My vote- Alice Ripley and Lea Salonga- they both have very consistent and beautiful vibrato's. I think they define vibrato.
Also, I haaaate when someone does not vibrato or has an annoying one (i.e. Mandy Gonzalez, it's out of control!!!!! It's as if she has no control over it whatsoever!!)
Its not bway (and I am embarresed that I watched this) but Carmen on American Idol 2! Her vibrato is insane, it is way out of control and sounds like a goat!
Any over kill on vibrato doesn't sit well with me. I love Julia Murney, but can't STAND the way she sings "Maybe I Like it This Way" from Lippa's "The Wild Party" because of her vibrato. It makes me feel like she has no control over it.
I agree on overkilled vibratos. I think Sutton has a great vibrato, actually. She smoothes her way into it. It's not a constant vibrato... she uses it when appropriate. Alice, on the other hand, gets up into her head voice and legato is no longer a term she's familiar with. Sometimes even in her lower range... has anyone ever heard her version of "I Dreamed a Dream"? It's too shrill to me. I've heard her sing many songs where I think her voice is glorious, but the moment her vibrato goes out of control in places, it ruins the song for me. It just shows lack of power and control to me. It irritates me more than anything else... and YES, I've heard her "West End Avenue"... I don't think I like any song she's ever sung LESS. Hell, I enjoy her over annunciated "Call From the Vatican" more...and that's saying a lot!
"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Daisy Hilton, we're obviously never going to see eye to eye on the Alice Is-She-Or-Isn't-She-The-Greatest-Belter-Of-Her-Time? issue, but it's okay, haha. I still think you kick ass :)
Yeah, it's A-okay if we never see eye to eye on Alice's vibrator... erm... vibrato. We all know she stole it from Emily anyhow (the first, not the latter... though, she did try to steal Emily's "R's" once).
"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Look, I changed my avatar! NO more Emily... it's all about me, dammit! :)
(My hair was looking rather brown in this pic... it was actually dirty blonde at the time... damn lighting.)
I'm as white as a ghooooooooooooooost. :)
"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Oh, and by the by, I was considering naming the vibrator Rosey Ripley because it's pink and has pretty roses around the top! What do you think... do we approve?
"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin
i LOVE Patti LuPone but she does have crazy Vibratto, but that's because she's an older diva who's certainly sung some of the hardest scores for females.
Liza as well has a crazy vibratto, but again, liza is an older diva and we know that tends to happen.
Linda Eder and Patti LuPone rank extremely high on my list. Sutton's is amazing as well. 2 of the biggest stars ever, Liza and Bernadette sometimes annoy me with their vibratto. Lea Salonga also has a gorgeous one as well.