On Mon, 15 Jan 2001, Shannon wrote:
> To add just one thing to Karen's great list,
>
> Legit roles that opera singers could do well:
>
> Either of the female roles from "1776." Abigail Adams would be a lyric
> or lyric mezzo, and Martha Jefferson is lighter.
>
> Ought to be done full-out by a real baritone, but hasn't been since
> John Cullum:
>
> Edward Rutledge from "1776"
It's funny - I was thinking about 1776 last night, after posting my list.
I think I will agree to the extent that Rutledge would be much better
served by a well-trained baritone voice - and also a brilliant actor. To
be able to carry off his intensely powerful solo, "Tobacco to Rum to
Slaves", anything less than a voice in complete command of itself, able to
produce a variety of vocal colours, dynamics, etc., will be criminally
inadequate.
I'll also agree that Abigail Adams, sung originally by Virginia Vestoff,
should be a "legit" voice - as long as it's a legit voice that can balance
(notice I don't say "blend") well against John Adams'. There's no reason
why Martha Jefferson can't also have a legit voice, except that the role
was originally created by Betty Buckley, who was definitely what I'd call
a "light belter". Frankly, I'd love to hear a fully trained tenor (or
high baritone) as Adams. As much as I loved both William Daniels and
Brent Spiner (who is more of a singer than Daniels, certainly, but not
quite as endearing an actor in the role of John Adams - though I worship
his Mr. Data), my ears long to hear the full possibilities - musical and
dramatic - that a well-trained voice could bring to "Is Anybody There?".
1776 is such a quirky show. There's so much about it not to like - and
yet, I adore it, and always have. Despite it's cheap double-entendres and
adolescent sex humour, some really bizarre extremes dramatically
(slapstick comedy to intense drama), and very questionable historical
grounding (and the fact that it's probably the least female-friendly
musical in the canon), there's still something irresistible about the show
that inspires me to see every production of it that comes along, to watch
the video religiously ever July 4th, and to audition repeatedly for
Abigail Adams, a role I have yet to do because auditors in this area, at
least, do not agree that the role can be sung "legit".
KM
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