This is so amazing. Idina is MY HERO! All Idina haters should... just go away! If you have nothing nice to say about her here... then wow! Just don't say anything!
Also, Idina is a classically trained singer who is regimental in her technique. I believe her voice is increddibly powerful, her voice cut right through the end harmonies of the whole choir! Also, she has one of the most expressive voices I've heard of any performer, it's subtle and layered and there's so much to it. - You don't think she has technique? She couldn't have held that long note! And you want hard vocals? "Kesa" from "see what I wanna see" JEEEZ that ain't easy! It's LaChiusa man!!!
I don't really think you could call Idina "weak" by any accounts. I know for a fact she'd had mic problems all day because people had seen her rehearsing, but even so she powerhoused it louder than anyone in most of the group pieces. It's my fave song too... And having seen it live, I had shivers down my spine, and it really was terrific!!! Her voice is incredibly unique and powerful.
Idina Menzel never ceases to amaze. She can find depths of emotion in characters that is wholly original. Her take here is as much disappointment as anger in the way Freddie treats Florence. Very affecting. She plays the role with a vulnerability that makes you believe the male leads are in love with her. Remember, Florence has to get an uptight chess player to leave his wife for her! Idina Menzel can sell that!
OMG! That sums it up PERFECTLY! She really DOES tap into the "natural quality" of a character. When you see her, you see Florence, in every small mannerism you can see Florence. It's not about singing a song to make it pretty, it's about singing a song because it's all this character's got to express themself and it's important to them! Not to mention...that's some SERIOUS breath control during that long note - WOAH!
So many people are saying her voice isn't "powerful." What defines a "powerful voice?" Loud? If that's the truth, then maybe you're right. But you have to consider that given the timbre of Idina Menzel's voice, her voice will carry over an orchestra and cut through the sound much more efficiently. I think this is a great role for her and I can't wait for the DVD!
Yeah, ok, and I didn't think she was great at first, but having got the soundtrack I am addicted and I LOVE it! (There's one note in Mountain Duet I LOVE!) I know this has got a little ranty on both parts, but really it's so great that 2 people care so passionately about the power of the theatre, I know I'm young but I really do!!!
I have listened to the Original and American versions of Chess repeatedly and I never saw Wicked. I think Idina fully captured the role of Florence, as Kerri did with Svetlana. I have heard both Idina and Kerri sing Defying Gravity from Wicked, and both were good, but Kerri has more of an angsty sort of edge to her voice, which came out PERFECT in Endgame as the jilted wife confronts her husband. Arbiter was cheesy. Josh as Anatoly = siiiiiigh, perfect! VERY WELL DONE!
Strangely, I really love Idina here. I couldn't imagine her singing this, but it works for me. While Elaine Paige defined the song and Julia Murney beat the hell out of it [and bravo to her for that!], Idina brings a cool clarity to it, which I enjoyed.
Yup...I know before I saw some people asking if she was reading the lyrics since she kept looking down, but in the DVD you can clearly see that she's watching the conductor through the monitor. I think she did a great job, considering the limited time for preparation. That would be difficult for ANYONE to pull off well.
just watched the show on PBS. i was never a hardcore idina fan, i mean i like wicked but i was never a huge fan of her voice. But this pretty much changed that. She really showed that she is a technically efficient singer. instead of just belting the whole time she was constantly mixing her voice and going into her higher register which has a really nice tone. she should try singing this style more often
Yeh I know how you feel. I live in England too, nearby London luckily. I got to meet her on 17th aswell when she did a CD signing of "I Stand" at Dress Circle in London. I went up on my own and stood in the rain for 3 hours but it was SO WORTH IT! She shook my hand!
SAME! (Tho I never saw her in Wicked *sobs*) I will NEVER forget when I went on the first day! I cried when she walked on, I cried when she started singing, I cried when she left and I cried when she signed my programme!!!
:] Chess was the original musical which Chess in Concert is based off of. it is just a recent production of the musical with a different cast and is indeed filmed.
As far as her just standing there you have to remember is is "In Concert". I have to agree. I worship her and she can do no worng in my book. Strangly my Sister in Law hates this musical Concert but loves Idina.
If you liked this, you should totally check her out in "See What I Wanna See" in 2005. In particular, the song "Kesa" REALLY shows off her technical ability!!! Glad you liked it, it was an amazing show!
I really liked her nervous/angry/confused Florence because I think that's what Florence would be at that time! and no I haven't seen an Idina gig (I cried when I missed the London one!) but I've seen videos and I think she's spectaculer! Have you seen th PBS special!? And her new song!?!?!?
i just watched this on pbs the other night and idina was fantastic!!! i've seen most of her other work and have all of her albums, but this was really the first show that she showed a lot of her soprano pipes! :) i love 3:30 to the end! it's phenomenal!!
i understand where you're coming from but on the first night we were actually told that we could use our cameras without using the flash, so i took some pics (and i complied with the no flash rule, but there were some who didn't) but i didn't take any video (I'm waiting for the DVD). On the second night they certainly made it clear that photography/video wasn't permitted, so the camera stayed away.
i absolutely lovvvvve idina's voice!! gahhh... i almost flew to london for this. i dont think she can act the part of florence very well though. oh well. that voice... =)))
Oh dear, you can distinctly see her looking down at the autocue. Much was made of this at the time. There was not much rehearsal time for this concert (hence the APPALLING live sound - I was there) but most other performers learnt their lines better than Chin-zel.
Actually saying "Based off of" is a good way of putting it. Chess was adapted by Tim Rice for the Concert version. It's quite different than the original London version. In reality no two versions of Chess are the same. Everyone who does it does it very very differently. Even to the point that in some performances different opponents win. Tim Rice adapted the concert version from several versions he saw and liked.
...Please dont yell at me as I am full aware that I am defiantly no vocal expert, I just want to support Idina. This is her technique, sure it may not be perfect, but look where it has gotten her! We just have to realise that this is how Idina wanted to portray the role, so weve just got to loosen up.
okay so have we all forgotten Idina in Wicked and Rent? She can belt it out with the best of them, so if she decided to keep the tone of this song a notch lower than others, then it's just a different interpretation. Personally, I listened to this song like fifty times last week...but if you prefer Julia then just go watch that one! Everybody has a different take on these things. :)
Also for some reason the final chorus is dropped too - which is to the detriment of the song. There's ALWAYS two choruses at the end (after the little music break)
I disagree - there's no WAY you can say Idina's voice is "light" especially compared with Julias...(who I also admire) The thing I LOVED about Idina's performance was how she mixed this vulnerability with this fierceness! She got the character nailed...here she's aknowledging her confusion but she's fighting it with strength, and Idina's voice has TOTAL power! - its what she's known for! I also love the mannerisms she brings, this businesslike outer stance, but this openess and vulnerability!
i have to say, I agree that this wasn't Idina's best performance. Though the music was a bit rushed. And to those wondering about the lyrics, the British and American versions are TOTALLY different in storyline and lyrics. And within those two there are many different variations, so no one is crazy.
Many people say "Ohh, Idina's better because she was the first." and that's not really a valid explanation of why she's better, but I do prefer her to many. I also like Dee Roscioli and Ana Gasteyer's Elphabas, but my overall favorite would have to be Stephanie J. Block, especially when paired with Annaleigh Ashford. She brings every emotion possible to the character. My only criticism of SJB is that she seems angry a lot. But every Elphaba brings something different and beautiful to the role.
What's the difference between Chess and Chess in Concert? Is Chess in Concert the filmed version of the musical, or is it just the cast performing all the songs? PS: I love Adam and Idina! :DD
Helen Sjoholm does this song the best out of anyone I've ever heard. She puts the necessary power and strength into the character that Idina just cant seem to muster.
There is a subtle difference here in this recording to what is on that which was officially released. The "side" here beginning at 3:17 is sung right through in one breath, the CD release its not. Always wish this version had been put on the CD instead.
I find Defying Gravity much harder than don't cry for me Argentina...I also heard Paige's greatest hits and it was terrible... I'd say Florence is the hardest vocal part of the 3... What Idina has is a POWERHOUSE voice and the ability to find a character and give her voice character, as opposed to most others who just sing a song so it sounds nice, there's no real urgency to get this message out - and that's what musical THEATRE is all about!
We are forgetting that this was done to Entertain and not to be criticised from every angle. I for one, could NEVER get up on that stage and sing like Idina, simply because it takes some serious guts. Could it be that she was just nervous? I mean the RAH seats several hundred and this is Florence's first solo...
I personally think that after Wicked, her voice was pretty shot in any recording you might hear that wasn't studio altered. But she seems to have made a pretty full recovery. She makes this song, as with other songs, sound GOOD, but not as great as Julia. I did hear Sutton sing "Roll in the Hay" from Young Frankenstein, and I was pretty impressed. At least we still have Adam.
I think that Idina's voice works BECAUSE it's light. I think the character is losing her innocence throughout this play, and this song is her moment of acknowledging it--she's growing up, in a way. So Idina's lighter voice fits, in my opinion. :) (Either way, we agree that it's pretty.)
When its time-Get the Original album..the black one..not the broadway version..it was changed after Micheal bennet Died( it was his big show after Dreamgirls)It's very amazing hearing what the composers had in mind..I am glad you are so Passionate( we may not agree but, it's passion that's leading us..I will send you some original clips..I think you will love them too..but chess is a hard show to love but once it gets you, you are HOOked..lol
I heard Elaine live last year and thought she was ok...and there was an Evita revival...(one which Idina turned down) I don't agree that the concert was all about money I think it was about giving Chess a fresh new face. I ADORE the score but the show as a whole was pretty poor as a theatrical piece. I am totally in love with the theatre too and I loved Idina in it. I feel she has a darkness to her, a really subtle one, that the others didn't quite tap into in the same way...
It is a surprise. Wicked fans are usually pretty violent when it comes to favorites. From what I've seen of Eden, she's pretty good. But that's a role I DO prefer Idina to play. I'm actually seeing Eden on the 31st, I'm really excited about that. And Tracie Thoms, I love her, too. My favorite Fiyero: NORBERT LEO BUTZ. Nobody else. Sebastian's alright to look at, but just Norbert. I think he's gorgeous, and his voice is amazing, and his acting, ah. I could go on and on, but I won't.
That comment made me giggle! Yeah it was clever, though I didn't really think a pure "colour" like white suited Pascal's character lol. The 2nd half was clever...Idina wore a white dress with black lace, very subtle, but sressed the confusion and stuff. :-)
Oh, it is. I get chills down my spine whenever I hear it. Another Mark I like is Neil Patrick Harris (I just almost wrote Doogie Howser, wow.). He's pretty good. I'm not really a Roger aficionado, but from what I've heard the guy I'm seeing isn't bad. Will Chase? I don't like the Mimi, Renee Elise Goldberry. I'd really like to hear Norbert as Roger, but I haven't found any recordings anywhere.
Thank you. And exactly- if you're not too busy being defensive, you might learn someting new from whomever you're talking to. Another thing I'm looking forward to is the fact that Gwen Stewart is back with the show until the end doing her original roles, her solo is amazing. Most of the Marks I've heard were pretty good, but they all sound like Anthony imitations. The only original one, which I didn't like, was Joey Fatone. I also didn't like Sebastian as Roger.
well you can't really say it was "based off of" the show, it is the show, with a really stripped down staging, and a larger orchestra. they also did this kinda' thing with sweeney todd....
Okay can I just say, as someone who's seen Idina do a lot of things, do people really doubt that Idina could have portrayed Florence more like Julia did? Or acted more instead of standing mostly still? These are acting choices here, and singing choices. Think of everything Idina has done. She could have played the role how everyone apparently wants her to have. Maybe she stands still because it's a concert version? But don't doubt her skill. Remember The Wizard and I and Defying Gravity.
I've seen vids on here when Idina was at NYU. Can hardly recognise her! Its all technique and she sounds SO classical. She got a new vocal coach and they worked on a style, I believe based on natural speech/breathing techniques. It makes vocals seem more natural, less like the typical singers who don't have such emotional expression. And she turned Evita down because there were other things she wanted to do more...I'll watch Evita tonight though, bought the movie the other day :-
I'm glad we can have this conversation without being ignorant and childish, as many people tend to do, but I have to disagree on that too. I enjoyed Adam in the RENT movie. He's better on stage, though. I've heard many say the nervousness was an acting choice by her, but I'm not sure about that. All I know is I prefer Julia, she brings more power to it and makes it her own. Idina just sings it. I do like Idina better as Elphie, though, when her voice is fine. Julia's vibrato can be distracting.
Well, first, I definitely prefer Julia Murney's interpretation of Florence. It's more powerful, it's more vulnerable, and it's far more ballsy, and the complexity of all that is just far better delivered by her, especially for Florence's character. I don't think Idina Menzel did a BAD job, per se. The vocal was great, and she's definitely a talented actress. I just wouldn't cast her in this role if they ever did a revival, if you get what I'm saying.
I have to say that these bootleg clips don't do Idina justice. I saw this Concert at the cinema and I have to say that vocally Idina was great, however I didn't think she was 'in the moment' with the character of Florence. It was like Idina sings the songs of Chess rather than playing Florence. When you compare it to Julia Murney's amazing performance it is nowhere near as strong in terms of acting and emotion. I'm often known for slating Idina's vocals, but I was genuinely impressed with this.
His voice is so beautiful, I can't stand it sometimes, haha. He should make an album. But he does seem better suited for sarcastic songs and love songs, he does well on those. I will look up Declan, though, because I like hearing the different spins people put on the same roles. I heard Daphne in the 10th anniversary videos, and everyone keeps saying how her voice is damaged. She's pretty dang good for a girl with a damaged voice.
Maybe it is unfair to compare her to Elaine( after all it was written around her voice and subtext about her and TIm Rice's Affair)but you must understand as a singer and artist.I cannot just except less then what I know we can do in this world..Believe it or not..Its all coming from a good , Passionate place.. I would hope if I was bad something. someone will let me know so I can fix it and be better the next time..anyway..its all in love for the ART
And BTW..EVITA is the most difficult role to sing..Hence why there has never been a revival( don't cry for me is a rest for the singing) I have conducted both wicked and Evita...Trust!!! I understand THEATRE..But I will not put up with bad singing..This Part is NOT for her...This whole musical was brought up because of Tim Rice"s affair with Elaine(hence) I know him so well and Nobody side..it was all code..
I disagree. Idina's Maureen/Elphaba/Florence/Kate are SO different!!! And Julia isn't as powerful, I don't get why people think she is, overusing vibrato dont make u powerful. Having said that I did enjoy her Queenie on the record! I always see Idina AS the character! Like here she looks so nervous/angry/confused I was SO surprised with what Idina's personality was actually like, because she's so strong in her characters.
I agree, almost completely, Candide (though I can't say that Idina has a "rock" sound, either. I'm thinking we need a sort of "pop broadway" classification for contemporary character voices like Idina, the non-classical side of Chenoweth, Sheri Rene Scott (whose name I just mercilessly butchered), etc...) But really, this role is so out of her reach. And I don't just mean vocally (and, good lord, does she miss many of those high notes! Made me want to cry.) Judy! Someone call Judy!!)
I can't recall what they call it, but it was the 2nd tier up, above the boxes. All the reviews on the ABBA fansites and theatre forums went mad over the appalling sound. SO much reverb and echo. You couldn't hear anything half the time. The Royal Albert Hall ended up refunding some money to people who complained immediately about it. You must have been lucky is all I can say. You were in the minority.
well, i think its just that her voice isnt exactly the most "full". it totally worked with Wicked, and i think she's a good singer in general. However, her voice doesnt seem to harmonize/work with the other male singers voices in this show. for whatever reason. although she does this song pretty well.
I guess its about what you like.. I am a Operatic Bass- Baritone..and I just do not hear her training..it sounds tight(but thats what I hear)I believe her voice needs to be more free, that is the reason she turned down Evita(it would kill her)..but alas its all about what you like..hence why there are many singers to choose from( t.you heard Elaine at 62 yrs) but I respect your opinion..but for me all the classical singers who have heard her would valiadate my point..its all about preference
