For anyone that know: Were the music tracks layed down before the vocals, or did they record it as performed? I imagine they played the score first, then sang it, but I'm curious.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
For the record, not only is Lauren Molina extremely talented, she's also the first and only Johanna whose "Greenfinch and Linnet Bird" hasn't made me cringe. (and I've seen many versions of Sweeney Todd over the years) Her rendition is beautiful, both onstage and on the recording.
Ok, I just relistened. I don't detest it as much as I said I did before. Just Lauren's diction sometimes grates on me. I like soprano voices that are smoother.
Ha! The girl in the video with Angela and George had the crazy eyes. Really, she is terrible. Lauren Molina isn't the best Johanna I've seen but she isn't the worst either.
"What a mystery this world. One day you love them and the next day you want to kill them a thousand times over." The Masked Bandit in THE FALL
The role originally was between her or Sarah Rice for the original Broadway cast - Sondheim loved them both. But Sarah got it because she looked so young. Betsy finally got her chance playing it full time on tour.
I LOVE Molina in this..but I do feel her ability is underestimated through the CD. Live, she was amazing. On the CD she is well deserving of praise, but just not as good as live, in my opinion.
And the other thing about the Phantom Lady was, Bert, she realized, in the city that never sleeps...
What did she realize, Kitten?
That all the songs she'd listened to, all the love songs, that they were only songs.
What's wrong with that?
Nothing, if you don't believe in them. But she did, you see. She believed in enchanted evenings, and she believed that a small cloud passed overhead and cried down on a flower bed, and she even believed there was breakfast to be had...
Where?
On Pluto. The mysterious, icy wastes of Pluto.
I actually kind of like a quirky Johanna... given the state she's grown up in it makes sense for her to have some eccentricities.
But Betsy Joselyn kind of sounds like a robot who desperately wants to be human. Her vibratto kills me, and she goes really sharp on a lot of the uber-high notes... basically, whenever she goes crosseyed, she goes sharp.
I believe there was a Betsy Joslyn thread already spanning pages on comments. Lol, anyways I love all the Johannas for very different reasons. Dying to hear the cd, saw Lauren 3 times, shes just splendid
I will not bite your head off MFL, just add that what the others have said on my behalf, is true. I adore Lauren Molina, hers is by far my favorite Johanna.
I will also give you this Margo Channing is not a huge fan, so you have solid company.
Don't be quick to judge her performance without seeing it first, and remember she also play a marvelous cello at the same time.
I adore her voice and think some of the vocal things you are listing are character choices, of course I have not yet heard the cast recording, only my 4 live visits.