak in the recent Hedwig tour) was an absolutely stunning Evita in a regional theater here in Chicago. The acting and the belting were totally top notch. I tried to find a video of A New Argentina... but alas.

Always Patti- however, I've always been taken with Florence Lacey in this. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure you all will, but doesn't she hold the record for most performances in the role?

I think I'm voting for Loni Ackerman. Jesus, that's good. I also LOVE the way Elaine Paige sings it. Riding through a break like that is thrilling. And Patti's muscle is also absolutely thrilling, if not the most pleasant.

Two things. First, one of the reasons I don't much care for Evita is that it's so much narration and with very little actually happens on stage. So the drama comes from whether the actress can get through the score or not...which is such a deeply unfair thing to ask of an anyone. Do your storytelling work and support your performers.

Second...I don't necessarily believe that what lessens the effects over the years is the characterizations (though...sure...I can buy it). In the late 70s and early 80s, NO ONE was singing that way on Broadway. I mean...maybe Melba Moore singing I Got Love. But that was one song...not an entire pop opera where the lead actress had to negotiate the most insane range ever written for Broadway and had very little time off stage. But since EVITA, there have now been many shows that punish a woman's vocal chords...and technique has changed to allow women to negotiate these scores. Watch the later women and you will notice absolutely no Herculean effort to produce that sound. It sounds amazing...but it also takes some of the drama away.

I definitely think the women who belted in the 70s and 80s had (for me) a more exciting sound. Most of the contemporary Eva's use that forward soprano mix that is nasally and not very thrilling to me. Probably more healthy singing but less thrilling.