She was ten years old watching this on Broadway and she said, "Mom, I want to be Belle one day". Now after waiting very patiently, she finally got her deserving chance to audition and she made her dream come true. This makes me cry learning all of that.
She has amazing singing technique! Makes it sound effortless. Great job, Hilary! People talk about how good Annalise is but I think she is better when it comes to character, building up, and technique alone. She doesn't over belt like Annalise does.
McKenna Sanford that's one of my favorite things about Hilary, she doesn't belt any of it!! It's all in her head voice and some mix, and it's still beautiful, powerful, and breathtaking. People think of head voice as weak and a cop out but I think it's beautiful and moving. I genuinely prefer it over obnoxiously belting. (Not all belting is obnoxious but nowadays everyone thinks they can belt but it's really technically incorrect!)
prettymonsterofevil - Hello there my old friend. How is it going? It really does make a significant difference when an authentically trained vocalist is chosen over a talented raw one. Anneliese deserves a certain amount of credit for talent none the less. But it's is true, she would benefit greatly from legit vocal training. It would really polish up her vocal cords in the best sense. Hilary is bringing back the tradition of how Paige O'Hara started it all with Belle. Solid technique and perfectly fused passion in what she sings. A real gem! But contrary to original post. She is not singing in a soprano head voice for the character of Belle. To listen to that, one should look up her singing the solo numbers from Adam Guttel's The Light in the Pizza (The Beauty Is and the title song) or Wishing from The Phantom of the Opera when she was at a recital. They're all beautiful. Here, while she is brilliant. It is all mix voice.
McKenna, that’s what is known as a Classical Belt. That’s what we worked on at BGSU (when she did her graduate work there). She’s not really belting, she’s singing deeply into her body, and just stripping the paint off the walls with her rounded, warm, sunny voice. Her voice matches her true personality. I was her Collaborative Pianist (Vocal Coach), during her days at BGSU. A true gem to work with, and fun to work with, as well!! Definitely is the best Belle, even better than Susan Egan, the original. When you have a dream...GO FOR IT!!! Hilary had this dream of being Belle, since she was 10yrs old. For this Disney “Princess”, my friend’s dream came true with a ‘happily ever after’!! :-)
There’s been a change in me A kind of moving on Though what I used to be I still depend upon For now I realize That good can come from bad That may not make me wise But oh it makes me glad And I-- I never thought I’d leave behind My childhood dreams But I don’t mind For now I love the world I see No change of heart a change in me. For in my dark despair I've slowly understood My perfect world out there Had disappeared for good But in it’s place I feel A truer life begin And it’s so good and real It must come from within And I-- I never thought I’d leave behind My childhood dreams but I don’t mind I’m where and who I want to be No change of heart A change in me No change of heart A change in me
