Alex Brightman Beetlejuice voice

[Tim Barstow]

Im low key obsessed with the Beetlejuice musical. Im worried about Alex Brightman. Hes going to blow out his voice doing the Beetlejuice voice. I mean 8 shows a week.

[SugarButterBroadway]

He said in a recent interview that he uses a sort of vocal trick that is fine and healthy. I don’t have the link but it’s somewhere on YouTube.

[SugarButterBroadway]

Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/TEyp5kh7BPU
It’s at 10:47

[darquegk]

Michael Keaton’s deeper, lower more guttural drawl is based on the late Don Brockett of Pittsburgh. I tried doing THAT voice for a show about two years ago- it is VERY unsustainable.

It’s not for nothing that they went with a higher and more cartoonish voice for Broadway.

[DoTheDood]

He also goes very in-depth in this interview here: https://youtu.be/Dr9s7lecAJ4?t=820

TLDR- He is not really using his normally used vocal cords, he's vibrating above them to get that sound. He says School of Rock would kill his voice after a single show, but he could do Beetlejuice three times in a row without any damage. Truly remarkable. I am confused on if only he can do that (or a limited amount of people can) or if it just takes a lot of training because he describes himself as a "mutant" because of it. That must make finding a standby hard lol.

Anyway, while we are on his voice, I got to say it's really grown on me the more stuff I listen to. It's very different that Keaton's voice, and I honestly thought it would be unbearable for a whole show, but now I'm kind of liking his take on it, especially the way he describes it. Like he obvious put so much work into and the fact he can do it without hurting himself is really neat

[cdf1983]

I'm curious is the understudy and the swings have their own distinct voices or if they attempt to mimic Alex's? I imagine since Alex's skill is much harder to do, that the others just find their own interpretation. 

[LLW2]

There's "medical footage" of Brightman's ventricular fold phonation here:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-How-Alex-Brightman-Brings-The-BEETLEJUICE-Voice-Safely-To-Life-20190328

 

[darquegk]

They may just be going at a similar voice with a tougher attack, doing it less often. Watch anybody in Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue; they’re all more or less doing something similar. Just... less naturally.

[Pose2]

Regarding the OP saying they are "obsessed" with the show:

Per Alex's Twitter:

Regarding fandom vs. obsession... Being a fan is outstanding. We're all fans of something. But the line between fandom and obsession is thin. My advice for those who have a hard time discerning the two...diversify your interests. There's great stuff out there. Find it!

Ond day later he wrote this:



 

 

[Elfuhbuh]

I feel awful for Alex Brightman, and I hope they manage to sort out whoever is making threats towards him, but it seems a bit OTT to try and connect the OP’s harmless over-exaggeration through the word “obsessed” to a scary stalker at the stagedoor.

[haterobics]

Tim Barstow said: "Im low key obsessed with the Beetlejuice musical. Im worried about Alex Brightman. Hes going to blow out his voice doing the Beetlejuice voice. I mean 8 shows a week."

It doesn't seem very low key?

Also, wouldn't Brightman sort of know to think about things like this? Or someone on the creative team?!

[broadway86]

He's producing the voice safely. Speaking of, the cast of Beetlejuice has been crushing it in terms of stamina. To my knowledge, and I could be wrong, but their attendance has been near-spotless.

[JennH]

I'm high key obsessed with that video and the fact that Alex was perfectly ok with letting it out into the public eye! Heaven knows we ALL were worried about how the hell he was gonna do that voice 8 times a week! Vocal folds still fascinate the hell out of me.

[trpguyy]

I’m surprised they didn’t opt for digital alteration of his voice — a plug-in would do wonders with absolutely no risk of vocal damage. Perhaps they’ll go that route if the show has a long run and replacements can’t replicate what Alex is doing?

[AEA AGMA SM]

broadway86 said: "He's producingthe voice safely. Speaking of, the cast of Beetlejuice has been crushing it in terms of stamina. To my knowledge, and I could be wrong, but their attendance has been near-spotless."

I don't know what the rest of the run has been like, but Rob McClure was out this past Saturday evening.

[Pose2]

It doesn't seem very low key?
 

Thank you, also someone said they were "high key obsessed".  I think these people are the "stans" and are the terrible people behind making threats to Alex, or any cast member on Broadway, simply because they would not answer them on social or come to the stage door. Disgusting and terrifying. 

[Kitsune]

AEA AGMA SM said: "broadway86 said: "He's producingthe voice safely. Speaking of, the cast of Beetlejuice has been crushing it in terms of stamina. To my knowledge, and I could be wrong, but their attendance has been near-spotless."

I don't know what the rest of the run has been like, but Rob McClure was out this past Saturday evening."

Rob was out Friday through Sunday (we instead got to see Sean Montgomery, who I'm fond of from Groundhog Day and Jagged Little Pill). According to a cast member, Rob's absence was planned ahead of time. (And according to Instagram, the understudies had a put-in rehearsal the day before).

[haterobics]

AEA AGMA SM said: "I don't know what the rest of the run has been like, but Rob McClure was out this past Saturday evening."

He's doing the Sondheim/JRB concert at Town Hall on Monday, so may be rehearsing? Although, the whole point of having it on a Monday seems to be enabling people in shows to do these things.

[LLW2]

Kitsune said: "Rob was out Friday through Sunday(we instead got to see Sean Montgomery, who I'm fond of from Groundhog Day and Jagged Little Pill)."

Just wanted to chime in to say that I got to see Sean Montgomery on Friday and I enjoyed his performance very much. He was great.

 

[Alex Kulak2]

Pose2 said: "Regarding the OP saying they are "obsessed" with the show:

Per Alex's Twitter:

Regarding fandom vs. obsession... Being a fan is outstanding. We're all fans of something. But the line between fandom and obsession is thin. My advice for those who have a hard time discerning the two...diversify your interests. There's great stuff out there. Find it!

Ond day later he wrote this:





"

Good lord. What is wrong with some people.

 

[RoadGypsy2010]

If you look into Rob's social media a bit, it looks like it was for a family event, the type of which would be planned for up to a year in advance, so the planned absence was probably known by producers when they made the offer, especially with it occurring so close to the Tony Awards.