I very much agree with the vast majority of this thenetworkbabe. In Maria, the powers that be decided which horses they were betting on (Connie and Siobhan) and the narrative was played out accordingly. With the right song choices and crucially, backing from the panel, any one of Abi, Aoife, Leanne or even possibly Meliz or Belinda could have romped home. I'd bet money that Leanne did really well on the public vote in the first two weeks and that the night she did Big Spender, Abi topped the poll. If they had placed more emphasis on the girl's acting, Aoife's stock would have risen (actually, I feel sure she would have won) and Connie's would have plummeted.
All of that said, I've become a bit more attuned to vocal suitability since HDYSAPLM and much as I loved and adored her, I understand their reservations about Abi from a vocal point of view. Not so much the tuning, but the timbre of her voice wasn't quite what they were looking for and I understand that. I would still have loved the tomboy qualities she would have brought to the role.
ADWD and IDA worked on exactly the same principle, but by then there was more of a pattern with the youngsters being given every possible benefit of the doubt (Sam, Niamh, Lewis, Keith) and some of the older contestants pulled to pieces despite really good performances (Daniel, Seamus, Ashley, Sarah)
To be honest, I think too much has been made of Nancy nancy. We saw her for about three minutes and it was specifically shown to demonstrate how much the casting director could get out of the girls. For all we know, he was able to get a similar level of performance out of many of them. We've no idea what she was like for the rest of the time or how she compared to the others. On the very little I have to go on, I think that her vocal quality was far more suitable for Eponine than Nancy. So I'm really glad that she ended up with that part. But I don't think she was a tremendous loss to Nancy.
What do you mean by Timbre with Abi? Not sure what she would sound like as Maria . Seemed OK on the show to me and if you listen to the youtubes out there of her in Blondel and Betwixt she's actually using her higher range more than her Big Spender lower. She's coped with 8 shows a week too. The problem with Maria is that there isn't much to build the romance on with the Captain and if you can't act well enough or are too young the chemistry doesn't work. Aoife can do it - she gets the relationships right with everyone. (People were commenting on how well she sings it all too last time I saw it) Abi manages to convey almost the same emotions of a girl falling in love with one look as a disembodied head in Betwixt.
Looking at the youtubes of the group numbers in Maria its interesting how many people stand out and who doesn't. As you say they could have made a case for half of the Marias to win and the group perfromances don't suggest at all its Connie that is the favourite. As you say it didn't fit the agenda so the point wasn't made.
The Nancy Nancy point is an acting one. She acts Nancy better than anyone on the show in her audition tape, the characters are similarly doomed and CM has grabbed her for Eponine - which is an even bigger tear jerking show stopper as a role. Jodie wouldn't have taken much outsinging and would have been outacted. Tears induced tends to translate into votes and I think she could have induced buckets. Jessie would have been up against someone who not only could act but also had a perfect cockney accent and who was likely to pull in some of Jodie's fan base. You may be right about precisely how she sings but I don't think Jodie singing is going to be a great selling factor either.
I love Tara in Joseph, she's a fabulous performer and has been taken in very well by the cast. Some did have doubts at first but they also had doubts about craig, chris b, keith and antony.
Tara's voice is much more suited to musical theatre songs..... Ok, I wasn't a big fan of her in IDA, but she has definitely won me over since I've seen her in Joseph, can't wait to go and see it again!
I saw Tara in Joseph in Dublin last week .
She was fantastic , really super , we all loved her as the narrator and many friends and family who saw it are still talking about her fabulous singing and wonderfull acting .
Saw Tara in Joseph a few days ago in Malvern - she was absolutely fabulous as the narrator. She has a beautiful singing voice and I didn't realise she was one of the Nancy's until I read the programme. Craig Chalmers was also brilliant - a fabulous show altogether. I emailed the Kenwright company to ask if they would bring out a dvd of the show with Craig and Tara but they have no plans to do this unfortunately due to image rights.
I saw her as the Narrator in Llandudno in November, she was fantastic - a beautiful woman with an amazing voice. She's made me put that part on my Wish List for parts I'd like to play one day
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What do you mean by Timbre with Abi? Not sure what she would sound like as Maria . Seemed OK on the show to me and if you listen to the youtubes out there of her in Blondel and Betwixt she's actually using her higher range more than her Big Spender lower. She's coped with 8 shows a week too. The problem with Maria is that there isn't much to build the romance on with the Captain and if you can't act well enough or are too young the chemistry doesn't work. Aoife can do it - she gets the relationships right with everyone. (People were commenting on how well she sings it all too last time I saw it) Abi manages to convey almost the same emotions of a girl falling in love with one look as a disembodied head in Betwixt.
Looking at the youtubes of the group numbers in Maria its interesting how many people stand out and who doesn't. As you say they could have made a case for half of the Marias to win and the group perfromances don't suggest at all its Connie that is the favourite. As you say it didn't fit the agenda so the point wasn't made.
The Nancy Nancy point is an acting one. She acts Nancy better than anyone on the show in her audition tape, the characters are similarly doomed and CM has grabbed her for Eponine - which is an even bigger tear jerking show stopper as a role. Jodie wouldn't have taken much outsinging and would have been outacted. Tears induced tends to translate into votes and I think she could have induced buckets. Jessie would have been up against someone who not only could act but also had a perfect cockney accent and who was likely to pull in some of Jodie's fan base. You may be right about precisely how she sings but I don't think Jodie singing is going to be a great selling factor either.
Tara's voice is much more suited to musical theatre songs..... Ok, I wasn't a big fan of her in IDA, but she has definitely won me over since I've seen her in Joseph, can't wait to go and see it again!
She was fantastic , really super , we all loved her as the narrator and many friends and family who saw it are still talking about her fabulous singing and wonderfull acting .
Tara you were brilliant .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7zBLrwday8 Tylluanod (Owls)
There's an interview from the 2013 Welsh Eistedfodd that tells us Tara was then in Pobol y Cwm on BBC Wales
http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/2013/concerts/monday-night/tara-bethan/
Can't speak Welsh to get any further, but the BBC site also still thinks Tara is still in in Pobyl Y Cwm as Angela.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5L0mz138Zn4mgcQ5hX14gt2/angela-probert
Anyone watch this and can confirm that?
One she wrote herself. Ogne Mor’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GneIse6ViTI
singing with Mark Evans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bq6DSrBRc000000000000
Norma Jean. There's a set of these by Tara if you look for her photo on the suggestions panel at right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpjnZtrdQFk
This is somewhere over the rainbow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Qi49HrhqI
and more recognisable.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPDikhJmS0
She's still singing.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Tara+Bethan&view=detail&mid=6FF926A43CCED1A97ECF6FF926A43CCED1A97ECF&FORM=VIRE
and a cv https://www.spotlight.com/1932-8973-8881