Randy was my neighbor growing up. I was great friends with her brother. When I had my first real girlfriend in college she got us amazing tickets to this show and then met us afterwards backstage. Plenty of boyfriend points for that one! I cried when she sang this, which as you know, is early on. I got more points for the tears! Always was super super talented growing up. Her de coached me playing softball. Great family. Love you Randy 😘
As a much younger man I had zero interest in a musical about (it really isn't) the French Revolution called The Miserables. Didn't sound like a fun night out. One afternoon I surfed onto Donahue as he was introducing this performance and over the next four minutes I... well for me, basically, the Earth stopped turning. I eventually became what I had previously laughed at, a Les Miz junkie, seeing the full production 17 times in the US, Canada and the UK. Each evening was carried by actresses of almost transcendent gifts... but for me, Randy Graff will forever own this role. Simply a STUNNING moment. She's the Gold Standard. And she still rips my heart out.
I hadn't heard many nice things about Ms. Graff's Fantine over the years (mostly from Patti LuPone fans) but when I got a hold of her Broadway rendition I was very pleasantly surprised. I think she did a fantastic job and deserves much recognition for her performance. I'm so glad to see that she does indeed have a strong fanbase. My compliments to you, Ms. Graff, for a wonderful job.
In the novel "Les Miserables", Fantine, as a character was very gentle. She drew her strength from her inner courage, strength and extreme desire to be with her only daughter, Cosette, and survive their extreme poverty and hunger.
In a word; formidable. In other performers' (including Patti Lupone's) hands the song is quite pretty and feminine, but not resonating with raw emotive power. Randy Graff's evocative singing, gestures and facial expressions had me shivering and feeling each note and emotion. Very powerful performance. Thank you for posting!
Les Miz redefined it's dramatic approach many times over the past quarter century. This performance, and how it's sung, is the way it HAD to be when it first opened in America. This performance is gold, but it's not how see the show today.
Hello David I saw her live a few weeks after the show opened. You are so right. No one will ever do this like she did. Many people can sing but a scarce few can make you feel like YOU are singing and feeling it along with them.
Thank you for sharing this.. she is the only one that can sing the hell out of this song and I have heard many others sing it they can not top her voice..
This is the best of the youtube renditions I have seen so far, in my opinion of course. It just has that perfect combo of grit and emotion that really makes the song work, without any mannerisms that distract from the strength of the song. Love the other versions and singers, but I think I have to say Ilke this one the best.
Thank you for posting this! I had this episode saved for the longest time, and then this tape got switched by accident with my moms daily soaps tape! That was a sad day, but so happy to be able to see this again...any chance you could post any more? Thanks bunches!
You can't sing that way forever. Lots of wear and tear on the vocal cords. Very effective, but all that pushing really takes its toll. Interesting to compare Lupone and Graff's versions, LuPone treats her voice very smoothly, and I think it loses some of it's pathos because of it. She's judicious, and it's a wise way to preserve the voice. But still effective. Hathaway, who has much more limited vocal resources, had to sing it with much more fragility, which really rather worked.
The best Fantine. Her naturally deep voice fits the character so well. This is an older woman weary with life’s letdowns versus the young female characters with higher voices. I love Lea Salonga, but Graff fits better as Fantine for me.
I've seen a number of actresses perform this beautiful song including Randy Graff and still believe she performed it best. Lea Solonga and Ruthie Henshall probably come as close to the original as I've hears. Don't like Anne Hathaway's performance in the movie at all.
Now this rendition by Randy Graff is what I call real emotion, Anne Hathaway= forced emotion. She's a celebrity, she's not even a credible actress...Judi Dench, that is a great actress. Much less is Hathaway a foremost interpreter of musicals. Its artists like Randy Graff and Ruthie Henshall that really are singing actors.
My problem is, that my favourite "I Dreamed a Dreaam"'s are not sung by Fantines, for example Susan Boyle, Hayley Westerna or Connie Talbot. They've never palyed the role. She is propably one of the best Fantines, but not the singer who've sung this song. It's only my opinion
+Kate Wibberly Your opinion is exactly what's wrong with the 'talent' shows that spawn the horrors you mentioned. The acceptance of these hacks via TV shows. None have equaled - by a light year - any cast member who've ever played Fantine on stage. They're sterile, soulless robots.
Obviously her voice is amazing, But there is something about this that seems like she is just over singing. Almost yelling at me . On top of her vague facial expression and the fact for half the song she stands like a statue, this leaves much to be desired for me. Sorry, I know she is considered the best, I guess I just don't see why
Liam Pal I cant stand you. You are horrible and you don’t even display your talent. This is a world class voice, while you may not like her voice, you can not deny that she is talented. Very few people can sing in this manner and further more I expect many more people pay her to sing than pay you.
