Who's the most Versatile person around?

i think audra mcdonald has been very versatile in her career. she has an amazing legit voice, but also an awesome belt voice that she uses on occasion.

Raul Esparza.

istoleatv - You forgot to mention that she's also a fantastic actress who has acted in many very successful non-musical productions and in films. That for me makes her even more versatile.

Marin Mazzie always seems to me to just be able to do anything she wants.

Bette Midler? -

Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald. Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patti Lu Pone. Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep.

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yes, definitely Rachel

btw, Yero, i love your avatar! Kelli is so cute!

Come on people the ultimate example of versatility is Harvey Fierstein.

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Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy Sutton Foster, but she seems to - mainly - play similar types of characters and her style of singing is very distinctive and suited to a certain type of role. She's very good, but I'm not sure that I see the versatility. Millie, Jo and even Janet in Drowsy all strike me as similar in some way (or maybe the similarity is just her style). Svetlana in Chess seemed to be a bit of a stretch for her, although she performed it well. She probably could play a role that's a vast departure from what we're used to seeing from her, but I'm not sure that she has. She's just such a distinctive performer that I can't see her stepping into just any role seamlessly.

But of course, this seems to be a very opinion-based question, so that's just my impression.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 11:31 AM

I agree with Sarah Uriarte Berry....she can belt and sing pop (taboo), she can sing pop ballads (les miz, she played eponine for a while), and wow, can she sing legit soprano (Light in the Piazza). I like Sutton alot, but she's a belter, I don't think she can sing legit soprano, and she has always played the same type.

What Yero said.

lc

Funny, but I find most of the people listed to be the opposite of versatile. They are stars. We go to see them for them, not the roles they play. I love Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sutton Foster (who I personally worship) but I go to see them perform. Not act.

Now ACTING... playing utterly disparate roles, getting into the character and becoming someone else, that's a different set of performers.

Unless by versatile you meant sings AND acta AND dances with equal ability.

The it's back to Sutton Foster.

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Victoria Clark

In addition to the glorious, Raul Esparza,
(on the basis of his magnificent non musical performance in "Normal Heart")
might I add:

Brian Darcy James (Anyone who saw him OB in "The Pavilion" knows he cound never sing another note and still work.)

Steven Bogardus (Ditto, in same show)

Alice Ripley (on the bases of "InFlight, a terrific straight actress)

Gavin Creel (on the basis of "MysteryPlays" a super interesting actor)

Logan Marshall Green (a shark in "SwimmingInTheShallows," a gay Peanut in "DogSeesGod," a butch dumb f--- in "PigFarm" and, though he works against type, gorgeous!)

Brooks Ashmanskas (In MartyShort's "FameBecomesMe" he plays TommyTune, BobFosse, sings, dances, does incredible impressions and has a regional bio which any serious actor would kill for.)

God, there's so much genuine talent out there . . .