..but, the star sounds nothing like the legend..

[BobNC]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 2:44pm

I'm hearing good things about "Beautiful: The Carole King Music," but, how does the show manage to get over the fact that Jessie Muller sounds nothing like the great, unique Carole King? In "Jersey Boys," the actors sound like Frankie Valli and the four Seasons. In the film, "La Vie En Rose," Marion Cotiilard won the Oscar for not only her great performance, but, also sounding like Piaf. I realize that Carole King's singing style is unique, but, I've heard some come close to approximating her sound like Brooke White. I alraedy have my Bway tix and I hope this is a big smash, but, I'm just wondering how the show works when the star sounds NOTHING like the legend?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 3:06pm

In the film, "La Vie En Rose," Marion Cotiilard won the Oscar for not only her great performance, but, also sounding like Piaf.

With all due respect, though Cotillard did sing in Rob Marshall's film adaptation of the musical NINE, she lip-synced in LA VIE EN ROSE to various voices including actual recordings of Edith Piaf. Per Cotillard herself, she worked extensively with coaches to master her lip-synching, which wasn't a secret at all but mentioned in the press during the film's release.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 3:17pm

Is the word of mouth that Mueller doesn't sound like King in the show, or are you assuming that Mueller does not based on the way she generally sounds?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 3:38pm

BobNC - I don't think John Lloyd Young's natural voice was like Franke Vali's so maybe the same thing will happen Jessie Mueller. BTW - what part of NC do you live in? I live in Charlotte.

[BobNC]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 6:27pm

I've heard the 3 song medley from the show. Jessie is a great singer. Carole is a unique stylist of her own material.

Updated On: 10/5/13 at 06:27 PM

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 7:16pm

It's never really supposed to be an imitation of the original person's sound, it's more about capturing the spirit and presence of the original person... That's more important than sounding like them

[BobNC]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 9:40am

Thanks. Good way to look at it.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 9:52am

Tracie Bennett in End of the Rainbow sounded more like Katharine Hepburn than Judy Garland. I found that a little disconcerting. She did get Judy's gestures right in her song deliveries though.

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 11:11am

I don't think Joel Grey or James Cagney sounded anything like George M. Cohan.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 11:27am

Hugh Jackman didn't remotely look nor sound like the real Peter Allen in THE BOY FROM OZ but I'm still baffled how everyone continues to 'claim' he was spot on in his interpretation. A simple YouTube search will provide you with evidence of how off Jackman was. What he DID portray was Allen's exuberant cheerful stage persona, but that's about it.

Same with Tracie Bennett's acclaimed portrayal of Judy Garland in END OF THE RAINBOW. She not only didn't look, sound nor recreate any essence of the real Garland, but yet people continue to RAVE about her accurate her portrayal was. Really, folks? Isabel Keating was spot-on with her Judy Garland in THE BOY FROM OZ -- both in fully recreating Garland's mannerisms to singing voice.

Stephanie J. Block was Stephanie J. Block when she played Liza Minnelli in THE BOY FROM OZ. Not a single gesture in her performance recreated any aspect of Liza Minnelli.

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 12:28pm

I think it is interesting how so many state THEIR opinions as fact. For example, I strongly disagree re: Block's Minnelli.
But that's just my opinion.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/6/13 at 1:20pm

Is BEAUTIFUL a bio-musical where Jessie is *playing* Carole King? If so, then some approximation of her sound and style might be called for. If it's just a jukebox musical of her songs, then it doesn't matter.

[BobNC]

Posted: 10/7/13 at 10:49pm

Great way to lokk at it. So true. I loved Hugh Jackman in "The Boy From Oz" and he neither looked nor sounded like Mr. Allen.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/7/13 at 11:14pm

Do most people even know who Carole King is anymore?

My guess is no. Certainly not many under 40. Not being rude or cruel, just an educated guess. She hasn't been in the public eye for decades now.

Hopefully, they're telling a compelling, entertaining story with a fascinating main character that doesn't hinge on a "do you know who I am?" factor. Because if it does, whether she sounds like her or looks like her, most people aren't going to know or care.

And if they're relying on diehard Carole King fans who are also theatre fans to be the primary ticket-buyers, they can count on a solid six-week run before they close.

[BobNC]

Posted: 10/10/13 at 11:02pm

Carole King and James Taylor's 2010 Troubador Reunion tour was one of the top tours of the year. I think it grossed over 58 million dollars. She's still adored by
boomers and hip kids who know their pop/rock history. Lady GaGa , Adele, and Amy Winehouse are but three famius under 40 year olds who idolize her. I think this show will have a much longer run than 6 weeks.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/11/13 at 10:13am

If they wanted someone who can impersonate Carole King they would have hired Todd Rundgren.

[Shawk]

Posted: 10/11/13 at 10:43am

In act one of Beautiful, Mueller is singing songs that were ultimately picked up by other groups, so that kind of eases the audience in to accepting her as Carole King; even though she doesn't sound like King, she has the physicality and impresses you as being King. By the time you get to the second act and she sings some of the signature songs, the audience has already invested in her so that she isn't an exact match sound-wise doesn't seem to matter, at least for the audience I was in, anyway.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/11/13 at 12:28pm

There certainly are precedents, including Boy from Oz.

Also, Diana Ross didn't sound like Billie Holliday (a great singer playing another great singer, but they don't sound like each other), Julie Andrews didn't sound like Gertrude Lawrence (a great singer playing a beloved singer/actress as if she were a much better singer than she was), and Joaquin Phoenix didn't sound like Johnny Cash (at all!).

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/11/13 at 4:24pm

I don't need Jessie Mueller to do a Carole King imitation.

I need Jessie Mueller to sing the songs well and involve me emotionally.

[westcoast_wannabe]

Posted: 10/12/13 at 8:59am

Streisand was legendary in her own right in Funny Girl but she looked, acted, and sounded absolutely nothing like Fanny Brice. Even in the movie where they added Fanny Brice's signature song to the score it didn't seem to bother people that the star sounded nothing like the legend.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/12/13 at 12:50pm

I thought Stephanie Block was spot on as Liza Minelli as well. As for Hugh Jackman, I loved him onstage and didn't mind that he was nothing like Peter Allen.

I for one will be thankful when and if this fascination with Jessie Mueller ends. I dislike her in everything she does. It's a if the whole world was given an I love Jessie Mueller pill and I didn't get the pill. I will be staying away whether she imitates or god forbid sings like herself out of the side of her mouth. Maybe I'll go to the Carole King musical when Kelly O'Hara or someone else replaces her.

[Shawk]

Posted: 10/12/13 at 3:26pm

I had zero opinion on Jessie Mueller before seeing her in Beautiful, and while I don't think I've taken the pill, she is doing a good job of embodying Carole King without doing an impression.

[StickIt]

Posted: 10/12/13 at 4:08pm

You know, I dislike a lot of performers many seem to like, but weirdly I don't feel compelled to trash them every time they come up on a thread. Great, don't see the show, nobody cares.

I thought Jessie did a nice job of straddling the line between homage and creating her own take on the icon. I also thought Jake did the same in channeling Goffin, with whom he doesn't inherently have much in common other than a vague physical resemblance. Many of the examples on this thread seem like great comparisons, you really don't need to do an impersonation.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 12:24am

Wait. is that a picture of Jessie Mueller? StickIt are you Jesse Mueller? Good job of defending yourself.

[StickIt]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 12:28am

You got me. I'm Jessie. I am both onstage performing, singing out of the side of my mouth awfully and making the audience watching me cry in pain (yet somehow still getting rave reviews) and also here, responding to you.

I'm just that MF'in good.