legit singers
legit singers
#0legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 5:59pm
There seem to be fewer and fewer legit-singing stars. Anyone know of any other star-level legit singers besides:
Audra McDonald
Kristin Chenoweth
Laura Benanti
Brian Stokes
Anthony Warlow (not Bway, but he's a star)
Jennifer Westfeldt (not really a star, but she was up for a Tony)
Why are there fewer and fewer Bway legit singers these days? Any ideas?
Plum
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
#1re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:00pmBecause they prefer the pop or rock sound. Simple as that.
#2re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:02pm
Michael Arden (besides dropping out of Juliard)
Heather Headley
"Judy Garland, Jimmy Dean, You tragedy Queen" ~ Taboo
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
Updated On: 8/27/04 at 06:02 PM
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
#3re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:04pmMarin Mazzie
"Did you know that if you take the first two vowels in Olive and rearrange them it spells I-Love?"-Spelling Bee
"It's night like this that hotel bars were specifically made." Light In The Piazza
#4re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:17pm
who is this mysterious "they" that prefer that kind of a sound?
Also, I wouldn't say Mike Arden is legit. he's pretty boy pop.
And Marin Mazzie has kind of a legit sound, I suppose. Good point.
As far as Heather goes...she can sing anything. I'm in love with her heart.
Kelliexo90
Broadway Star Joined: 7/17/04
#5re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:19pmWhat do you mean by legit singers?
What is Broadway? A street? Some say it's a street. Some say it is the best street in the world. Others think its terrible. That's the beauty of it, it's terribly beautiful. Some hate it and don't know why. Others love it and don't know why. That's what makes it so wonderful, it's a mystery.
#6re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 6:21pmI suppose what I mean by legit is someone who primarily sings in what is typically more of an operatic tone as opposed to a pop/belt tone. I didn't know this terminology was confusing to anyone.
aspiringguy715
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/04
#7re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:06pm
Legit usually means they were trained solely classical, and have icorporated those skills into their broadway/pop sound.
Michael Arden is VERY legit, the classical training he's had is impeccable, it's Juilliard after all.
musicaltheatreman
Broadway Star Joined: 5/22/03
#9re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:15pmOMG, you said Anthony Warlow. LOVE HIM!!! He is def. my idol.
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
#10re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:23pmMany of the performers who have starred in Les Miz are legit, because it requires that legit sound. Particularly the roles Valjean, Fantine, and Javert.
BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner
HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."
#11re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:26pm
Bernadette Peters
Marc Kudisch
Deet: Shira, I Love You!
Plum
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
#12re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:32pm"They" would be both singers who don't want to train classically because they have ambitions to be pop artists rather than opera singers, and casting directors working for pop/rock shows, which are much more common nowadays than they were years ago.
#13re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 8:20pmDid you all forget Julie Andrews? There is also Barbara Cook. Well those are ones of the past unfortunately. If you are talking of current ones, most of the ones I would be able to come up with were mentioned and I love each and every one of them. I hate the popish sound.
Thou giveth fever.
jonartdesigns
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
#14re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 8:25pm
first off juliard can only help so much- they're a horrible shrill girl in my school who's attempts to sing operatically sounded like nails on a chalkboard
however i think brent barrett (chicago) is fairly legit
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#15re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 9:23pm
George Hearn
Mark Jacoby
Cris Groendaal
Greg Edelman
Sally Murphy
Melissa Dye
BroadwayGirl107
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/26/03
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#17re: legit singers
Posted: 8/27/04 at 9:39pm
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
Updated On: 8/29/04 at 09:39 PM
ShineOn
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/03
#18re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 12:47am
Since WHEN is Sutton Foster a LEGIT singer?! Or Bernadette Peters for that matter????
Kerry Butler?! I've never heard the girl sing a legit song in my life.
Seriously, folks. Let's get clear on what legit singing IS...
Julia Murney... not a legit singer.
Laura Benanti? Legit singer.
See the difference?
Kelli O'Hara is a legit singer.
"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
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#19re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 12:50am
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
Updated On: 8/29/04 at 12:50 AM
B.B. Wolf
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/26/04
#20re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 1:42am
Marc Kudisch, Kristen Chenoweth, Stokes, Audra
Frankly, I don't know how these pop performers do eight shows a week. My voice would sound like gravel.
And NO, it is not because producers PREFER that pop sound. It's because there are a lot of composers now who write pop music rather than traditional musical theatre music. Some performers are able to adapt their sound like Kristen. Others..nah so much, and they come off sounding kind of out of place.
Word. Word, indeed.
#21re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 3:01am
Michael Arden is VERY legit, the classical training he's had is impeccable, it's Juilliard after all.
Actually, Michael went to Juilliard for classical acting. Though knowing Juilliard's reputation, they probably gave him some training in classical voice as well. He sure can employ that gorgeous voice of his - his control of his falsetto is impeccable, which to me is indicative of someone with classical vocal training. (Pop/rock vocalists usually can't control their falsetto and blend it with their chest voice nearly as well as Michael can.)
I still don't understand how one can differentiate a "classical" voice vs. a "pop/rock" voice, because a) the same vocalist can probably do both, and b) these are less qualities in the voice itself and are more qualities of how the vocalist executes the song, ie. their intonation, use of vibrato, range, volume and projection, emotion, etc.
Well, Kerry and Sutton were in Les Mis.
They probably played Eponine, right? The roles in Les Miz that require a really strong classical voice are Fantine, Valjean (in range and use of head voice), Javert, and most interpretations of Cosette. Marius too, but recently the role has been done with a more "poppy" voice.
BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner
HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."
Updated On: 8/28/04 at 03:01 AM
#22re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 6:42am
SUSAN EGAN?!! The girl has a horrible voice coach- I know I used to go to her!!
And the woman has horrible pitch problems... has anyone heard that solo album?!!
Updated On: 8/28/04 at 06:42 AM
#23re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 9:26amOK-- usually, I spend most of the time on this board reading these posts...I can't help myself though on this topic- I have to respond...as a "Legit" singer, I will tell you the reason you see less and less of them, is because is harder! It requires painstaking years and years of vocal training. If you have mastered "legit" singing, you are able to have a seemless vocal range including using a belt voice. Think of singers such as Liz Callaway, Rebecca Luker, Jai Rodriguez, Kristin Chenoweth--- all of these singers and many more have the ability to do both-sing classically and belt, because the truth of the matter is-- if you can sing legit, you can do just about anything...its all about technique.
"All the World's a Stage, and the Men and Women...Merely Players."
-The Bard
#24re: legit singers
Posted: 8/28/04 at 11:07am
sutton and bernadette are not legit singers, they belt constantly. doesnt mean they arent good, they just arent legit.
audra mcdonald
anthony warlow
brian stokes mitchell
kristen chenoweth
julie andrews
"Contentment it seems merely happens, It appears Accompanied by no bravos and no tears"
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