Betty Buckley vs. Randy Jackson

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 7:12pm

Her takedown (or sh*t fit, depending on your point of view) on Twitter is epic.
Go, Betty!

[binau]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 7:39pm

I don't understand how you can view the thread of conversation on twitter. Anyone willing to help me understand what is going on here?

[JP2]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 7:41pm

Go Betty! I'm glad Nigel responded. He's always been a supporter of the arts, especially on SYTYCD. He really needs to talk to Randy as those comments have gone on for years now.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 7:47pm

It's hard to read back and forth conversations on twitter.

Here's her original message:

"OK, I just have to say this: I am sick & tired of Randy Jackson bashing what they think is Bway singing! It's soo ludicrous! I have yet to see or hear anyone sound remotely like they are a theatre singer on Idol!!

And, further, theatrical singing encompasses every kind of sound, voice & style. He doesn't know what he's talkin' about!! And by these constant disses he is tellin' Amer. kids that Bway is some kind of inferior art form. Next to jazz, Broadway is the only indigenous Amer. art form & with respect, "Dog", your opinion is whack & uninformed! I mean, I respect Randy Jackson & everyone certainly has their own likes & dislikes, but THIS constant diss of "Bway" sounding, to his ear, singers is just so ignorant & stupid that I literally cannot comprehend the producers allowing such mendacity in his remarks! Beyond idiotic !!!

And when Steven Tyler remarked, "They learn that", I thought I was gonna scream!! All human voices have vibrato in one form or another! This constant STUPID reference is beneath contempt & I gotta say, too, that all big "rock/pop" shows these days are frickin' THEATRE! SOOO, Nigel Lithgow & company, in a world that includes an increase in the popularity of musical in general in theatre, film & television America Idol needs to WAKE UP to the truth, voices are voices, singing is singing in all forms, styles & genres. These categories have nothing to do with anything.

The Record business in general is in big trouble & why for frickin' sake would you the creators of "Idol" risk losing & demeaning any well intended audience. You respond to a singer because you hear their soul or you do not! ENOUGH!! I'VE HAD IT!! O, while I'm at it. The use of melisma comes outa African American church & made most popular by Mariah Carey & comp. but mindless use of melisma does NOT a great singer make if it is random & without a true emotional intiation! I've really had it, people! Someone tell Lithgow!

Thanks for the "Amens", Tweeties & Dopeys. Spread the word, please. Do not let these poor kids be so propaganized by a pop bass player with some pop recording success be the arbiter of what constitutes a supposed "good" singer! ENOUGH!! Aaaand...."world peace". ; ) Oh, & one more thing: Broadway is a place, not a style. At one time, in early days of classic Bway, Rodgers, Hamerstein, Hart, Lerner & Loew Gershwin, Tin Pan Alley & company one could say there was a style, a consistency in construct. But not any more.

All kinds of composers and singers and styles on Broadway. And that's been true since the 60's. I would venture to say that the "Dog" & powers that be don't get much. Write them, people, & tell them how absolute off frickin' base this is! x."

The following are Nigel's replies. I'm kind of surprised (in a good way) that he acknowledged her and we'll see if he actually says anything to Randy as he promised.

@BettyBuckley thank you I will certainly speak with Randy. I had the pleasure of seeing your outstanding performances in "Cats" and "Pippin"

I guess in the UK we we would call it a "show" voice. I agree GaGa, Freddie Mercury great show voices. You, Chenoweth, Katherine McPhee.

@BettyBuckley I totally understand your point. The problem goes beyond Randy. ' Broadway' has been adopted as a style of singing and dancing
In reply to Betty Buckley

@BettyBuckley I don't believe I have ever dissed Broadway either in IDOL or SYTYCD. As far as I am concerned it is a Mecca for talent.

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 8:12pm

Betty Buckley is my hero.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 8:39pm

I kind of wish LuPone would sink her teeth into this one

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 8:43pm

Now with GIFs!

Updated On: 2/2/12 at 08:43 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 8:48pm

Randy Jackson is a fraud. He knows nothing. He lucked into this show. Why is it they have gotten rid of everyone else but kept this ugly and untalented cow is beyond me.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 8:50pm

Thank you so much, broadwaydevil. I would never have figured that out from the actual Twitter feed.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 9:03pm

Nigel Lythgoe's replies:

https://twitter.com/#!/dizzyfeet/status/165208892551335936
@BettyBuckley I don't believe I have ever dissed Broadway either in IDOL or SYTYCD. As far as I am concerned it is a Mecca for talent.

https://twitter.com/#!/dizzyfeet/status/165211316443811842
@BettyBuckley I totally understand your point. The problem goes beyond Randy. ' Broadway' has been adopted as a style of singing and dancing

https://twitter.com/#!/dizzyfeet/status/165212370157830144
I guess in the UK we we would call it a "show" voice. I agree GaGa, Freddie Mercury great show voices. You, Chenoweth, Katherine McPhee.

https://twitter.com/#!/dizzyfeet/status/165214546288582656
@BettyBuckley thank you I will certainly speak with Randy. I had the pleasure of seeing your outstanding performances in "Cats" and "Pippin"

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:04pm

O m g

I hope Randy responds.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:11pm

Adam Levine is also mad at Randy for something he said about 'The Voice'.


Adam Levine: 'Shame on Randy Jackson' for dissing 'The Voice' -- VIDEO Updated On: 2/2/12 at 10:11 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:14pm

Adam Levine is beautiful.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:22pm

Just another reason to love Adam Levine. Any more, and I may just have to elope with him.

And he does yoga!!!!!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 10:44pm

You know how some people just think Patti LuPone can do no wrong, no matter how much she's acting a fool or whatever? That's how it is for me and Betty Buckley. FLAME HIM, Betty! Updated On: 2/2/12 at 10:44 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 11:06pm

I hope somebody recently sent Betty a highlight reel or something. It makes me sad to think of her wasting time watching American Idol.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:24am

Love her, love her, love her!!!

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 11:27pm

Playbill even reported about Buckley's tweets.



Betty Buckley, Via Twitter, Responds to Randy Jackson's Broadway Comments on "American Idol" Updated On: 2/6/12 at 11:27 PM

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 2/7/12 at 8:09am

We need a Betty Buckley / Patti LuPone talk show. No guests. Just the two of them freaking out and discussing/debating current events.

Make it happen, BWW!!!

Posted: 2/7/12 at 10:48am

And occasionally playing tonsil hockey!

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 2/7/12 at 1:19pm

Yay, Betty!

I hate to admit that I watch Idol (ah, thank god my friends don't know), but it really is so silly for Randy to make such sweeping generalizations.

It seems like the style of Broadway singing has opened up SO much over the years. You can see rock singing (American Idiot, Rent, etc), pop singing (Spring Awakening, Next to Normal etc), blues, jazz and more traditional legit singing. There really is no one style anymore, which is great.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/7/12 at 1:23pm

I admire her for taking this on, but I do find it oddly discomfiting that Betty Buckley watches American Idol.

Posted: 2/7/12 at 1:28pm

I can NOT WAIT to see what she thinks of Smash!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/7/12 at 1:42pm

It was like seeing Anne Rice's Facebook message to her fans Sunday night after the halftime show:

Anne Rice
Madonna's Half Time Show was great. And for those of you who don't know it, here's a youtube of the original "Like a Prayer."

Then she actually posted the YouTube link.

I'm not sure I want to know that Anne Rice is a Madonna fan...or that she was sitting at home watching the half-time show.

[Taryn]

Posted: 2/7/12 at 2:02pm

I admire her for taking this on, but I do find it oddly discomfiting that Betty Buckley watches American Idol.

It's possible she doesn't. I never do, but I still heard about what Randy had said before Buckley was responding to it. It's certainly possible to just hear about it around the internet.