Why does Audra Sing Lizzie in Lower Keys??

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:17pm

Audra sings Lizzie in lower keys opposed to Inga and Karen. Does anybody know why? OBVIOUSLY she could sing the original keys perfectly.

The only reason I can think of is that they wanted her to sound grittier and more sultry. And in the higher keys it would've been too much Juilliard.

Any opinions?

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:20pm

Which keys are different? I never noticed this.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:20pm

I think you hit the nail on the head. It probaly made her Lizzie character voices easier to access.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:21pm

Someone posted on ATC once that RAUNCHY and OLD MAID are definitely different. Not sure about the others. Though I'd assume they are lower as well.

I checked OLD MAID on the piano and she is definitely in a different key from Swenson.

Updated On: 7/7/07 at 01:21 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:34pm

Interesting. Ziemba's range is naturally lower than McDonald's, yet she had no trouble accessing character in her voice when necessary as Lizzie.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:36pm

Maybe it is because her voice would be grittier and smoother in that vocal range. Maybe you're right.

And it sounds good like that, for some strange reason.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:53pm

It's sounds good the way it is. As much as I love Audra (I HEART AUDRA TIMES INFINITY), I would get up and walk out if she sung the score like Sarah Brightman.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 1:58pm

I don't think Audra could ever sing like Sarah Brightman. And I mean that as a compliment.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:01pm

Miss Sarah was the first name that came to mind. I will replace it when someone more appropriate comes to mind.

[misschung]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:14pm

LJ - that's what I've heard -- that it was to make her character seem more "plain" - not as pretty sounding.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:18pm

Interesting to read this. I listened to "Old Maid" several times back to back last week, because I could've sworn she was taking the ending down considerably. Which I didn't notice in the theater. The final "alone" seems to land in an entirely different way. Though I am an enormous fan of the entire performance, this final potent phrase at the end of act one doesn't punch my soul as it does when Swenson nails it. I'm not suggesting MacDonald doesn't nail it musically -- only that her choice somehow reads as less poignant, less wounded.

I dunno, perhaps because she's a stronger Lizzie, it keeps the score/text of a piece. The performance is such a triumph, I hate to nitpick. Still, the wrenching conclusion of "Old Maid" in my head remains Swenson's.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:21pm

She doesn't sing in her soprano voice at all in the score. She's mixing all those high notes, and I'm sure she could mix the notes in the original key too (see her Down With Love from the Leading Ladies concert - mixing and sustaining with vibrato a high G) - but I'm sure singing a Soprano role entirely in her mix would not be too healthy for Audra 8 times a week.

Old Maid is one full step down, and Raunchy is at least a full step, or two down. But it's still fantastically high to be mixing so much.

The woman is a goddess of the theatre.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 2:24pm

I guess that was a directoral choice. I don't know, Ziemba sang and characterized the score and still had a fierce grasp on the character.

I think I would have preferred if Audra had sung the whole thing in her head - it would be less distracting than the jumping back and forth that she's clearly not completely comfortable with.