Yeah I am defo going to.

Sam is great!

She sure is! Hope she's safe this week

Sam was absolutely fantastic tonight. I had doubts about the song and everything, but I loved her performance. I will be voting for her again next week if she's safe (put in two for her tonight )

now niamhs gone im not sure who im supporting but i think it will end up being sam, i prefer her over jodie and jessie, and i dont think rachel stands a chance now

Might want to put that in a spoiler Steph

i like sam a long while ago, but i've always been a rachel fan. now that sam's sang one of my favourite songs ever, i might be backing her to win the role of nancy. i did hate her a bit for being able to sing defying gravity that well, but i'll reign it in lol.

Ooh someone agrees, my favourites are Sam and Rachel too.

i really wanted jessie to be my favourite earlier in the show, but i find her too annoying. sam's really good, but i get a bit annoyed that she's so talented at only 17!! i've gone off rachel a bit in the past couple of weeks, i don't know why.

sam to win, after this week.

I agree with any posotive stuff about the lovely Sam, and interesting article in todays Mirror. As for Rachael i just cant warm to her.

For her age that was a truly fantastic Defying Gravity. At some points she even sounded like Idina. She's so lucky to have worked with her on it! And she looked like a real professional when they were together. Plus she seems like such a nice girl.

I wouldn't say that. I think she defintely has a very clearly pop-y/belty voice. But it certainly has framed it & shown how it can be great in the context of musical theatre. And placed it alongside similar voice types that are successful in musical theatre, such as Idina Menzel's.

i agree with some of the Rachel comments, intially her and Sam were my fave's but Rachel like DVO said last night, is lacking warmth (and likeability imo)....

i agree, i have also seen rachel on stage before this when she was in tonights the night and in my opinion was un rememberable in a cast of so many, (ie i can remember some of her other cast members well in the show, ryan molloy, jeff edwards, but she was not that memorable imo, especially compaired to the fact that in rent re-mixed francesca has an amazing stage presense, imo the wrong "proffesional" is still in the show, and it is ashame that franesca did not show what she is capable of on stage)

I don't know really what else Rachel can do, she's probably my favourite after Sam but I don't know how you can work on warmth. It'll be interesting what they do to help her next week.

And Sam this week again I thought she was very good yet still she gets the most negative comments from people on here, I don't think she can do anything about it. If people don't see her as Nancy they won't praise her that's for sure even if credits due.

i find it funny, how when it was announced Sam will be doing Defying Gravity, everyone kept saying 'o once again she's the chosen one, ALW has given her a musical song, whereas the others don't etc etc...lol, when they were the ones who chose their own songs this week, and i believe Sam is one of the only girlies who chose a song i believe like ALW said took her up another notch.....

Exactly and as soon as people find out they could pick their own songs it isn't a big deal, though Sam was the only one with the initiative to pick a song for a musical. I don't understand why the others didn't too?!

I agree totally. She wasn't my favourite before last night but TOTAL RESPECT to her for such a brave choice of song and for nailing it vocally. She couldn't win with her usual critics and I don't think she ever will mainly because of how ALW and BH fawn over her. Fact is that's their unprofessionalism and not hers.

Go girl Sam.

thats the problem, whilst i like her voice, she does not have the ability to engage people imo, i have seen over 50 odd musicals over the years and have seen many many "leading ladies" some amazing, some good, and some ok ,

and there is just something about rachel, that i cant help feeling that, yes she is good, but not great, and she is like a lot of performers that are on the musical circuit, and does not particualy stand out from the crowd, and does not have a "star quality" about her, i am not saying that sam necessarily has the "star quality" yet, but see her as the one with the potential for that to grow, if you look at it this way, look how good sam is with 1. being at this age, 2. having not had propar formal training etc 3. and no real previous experience, what would she be like in a few years when she has developed further

compair this with someone that has been working on the musical circuit for several years, already been on stage, and being a trained actress, etc, yet comes across as "safe" and like many other people out there

Rachels face was priceless when DVO said to Sam - Rachel should take a leaf out of you're book (if looks could kill )and when ALW said to Sam you're one of the best movers in this comp ...it clearly showed Rachel wasnt happy, whereas i looked at i.e Niamh's face and she looked genuinely happy Sam was getting such great comments...

i did notice that, my other problem with rachel is that she could easily drift into the backkground of an ensemble cast like this (as she did in tonights the night) whereas i think some of the others (not just sam, i could see the other 4 not doing this as much as rachel, )

I know what you mean, which is a shame as I think Rachel has an amazing voice but she's missing something when she performs. I can't really explain but I do agree with Barry. Everything is right she's a good singer, an actress and not a bad mover but when she performs I don't get excited and want to pay full attention to her. The thing is with Sam I know her vocals aren't perfect but like you said she hasn't actually had any real training for musical theatre yet. She's just been doing her A levels but I feel from the time the show ends and the Musical's opening night I think they could train her up and get her ready. In this case I actually think age is on her side, she may be young but she probably has the stamina and ambition for it.


Niamh and Sam did seem very close. I can imagine how embarrassing it feels though being told to take notes from someone nearly 10 years younger than you, must be a kick in the teeth.

i think she could be trained for it easily, compaired to other shows, its not that big a musical role, out of 20 tracks (going by cam macs previous production version) there is only one nancy solos (as long as he needs me, and as long as he needs me reprise) 1 duet (with nancy and bet, its a fine life) and one quartet (its a fine life with fagin,sikes and dodger) the others she is acompanied by the rest of the cast, in total she only takes part in 6 tracks,

compaire this with other shows (sound of music, phantom, wicked etc, it is not that huge, and this show is more about the olivers, fagin etc etc)


if rachel won it, i think she would merge into the background of the ensemble, where as sam has a presense that makes you watch her

I think you hit the nail on the head there. As she is quite popular with the judges people will never give her credit when it's due as they think she already gets enough praise. I suspect the support of the public is actually more preferable if she's hoping to win.

thats a point

I for the first time was nervous whilst watching Rachel, i thought her voice may go at any time, i found it really uncomfortable

i was nervous watching Sam, not for the same reasons as above, but because she is obv my fave and want her to do really well....

i havent seen her in the other musical, so cant really comment, but i think i can see where you're coming from