Originally Posted by David James:
“I was at the equivalent concert in B'Ham. The large extra lady who sang Memories and Defying Gravity was not up to standard, the tone of her voice changed significantly at each step up her singing register.
I always wonder if Jessie had arrived on our screens a year later for Dorothy rather than Nancy how things would have changed for her. Her Over the Rainbow is something else.
Her version of The Man who got Away with the jazz pianist at the Dankworth place near Milton Keynes was so fantastic that last night's version with the orchestra was a little disappointing. Networkbabe, you seem to have kept in touch, what has happened in her relationship with the jazz pianist?”
Don't know. Jessie's
http://jessiebuckleyfanblog.blogspot.com/ was the best source for her cabarets but its become quiet (as, indeed, have Siobhan and Francesca's fanblogspots) Jessie isn't on twitter so no info there either. Her facebook page is becoming more active, but doesn't advertise whats coming up. Joe Thompson's own site hasn't been updated in ages.
http://www.joethompson.net/ Jessie's not playing greenwich again this year, or any of the pizza express musical venues in their winter programme. Its a case of having to look every now and again to see whats on. Jessie may just be doing the big concerts, and the two in Dublin were very big, or she may be doing other things at places that don't get advertised?
Not sure about Dorothy. As its been directed, Danielle and Sophie seem to have been told to lay back on OTR, and there's not much else thats that big a song to sing in Wizard' after OTR appears early in act one. Not at all sure what ALW was really looking for. Anne in Little Night Music looked an even bigger contrast to act - what with the accent, the character and the comedy. If she can sing Grease, Mamma Mia, The Sound of Music and the US classics and Les Mis, and can dance them, Jessie hopefully will be able to go for a wide range of roles one day - like Lauren?
The Barbican audience seemed very impressed with the Sound of Musicals, including the larger lady. Some of the renditions were a little operatic and with only a couple of singers you don't always always get people who are cast for the right age or play the role fully . If you have recently seen Rachel sing Defying Gravity in Wicked or John Owen Jones/Katie Hall in Phantom or Katie ever sing Cosette, there's a steep hill to climb though for anyone to compare with them -even if they can get the notes. I thought it was brave for anyone to even try Love Never Dies - it ought to come with a ALW almost impossible to sing well enough label (though Helena does it really well in some of her cabarets)
