Julian Ovenden performing Being Alive from Company at the 2010 BBC Proms celebrating Sondheim's 80th birthday. An amazing performance! (Sorry for the sucky quality - my laptop will not cooperate with any higher settings.)
Unbelievable performance, it's rare to hear a real music theatre performance like this one, really singing it, acting it & not letting the latter overpower the voice or the song! Well done Julian, you're an inspiration to all young aspiring baritones!
You know what I like about Mr. Ovenden's version--not only for his fantastic tenor voice--is that his interpretation is so sincere--more so than Mr. Barrowman who seems to be calling attention to his voice rather than making us FEEL this powerful song--like Mr. Ovenden is conveying so well here. He's fantastic!!
I like this interpretation as a triumph of self realization. You can see his voice has the chops for Opera. Wish more people in U.S. knew his voice as well as acting talent.
This is simply amazing! Beautiful. You could actually see his exasperation with what the others are telling him and then he slowly comes to this realization that he wants that too. And his movements added to the genuineness as people do not stand still when talking. His voice was wonderful and the performance delightful. The jump at the end I think he was just excited by doing the song for Sondheim himself. Great job Julian!!!
Give Julian a dramatic song and he becomes a wonderful actor with as much feelings for the lyrics as the composer himself. "Being Alive" is my favorite song by Julian Ovenden.
Just had the pleasure of seeing Julian Ovenden do "Death Takes a Holiday" off broadway in NYC, to say his voice is glorious is not quite enough praise. His voice is magnificent gorgeous and unmistakeable; He is truly sensational. GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS VOICE What a treasure
I was really lucky to be at this concert last Saturday and this rendition of 'Being Alive' was truly superb; he seemed to reach out and connect with the whole Hall; a great to performance.
I adore this song, and this is one of the first versions I heard of it. I loved the Sondheim prom and this song did blow my mind (although it is a little odd of context) and I still love it :) rather splendiferous rendition, I have to say :)
It's really quite interesting, usually theatre critics aren't singers themselves, and (after hearing some loud high singing) automatically label a performer tenor. When, in reality, your voice class is almost nothing to do with range; purely sound quality and production.
I was a great fan of the late and much missed Canadian star of musical theatre, Edmund Hockridge, to me nobody could come close to Ted's rich baritone voice. With Ted sadly gone, I'll put all my money on Julian Ovenden, for me he'll carry the Hockridge flag to perfection!
Very powerful. Of course its a concert performance in front of an audience that have not followed the whole ''Company' musical so an in character performance may have seemed a little weak. This definately has impact and in such a large arena with a massive ochestra the leap just makes a statement. Well done. Its a big ask for a performer to tackle a spotlight song sich
ah, good call there. i didn't really listen to him to analyze till now and i think you're right! Im a theater actor myself and i always like to analyze peoples voices
Wonderful performance great technique- i have the CD of Marguerite wit h Ovenden and Henshall- it is incredible music and they perform beautifully mclaire12
yeah, a lot of people have no idea what they're talking about. Im trained in opera and now perform mostly in musical theater so i absolutely know that just b/c u have high notes u aren't a tenor, lol. I know many a baritone friends that have high Bbs but are clearly baritones..
Ovenden and Esparza sing this because they love the piece and sing it with sincerity. NPH sounds as tho he's singing it for the money.But he's still good, just not as good as the other two. The old Dean Jones version is right up there as well.
Parker Hale Bobby is usually a tenor, he's just a better singer than NPH. But to be honest, this is clearly a classically trained voice. Even before I just Googled to confirm it, you can hear his voice turning. You don't learn that just messing around in front of a mirror with your friends, that is straight up classical training. It's hard to compete with a well-constructed voice.
mijcummi well said! You can even see his phrasing at the end when he went for the big Beinnngg Aliiiiive... he didn't show he needed to go for a gasp of air and just hit those notes and long! I think that was the longest note I have heard so far as compared to the other singers. Julian Ovenden is classically trained and of course, with his years of experience, can add drama as well to his technique. So far the best version of the song by a tenor! I want to see other singers as well who are classically trained to sing this song!
well, sung, but I have to agree w/ @sko1187, it's showy, not necessarily flat or cheesy, but very musical theatre, in a show that requires raw honesty, which is what both Dean and Raul give this song
such a beautiful song. My only objection is that this show is supposed to be about typical New Yorkers, the British actors need to SOUND like New Yorkers.
well, sung, but I have to agree w/ @sko1187, it's showy, not necessarily flat or cheesy, but very musical theatre, in a show that requires raw honesty, which is what both Dean and Raul give this song. Notice how he has this sort of hidden self-satisfied smile during the whole crescendo, he's up there enjoying that he's up there rather than truly being in the moment of the song
@Arkelk2010 Well, I have a critique also. He was wonderful thru all of it until the end when he pronounced BEING like this: BE--hing. It was like scratching a chalk board. He's a damn good singer though. I also didn't get the leap at the end. Weird.
Nah. He's got a beautifully trained voice; no dispute. But this is a self-conscious performance. He's there but his heart isn't. Watch Dean Jones perform it with his hurt heart completely in it. It will break your heart and lift you to the rafters.
