who sang what and review- ENCORES! BROADWAY BASH

[Doogie]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 7:35pm

The best- Brent Barrett, Rebecca Luker (who I am usually not a fan of), and Sara Gettelfinger

Complete Performance Songlist (by person, not by song)

Sara Gettelfinger- "Opening/Introduction", "Welcome To The Holiday Inn"- I admit, I've liked her for a while, but she was SO FANTASTIC, especially with "Holiday Inn"- She slinks, she sings, she dances, she is Great!

Victoria Clark- "Opening/Introduction", "Nickel Under The Foot" "From This Day On", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street"- Let me preface this by saying that I think Victoria Clark is a very talented actress and singer. But I think she's boring. She has ZERO emotion when shes singing

Burke Moses- "Opening/Introduction", "Evelina" "Emily (Ballad of the Bombardier)" "They Call The Wind Maria"- Fine, nothing special, but ok.

Kate Baldwin- "Opening/Introduction" "Evelina" "On The Sunny Side Of The Street"- LOVE LOVE LOVE her soprano. Her belt is decent, but not crazy about it.

Christine Ebersole- "A Modest Maid", "Everything's Coming Up Roses (finale)"- She is FANTASTIC except for the fact that "Roses" is NOT right for her. She had a brilliant intensity w/ it, but she had to flip into head voice at times.

David Garrison- "A Cow and A Plough and A Frau", "I Still Get Jealous"- Comic Guy, he's fun

Rebecca Luker- "Buds Won't Bud", "I Wish It So"- "I Wish It So" was traditional Luker, "Buds Won't Bud" was jazzy and fun and she was AMAZING

Michael Arden- "Emily (Ballad of A Bombardier)"- Boring song, so couldn't really tell how he was, just that the song was like a Dirge.

Leslie Uggams- "My Own Morning", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe"- Got the LOUDEST and LONGEST ovation of the show w/ "My Own Morning" (a song from her Tony-Winning role) but was plagued by Mic Problems with "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe". Still SOUNDS and LOOKS amazing.

Anne Hathaway- "It's a Perfect Relationship", "I Wonder What Became Of Me"- Of course she is not on par with the other ladies here vocally, but she has improved a bit and even belted part of "Its a Perfect Relationshp"

Brent Barrett- "If Ever I Would Leave You", "They Call The Wind Maria"- was GREAT here, and even the conductor gave him a quick hand after "If Ever I Would Leave You"

Debbie Gravitte- "Don't Rain On My Parade (act one closer)", "Poor Everybody Else"- I think Debbie Gravitte is one of the best belters out there today. That said, she started "Parade" kind of softly and went into a dinky head voice in the beginning, but by the end, she DEFINITELY delievered, as well as with "Poor Everybody Else"

Noah Racey- "Opening/Introduction" "You're A Builder Upper"- Probably the best male dancer in NYC I've seen, w/ a kinda sorta decent voice.

Nancy Lemenager- "You're A Builder Upper"- Definitely the BEST female dancer I've seen ANYWHERE, but w/ not much of a voice

Malcolm Gets- an unbilled song w/ Karen Ziemba, "One Kind Word"-Very nice tenor

Karen Ziemba- an unbilled song w/ Malcolm Gets, "I Still Get Jealous", "Never, Never Land"- Is not the best singer, but decent, and is charming and gorgeous and SHOULD HAVE DANCED MORE, let me repeat that SHOULD HAVE DANCED MORE.

Dick Latessa- "I Remember It Well"- Cute Gimmick to have him sing "I Remember It Well" w/ Harvey went up on the lyric in the middle, gimmick semi-worked. Voice has really held up, even more so than is evidenced in Hairspray

Harvey Fierstein- "I Remember It Well"- Sang w/ Dick Latessa on that one song, and prompted him back to the lyric when he went up on it.

One Note: This year was devoid of a chorus (save for a male trio of Tony Yasbeck, Bernard Dotson and Ward Billeisen) and sadly, no stories or anecdotes anywhere in there.

thats all---

Doug

[superperson]

Posted: 11/21/04 at 7:48pm

couldn't make it and felt particularly bad about it because i love "the cradle will rock" and i thought they'd sing at least a few songs and not just one from it. "nickel under your foot" is probably the best song from it, but now i feel better about it. sounds like it was great though. jason alexander did a great recording of "i still get jealous" on the jerome robbins' broadway cd. how was harvey's singing? do you think he'll do well in fiddler?