Broadway Singers who strain too much or force too much

[Seany2]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 2:14am

Anyone?

[seabyrd]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:04am

Bernadette #1.

[GottaGimmick]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 4:20am

No way! Bernadette's just plain amazing!

[Belasco07]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 7:58am

Bernadette is a good singer but her rendition of "Rose's turn" is as forced as it gets. I don't understand her cast in all of Merman's old roles. They are both wonderful performers, but are completely different. In a musical like Gypsy, originally written by Laurents and musically tailored by Styne for Merman--it just doesn't work.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 12:01pm

:::Bernadette is a good singer but her rendition of "Rose's turn" is as forced as it gets. I don't understand her cast in all of Merman's old roles. They are both wonderful performers, but are completely different. :::

exactly...they are both very different...is that so bad?? what's wrong with a different mindset of a Momma Rose or an Annie Oakley?

[qpidsangel]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 12:10pm

I found both performances quite enjoyable, well judging from Merman's cast album. They both have different ways of viewing the character bringing out distinctive characteristics of Mama Rose. I find that to be a good thing. Anyone know how to not force your voice? I know use lots of air, but I can't seem to figure it out.

QP

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 12:41pm

Oh right. This is the board where a woman who has given 40 years of her life to the musical theatre gets attacked, and chorines with one or two Broadway shows to their credit are lifted to the status of 'diva'.

[PJ]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 12:43pm

Go Amy!

[sharon1]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 12:48pm

You are so rriiiiiight!

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 1:09pm

Bernadette and Adura and Patti all, at times, strain while singing. And God bless them for it. I do not go to the theatre to watch people think technically and produce pretty sounds but lack any sort of depth or passion in their performance.

I say push, strain and make me weep with your dedication to the audience and the show.

And to Amy,

I don't know you, but I say God bless you and your thoughts and you ability to make your point succinctly (something I need to learn).

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 1:33pm

Bernadette does strain, however, I have to agree with Robbiej. Especially in the Musical Theatre field, if all an actress or actor does is focus on vocal technique instead of incorporating the passion and feeling that goes with a song, that would make them a very boring performer. Let me tell you - all musical theatre performers strain once in a while....although it might not be apparent to the audience, or performer, even - sometimes, certain roles might have a range that exceeds an individual performer's comfort range while singing. Does that mean he or she should not perform the role if it might be a little strenous? In my opinion, no. That would be silly. If it gets to the point where the "straining" affects your vocal health, then that's a problem. But if the "straining" creates a pleasant sound, and it doesn't affect the performer in the long run, what is the point in worrying about it?

And Amy, I couldn't agree with you more. "Some People" need to get a clue. I'm sorry, but just as an example of worshipped "divas" as of late... Sutton Foster is great and all - but I know at least 8 girls off the top of my head, who I have gone to school with, or met at auditions, etc. that can do the same thing she does every night, and maybe even better. I still think Ms. Foster has a looooong way to go in my book, before she is considered to be a "diva" up there with the likes of Bernadette, Audra, Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, et al. And while we are on her, if you want to talk about "straining" take a look at the way she performs "Gimme Gimme". It may SEEM cute and clever the way she positions her body and stetches out to belt and hold that big note at the end, but I suspect that note is a little high for her....but does that mean it isn't a great moment, and does that mean she can't sing it? NOT AT ALL. I actually enjoy it very much. But I do think that it doesn't come all that easy for her. So I think the question of whether an actress or actor strains while singing is irrelevant.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

Updated On: 8/7/03 at 01:33 PM

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 1:43pm

...aaaaaand scene.

atta girl/boy, balladeer.

[sharon1]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 2:03pm

Well said. It is musical THEATER. Passion , emotion, drama are all major components. Not just hitting the right note for the right length of time.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 2:54pm

I don't know how many of you have been keeping up on Juliana's Journal, but in her last entry she mentioned that someone told her that a performer usually feels vocally at his/her best for three performances a week, so yes, they are going to strain and force. Like everyone else has been saying, if the person has perfect technique but no dimension, they can be a recording artist or something. You need emotion in theatre. One of the most profound theatrical memories I have is seeing Bernadette sing Rose's Turn, crying her eyes out, and getting so caught up in the emotion that she forgot the words. I was shaking.

And The Balladeer beat me to citing Sutton's "Gimme Gimme" as an example of straining. She kicks all kinds of butt when she sings the song, but there are times when I see her sing it and I'm afraid her throat's gonna explode.

Updated On: 8/6/03 at 02:54 PM

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:39pm

"And The Balladeer beat me to citing Sutton's "Gimme Gimme" as an example of straining. She kicks all kinds of butt when she sings the song, but there are times when I see her sing it and I'm afraid her throat's gonna explode. "

REALLY?? I'v never seen her live but hearing the cd, it seems so effortless for her, she doesn't seem like she's straining at all... hmmm...?

[Hello Gorgeous]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:40pm

I agree with Amy. Just because Bernadette and Merman are different doesn't make her bad, or actually, strain her voice. I saw GYPSY and she sounded amazing, the best I've heard her sound in a while. Rose's Turn sounded so much better than at the Tony's, about 1,000 times better.

And even if she does strain her voice, so what? That's part of her sound I think. People recognize her because of that. And actually, sometimes it adds to the performance (I think anyway).

Updated On: 8/7/03 at 03:40 PM

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:44pm

ya and patti lupone has that sound that you think her head will explode for singing so loud and powerful but she sings with such ease and confidence, especially in a concert/cabaret settings, it's ridiculous how nonchalant she can be about wailing, and that's why she's queen, lol.

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:48pm

Help me, Officer! Did you see the run-on sentence that hit me?

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:49pm

ok, if i wanted to be lectured on the structure of my f#$&ing sentences i would go to class. but since i'm not in class let's talk about theatre.

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:52pm

Cogent writing helps you make your points more effectively. Updated On: 8/6/03 at 03:52 PM

Posted: 8/6/03 at 3:55pm

i suppose so, but too bad this isn't a lectured class, so please lay off the harsh undertones. if you didn't understand, just ask me to explain myself. you know, most people come here to talk about theatre, i dunno. oh, i guess that would be why it's called "broadwayworld.com", not "spelling and structured-sentenced nerds unite." so, now let's get back to business about theatre, shall we? because this post IS about singers who strain.

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 4:16pm

Read back a little. There are no harsh undertones. I made a joke about your bad grammar skills, and you leapt to hurl invective. We can discuss theatre to our heart's content, but is it too much to ask for coherency?

[Al Dente]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 6:13pm

Well apparantly Amy on THIS site,it is . Your post was nothing short of brilliant. You may or may not know this but my biggest pet peeve about the posters on this or any message board (overrun by "tweens") is the fact that they have NO idea what a legend or diva is. They become obsessed with the Broadway equivalent of "one hit wonders". They even become die hard fans of people only "they" know (Jessica Grove'). The whole concept of worshipping someone who they hadn't even heard of 6 months before a hit show and/or Tony (and moreover may never hear from again),is bizarre. They also weren't raised during a time BEFORE "spell-check". Those of us born before the 80's, know the lost art of actually being able to WRITE properly.

[luluhed]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 7:24pm

Well, the person I'm going to mention is not on broadway, but I did see him perform with Pavarotti (for shame). I think the best example of straining one's voice to the point of bursting a blood vessel is Michael Bolton. I know he has legions of fans, but I can't listen to him. It actually hurts my ears.

[BwayStar2B]

Posted: 8/6/03 at 10:55pm

"Well apparantly Amy on THIS site,it is . Your post was nothing short of brilliant. You may or may not know this but my biggest pet peeve about the posters on this or any message board (overrun by "tweens") is the fact that they have NO idea what a legend or diva is. They become obsessed with the Broadway equivalent of "one hit wonders". They even become die hard fans of people only "they" know (Jessica Grove'). The whole concept of worshipping someone who they hadn't even heard of 6 months before a hit show and/or Tony (and moreover may never hear from again),is bizarre. They also weren't raised during a time BEFORE "spell-check". Those of us born before the 80's, know the lost art of actually being able to WRITE properly."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK...I really don't want to start a huge fight here, but I just wanted to politely ask if you could please refrain from stereotyping "tweens." It feels discriminating to me, because the "tweens" you described were not at all like me. Let's jut try and treat eachother equally, no matter how old we are. Thanks, and I appologize if any of that sounded offensive. :)