Judy Kuhn........Les Mis/ Phantom of The Opera
Posted by Unmasked05 2005-04-12 21:27:50.0

Is she the one who was the original Cossete on Broadway and "Matinee" Christine on Broadway? If so did she do these shows at the same time cause Les Mis opened not long after POTO did.

She was the original Cosette.

Judy Kuhn was not in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. You might be confusing her with Judy Kaye, who was the original Carlotta. The original Christine alternate was Patti Cohenour.

She was also in the original cast of Chess, I believe (Correct me if I'm wrong). And played Cosette in the 10 Ann. Concert.

And she was one of the few good things about London production of 'Metropolis' in 1989

The METROPOLIS recording is a guilty pleasure of mine, however. KUHN has a couple of rousing songs, even if none of her material make a persuasive case for the dark show (it opens with a child dying before your eyes, as everyone sings about it!)

I thought she was swell in CHESS, and saw her in LA in SUSNSET. (Alice didn't get to record Betty, did she?) She also did a nice album of Jule Styne songs.

Kuhn has done a lot of great things, played a lot of great roles, and sung many a great song, But Phantom of the Opera is something (Thank God) that she has never done.

She also was one of the stars of the ill fated Broadway musical "Rags" and can be heard on the cast recording. She does a very impassioned rendition of the title song.

And she was stellar in "Eli's Comin'" off-bway a few seasons back. Which is where I also saw Mandy Gonzalez for the first time. Woo hoo!

And let's not forget that she starred in the revival of She Loves Me, though for some Godforsaken reason was not used on the recording. She was also in the chorus of Drood. Judy Kuhn is one of my all-time favorite Broadway stars.

'though for some Godforsaken reason was not used on the recording.'

THAT was a crime against God and man!

Heard she did it at the Roundabout Gala the other night and was FABULOUS.

God, I would have loved her Luisa Contini.

She was also the singing voice of Pocahontas in the Disney film in the mid 90's...that's all you get to see when you have a young child. Fortunately, with a little guidance from Mom, she has matured into the perfect teenage theatre devotee.

She is great on the Sunset Boulevard album....

Auggie-

Unfortunately, Alice never recorded the role of Betty.

Thanks, m.e.fan. You're right.

I also love her on the RAGS album, when she tears up the title song. Great pipes, winning presence, and from what one hears, no diva behavior.

One of my favorite recordings is Judy Kuhn, Audra McDonald and Marin Mazzie on a trio medley of ALW songs from "Broadway's Leading Ladies." Audra opens with "Love Changes Everything", Marin continues with "Unexpected Song" and Judy comes in with "I Don't Know How to Love Him". Then all three combine their voices and the songs and it is just thrilling. And since it's a live recording, the audience response makes it all that much better.

"THAT was a crime against God and man!"

*high-fives robbiej*



Word.

Rebecca Caine, the original London Cosette was the original Canadian Christine. Maybe you're thinking of her...?

Oh Matthew...that was almost butch.

I tried. It's so hard for a man to mask his femininity when discussing the merits of La Kuhn.

It was a VERY good attempt!!

I'm very proud of you.

Also unmasked, and this is just the kind of person I am to be bothered by it, Les Mis opened a yera before POTO did. Just FYI. Les Mis in 1987, POTO in 988.

Though this isn't Broadway, She is fabulous in the soundtrack of Pocahontas (singing the title role). Lovely lovely.

Judy's one of the few Broadway stars I would really just love to sit and have dinner with. I bet she has some wonderful stories to tell. I hope she'll be back on Broadway again soon. I never get tired of her voice.

*sigh*

I love Judy, but personally, I think her recorded version of Cosette was the worst she has ever done. Of course, the character is boring, but, even Rebecca Caine did a better job. As for everything else Judy has done, she has been outstanding.

Anybody who raised kids in the 90s (and many who did not) know how effective she wa in POCAHONTAS. I still perfer her version -- the one the animated character mouthed -- to the studio version done by Vanessa Williams. It's a lovely song, and she sells it. (Though she does have an odd way of pronouncing the word "Otter." She says, someone peculiarly, "AWE-tuhr".)

I love "Just Around the Riverbend"