Or, rather it shouldn't be. I've been a Steph supporter through most of this season but it has to be said, with regard to the remaining girls, Lauren probably is the best candidate and I find it difficult to understand the many comments I've read from individuals suggesting they or others haven't/won't vote for her due to her personality...
Yes, she may have underdeveloped social skills and and suffer from over-confidence...but I don't know many theater people who don't, to be quite honest. Not to mention that by all accounts from those who know her through friends or colleagues, and given what those who have gone to see the live shows have said about her interaction with the other girls, it would seem her 'un-likeability' is more a matter of her personality not translating well on camera (which I'm sure a bit of media training could correct).
Some have said she looks too old but in the theater when you are sitting in the stalls you aren't going to notice the four years between her and Danielle--I mean Mary Martin was playing Maria in SOM when she was in her late 40s....
Her acting may appear a bit OTT on TV but that has been true of most of the experienced contestants on these shows (see Rachel Tucker, Connie Fisher), and to the extent that it is really a problem and not an issue of theater acting not translating to TV, if Danielle has time to learn to disguise her break during the period between the competition and opening night surely Lauren has time to adjust aspects of her delivery.
And on the subject of experience/vocal problems, given the gaps in Danielle's technique that various songs in this competition have exposed, coupled with the fact that she's never done a run in any kind of professional show, I'd be concerned about whether her voice could be relied upon to hold-up 8 shows a week for 12 months. Look at the trouble those WITH extensive vocal training like Connie have had. On the other hand, Lauren, has done a run in Peter Pan, her vocal technique is flawless, I'd put my money on her voice to hold up any day.
And it's not just vocal stamina that worry me with Danielle, it's also her mental/emotional stamina--regardless of how mature she is for her age, she is still quite young to be carrying a MASSIVE show in her first professional role. The fact is, we haven't seen how she holds up when faced with true adverse criticism because frankly she hasn't really received very much on the show. On the other hand, aside from the fact that she is older, and has had experience in other professional roles, I think you would be hard pressed to find someone on the show who has taken more of a beating than Lauren has over the course of the competition and yet she has emerged unshaken week after week. I was particularly impressed during the double elimination week when she had just been in the sing-off, endured ALW commenting that her top notes were "shrieky" and then she had to turn around and sing in the WOO group sing-off and easily did the best of all the girls.
(Also, I just remember what Siobhan Dillon revealed in "West End Story", a docu. a couple months ago about the contestants from the first 3 shows. She said that when it got down to the final 3 and it hit her that she could win, and be placed in this leading role where all of these investors and cast members and directors/producers etc. would be relying on her to succeed and she said she was scared to death and really hoped she wouldn't get it. And it made me think as a viewer and someone who voted for her I never would have known that, and certainly would never have voted for someone to be put in that position who was frightened of it and didn't feel completely confident they could pull it off--it just has made me look at the young and inexperienced girls on these shows a lot more carefully).
Perhaps more than anything her voice is just incredible--when it was announced this week that the winning Dorothy would release an OTT single, I immediately thought, wow, I hope Lauren wins, cause I'd love to buy that single. And I think that's a large part of what it should also come down to--who would you want to hear sing OTT every night... .
OK, so that's my case for Lauren (please forgive the fact that it is a bit disjointed and poorly edited, I'm in the middle of studying for finals) but I just had to post this bc I really think all the comments/posts about how unlikeable she is blah, blah, blah, is a bit out of place, and there isn't any reason why she shouldn't be the favorite to win this competition...all things considered.
Yes, she may have underdeveloped social skills and and suffer from over-confidence...but I don't know many theater people who don't, to be quite honest. Not to mention that by all accounts from those who know her through friends or colleagues, and given what those who have gone to see the live shows have said about her interaction with the other girls, it would seem her 'un-likeability' is more a matter of her personality not translating well on camera (which I'm sure a bit of media training could correct).
Some have said she looks too old but in the theater when you are sitting in the stalls you aren't going to notice the four years between her and Danielle--I mean Mary Martin was playing Maria in SOM when she was in her late 40s....
Her acting may appear a bit OTT on TV but that has been true of most of the experienced contestants on these shows (see Rachel Tucker, Connie Fisher), and to the extent that it is really a problem and not an issue of theater acting not translating to TV, if Danielle has time to learn to disguise her break during the period between the competition and opening night surely Lauren has time to adjust aspects of her delivery.
And on the subject of experience/vocal problems, given the gaps in Danielle's technique that various songs in this competition have exposed, coupled with the fact that she's never done a run in any kind of professional show, I'd be concerned about whether her voice could be relied upon to hold-up 8 shows a week for 12 months. Look at the trouble those WITH extensive vocal training like Connie have had. On the other hand, Lauren, has done a run in Peter Pan, her vocal technique is flawless, I'd put my money on her voice to hold up any day.
And it's not just vocal stamina that worry me with Danielle, it's also her mental/emotional stamina--regardless of how mature she is for her age, she is still quite young to be carrying a MASSIVE show in her first professional role. The fact is, we haven't seen how she holds up when faced with true adverse criticism because frankly she hasn't really received very much on the show. On the other hand, aside from the fact that she is older, and has had experience in other professional roles, I think you would be hard pressed to find someone on the show who has taken more of a beating than Lauren has over the course of the competition and yet she has emerged unshaken week after week. I was particularly impressed during the double elimination week when she had just been in the sing-off, endured ALW commenting that her top notes were "shrieky" and then she had to turn around and sing in the WOO group sing-off and easily did the best of all the girls.
(Also, I just remember what Siobhan Dillon revealed in "West End Story", a docu. a couple months ago about the contestants from the first 3 shows. She said that when it got down to the final 3 and it hit her that she could win, and be placed in this leading role where all of these investors and cast members and directors/producers etc. would be relying on her to succeed and she said she was scared to death and really hoped she wouldn't get it. And it made me think as a viewer and someone who voted for her I never would have known that, and certainly would never have voted for someone to be put in that position who was frightened of it and didn't feel completely confident they could pull it off--it just has made me look at the young and inexperienced girls on these shows a lot more carefully).
Perhaps more than anything her voice is just incredible--when it was announced this week that the winning Dorothy would release an OTT single, I immediately thought, wow, I hope Lauren wins, cause I'd love to buy that single. And I think that's a large part of what it should also come down to--who would you want to hear sing OTT every night... .
OK, so that's my case for Lauren (please forgive the fact that it is a bit disjointed and poorly edited, I'm in the middle of studying for finals) but I just had to post this bc I really think all the comments/posts about how unlikeable she is blah, blah, blah, is a bit out of place, and there isn't any reason why she shouldn't be the favorite to win this competition...all things considered.
