Im only 30 seconds in but i just wanna say: i know "first time reactions" tend to be the most popular, but where you have steadfastedly built up your audience's confidence in your expertise and love of music, im soooo excited for deep dives from your channel. I hope episodes like this thrive. ❤❤
I just recently discovered this channel and I'm hooked! I'm not a singer, or any sort of voice student or opera fan, but I love love love your passion as you break down these videos! You have a way of transferring your feelings and passions to the viewer. And I love your facial expressions! Thank you!
I like the movie/extended version better. Stephen Schwartz said in an interview, "Oh, the (extended) end of “Popular,” which Ariana was kind of resistant to -because she thought it might feel as if we were doing it for Ariana Grande, as opposed to for the character of Glinda. And it was only when I said to her, “Look, if I’d thought of this originally, I would’ve done this in the show. I just didn’t think of it until now. But actually it feels more like Glinda to me than what we did originally.” Then she embraced it. But Ariana and Cynthia particularly were very concerned about making sure that every choice was about the character and the storytelling, and not about them as performers outside of the story."
Excellent analysis - I am so familiar with both versions and still I learned so much. And I couldn’t agree with you more about the excessive use of production software on recordings these days. Once you hear it, you can’t unheard it.
This is actually my first time hearing the soundtrack recording, wow I swear the movie did not sound like this. I was resigned to learning the new version since that's what the new fans will know, but idk if I can get behind this specific recording
I always saw the "lar" to be Galinda modifying the vowel to match the rhyme scheme from her change that she made from "were" to "are." "Instead of dreary who you were... well are. There's nothing that can stop you from becoming popular... lahr" I think it's so genius because it makes it seem like Galinda is coming up with the song off the top of her head and was thinking of words to rhyme with "Popular." As she ended up changing the ending of a line due to her "frank analysis," she had a "oh crap" moment when she ended the next line and so decided to modify the ending vowel pronunciation of Popular. Especially since part if her personality is that she sees herself as perfect, and she could never ever be heard doing a near-rhyme. The song has all perfect rhyme schemes except at the end, where she rhymes "clandestinely" with "popularity," possibly showing how her friendship with Elphaba might already be having an impact on her with her now able to do the near-rhyme and be ok with it.
Different voices for different productions. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel had the perfect voices for a broadway musical--they projected through the orchestra to the back of the house. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have the perfect voices for film. Cynthia's "I'm Not That Girl" is one of the most moving performances I've ever heard. So much longing... A request for your analysis: Lawrence. Gracie's voice will blow your headphones off! I recommend the acoustic version of "Don't Lose Sight."
Ariana and Cynthia have both starred on Broadway, their voices are perfect for that and film😂 the difference is the vocal production which is dodgy in places
And if you haven't seen Kristin Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies, you should! It's a lovely show and she has a couple of songs she sings in it. Good stuff.
Thanks for this. Ever since this came out, I've been hoping you'd do a comparison of this song, and you even started out with Kristen's live performance. So happy to know you are going to be doing more of the songs. I used to think that when Galinda changes PopuLER to PopuLAR that it was her not being sure about the pronouncification,. But I recently realized that it's perfectionist/ocd Galinda noticing that her amendment in the line "... who you were... well ... are." broke her planned rhyme scheme. Awkward pause... then she tries to belatedly update the rhyme and she's not sure if it worked. Another awkward pause before she decides it doesn't matter and just moves on. It's an incredibly subtle lyrical joke about Galinda's fake self-confidence that makes me laugh and admire whoever came up with it... I presume it was a choice by Kristen and Schwartz working together to find the laugh, and it's a layer to the humor that makes Galinda's character work so well despite being who she is... well... was.
Now that you’ve teased us with the revelation that you liked to sing “Popular” as an audition piece yourself, Elizabeth, maybe you’d be inclined to give it a go for your own recording? Strictly as an academic study to demonstrate how another outstanding vocalist we all love might express herself through the song, of course! 🤣🙏
@@lauraoliver7238 Have you seen the clip of her with Sean Daniel? ruclips.net/video/VB7lYoVbiHM/видео.htmlsi=J_JA84Xsizewa9OG (warning for your volume setting on the playback!)
I found Ariana in the soundtrack less entertaining than Kristin, but Ariana's take on this song combined with her excellent over-the-top physical comedy had me grinning hugely in the theater. I kind of think that the song doesn't need to be as intensely funny as Kristin makes it when you're combining it with the visuals of a movie, where you can bring the audience in as close as you want to. So maybe I appreciate Ariana's versions of some songs less if I'm listening to them just in the soundtrack, but I think they're extremely well-suited to the movie, and I loved her performance in that context.
Megan Hilary killed it as Glinda when she was on stage as well. I saw it on stage last year with Celia Hottenstein as Glinda last year and she nailed it as well. Olivia Valli played Elphie and she was also absolutely amazing. Would’ve been awesome to see you up there Elizabeth.
Nice to see you doing some musical theatre! I know it's probably not everyone on the channel's bag. But it's certainly mine! Although I do have to say there's a popification going on in musical theatre Im not a huge fan of, even if it is an evolution. Would love to see you fo Jeremy Jordan's voice. If you've not heard him I know you'd like it a lot!
The funny thing is, I wasn't a big fan of Wicked when it first came out because I felt it was a bit too pop-ified (musically, not lyrically--I've always thought the lyrics were great). But musical theater has gone so insanely far in that direction by now that I feel much more forgiving toward Wicked today than I did back then.
Grande worked with a vocal coach for months to develop an operatic singing style for her role in Wicked. She wanted to sound authentic in the role, which required a different vocal placement than her usual style. Grande's vocal performance in Wicked was closer to a Broadway and opera sound than her typical
Closer but still far off. And I say that as a huge fan of her performance but vocally she was nowhere near even legit territory nevermind true classical/operatic style. She sounded a tiny bit less pop and that's about it and it is fine cause that played to ehr strengths. I'm a professional singer that originally studied classical voice and now mainly works and teaches in MT and pop/rock.
I was on a business trip to Chicago and after settling in our hotel, one of my coworkers saw Wicked was playing. I had absolutely no interest in seeing it, but even less interest in sitting alone in a hotel room watching nothing on TV, so I joined my coworkers in seeing the play. I was absolutely blown away by how good it was, and later took family to see it when it played in Seattle.
The joy of the song has been processed out of the film. You are being very kind, saying it is very good. I'll take that stage version any day. Scale of 10, stage = 9, film = 4.
Excited for this! But I'm still waiting for a full analysis of Nils Molin's voice on a Dynazty song (The White is my recommendation), you've briefly heard him on your Ad Infinitum reaction but he is hands down the best male metal singer on earth right now, and extremely underrated.
Loved getting this insight into Kristin's vocals. For me, nothing can really touch the original. Sentiment perhaps, but Kristin and Idina were amazing together and yes, there's a huge difference to what these two did months on end live on a stage without a safety net and an overly produced movie. Thank you for addressing the pitch correction (though I wish you had called it that directly). It's like you said, it's there to the detriment of the voices (none of them need it). I tend not to notice unless it's pointed out and then it clicks why something sounded off, but it utterly disappointed me to hear it was being used and makes the originals even more monumental to me.
I might be too proud an Ariana Grande fan, because hearing Elizabeth say she has "an amaaaaaaazing voice" while criticizing the yodel/production made my f%$&ing day! Like, I don't *need* Elizabeth's approval any more than she needs mine, and certainly neither does Ariana Grande, but it's nice to have hey, as Elizabeth is an absolute monster vocalist/performer and analysist too... GG! *no lies were detected
If anyone thinks that Ariana Grande hasn't been dreaming of playing Kristenowith in this role since she first saw it as a girl on Broadway, is in serious denial
This is something I've been wanting for a while, would be interesting to do other pieces, for example "Tot Musica" by Ado Vs the French version by Hoshi.
That heavy hand does not happen in the film. Schwartz insisted on controlling the soundtrack. Jon Chu made the musical decisions for the film. I only notice the artifact in the soundtrack.
Thank you for this! I've been waiting for this since I first saw the movie. A singer friend of mine had said that Ariana always basically imitating Kristen, but I didn't see it that way. Thank you for giving me rebuttal ammunition. ❤
I really wish there was a pure studio version of the cast doing the soundtrack as (to my understanding) most of it is a lot of hard work from the production team stitching together the various live takes on set, and there are definite artifacts in places. They are so good I really want to hear them in the best possible circumstances. That being said, both the broadway and movie performances are wonderful and I love them and they show a real understanding of the differences in the medium they are in. The stage version is more comedic, the movie played a little more straight (but she is still ridiculous). The movie gets to work with closeups, facial and small expressions and most of all your eye is drawn to exactly what the director is wanting to convey (rather than wherever the audience is looking at the stage). The stage play has to convey all that mostly through the vocals. My big question going into Wicked was 'Is there a reason for this being a movie?' - I think they really understood the difference in mediums and it really comes out in the performance and gave it a reason.
I saw this in San Francisco during their run before hitting Broadway. I happened to get there right after Glinda returned. It turns out, Kristen hurt her neck during an overly enthusiastic hair flip. She even slid in a joke about it when someone else flips their hair. She called out "Careful!" Easy easy to miss if you didn't know the backstory, and too funny if you did.
I am fine with the movie and I think Ariana Grande did an amazing job, however I have to go with Kristen Chenowith for a performance that I want to listen to more than once. I think for me it's the comedic acting that she brings to the song/role.
This will be interesting - I'm looking forward to it! I'll have to listen to both straight through to compare for myself before watching your analysis! Request - AVENGED SEVENFOLD - Afterlife
Having looked at this, I feel you really need to look at some of the songs from Twisted, by Starkid. One thing I'm picking up here is that Kirsten is more precise with her enunciation. Ariana, in her pop music, is a cursive singer (where you soften the ends of the words so one blends into the next), and there's a few places in her version where she lapses into that cursive singing style.
Cheno also voiced a character in an animated film, which I needn't name here because the franchise practically fractured the internet in the 2010s, but it brings me to a completely out-of-left-field analysis request: how a voice actor (speaking and/or singing) brings polar opposite characters (e.g. Andrea Libman in the same franchise voicing a wallflower and an over-the-top party animal) to life. I find such vocal talents fascinating. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of behind-the-scenes recording session videos where Elizabeth could watch how they produce the voices for these different characters.
Interesting! I haven't seen the musical, so this was a nice deep dive. Some recommendations for other bands to check out: Avatar Songs: Going Hunting, Secret Door, Bloody Angel Fair to Midland Songs: Dance of the Manatee, Whiskey and Ritalin Brothers of Metal Songs: Yggdrasil, The Mead Song, Berserkir Blind Guardian Songs: Wheel of Time, A Night at the Opera (Anything off of that album)
Just one note, your criticism of the first "yodel" being not quite as effective is explained when you see the video version as compared to the audio track only. At that very moment Ariana does a hair flip and you can tell the audio engineers added a sound effect for the hair flip that interfered with Ariana's vocal.
I love how the costuming matches the vocal performance and characterization that both actresses brought to the role. Kristin's Glinda is bubbly, perky, and blonde. Her dresses and intonation are also very perky and bouncy. Ariana, as you had mentioned, is a little fluffier and more aloof. Her voice is more airy, very showy and a bit aloof. Her costumes are more elegant and showy than perky. There's just so much care in the details and I love it!
"I auditioned with this song for years" ...can we get a video of you singing this (or any song you want really) i haven't heard you sing (preferably not opera though?)
I actually know Kristin Chenoweth from her acting NOT her singing. I absolutely LOVE Pushing Daisies. She is great in it! But kind of assumed all of the singing in the show was her miming for laughs. I guess reality it was more like 'WE HAVE CHENOWETH! - Let's make her sing at every random opportunity! ' I was blown away when i found it it was her actual singing voice. Especially when her character voice is SO different. (all the songs so ...spoilers? almost all of them are pop covers:) ruclips.net/video/151B6Eq2t9o/видео.htmlsi=QKiDTgQ4EQ0rpSbP I dived into youtube finding random performances by her. Personally LOVE her performance of Glitter and be Gay - Candide I would love to hear an analysis of that! (i have not seened the whole show...or wicked) She's so funny, just a great all round performer! So much personality in her voice too! ruclips.net/video/EdC652e9dpE/видео.htmlsi=3NDYOowXdA_oj5qZ
I read that the movie Wicked was recorded live on set. The cast, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, sang live for all of the solo musical performances. The cast chose to sing live because they wanted to be more connected to the words and to each other.
Great analysis as always. I'd love to hear your take on Kristin Chenoweth's rendition of "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide (specifically the live 2005 version from "Candide in Concert").
Very fun. I love both the play and movie. I did actually like the extension in this song in the movie it’s just a fun moment for Galinda that felt very in character, it’s a bummer about the yodels being so messed up for her. I didn’t notice it as much on the actual movie, I’ve heard it’s more pronounced in the soundtrack for some reason. Kristin did such an amazing job with this character and making her so dynamic, funny, and so much more than just a “dumb blonde” antagonist.
I was curious at 34:16 ish mark about that yodel from Ariana because I agree, it sounded off, so I compared it to the actual movie (which I have on RUclips) and it doesn't sound like that at all. The soundtrack version messed it up by overdoing the pitch correction I think, and it couldn't pitch correct the yodel so it sounds strange. I don't know why they edited the songs to death in the official soundtrack when in the movie the vocalists sounded fine
I would LOVE for you to do a compare/contrast of "Patience" by Guns and Roses and Chris Cornell's version, since you've covered both artists. Pretty please!! And I really wish you'd release the analysis to "All My Life" by the Foo Fighters. You said you did it many months ago. I don't understand why you won't release it 😢
It's a measure of how much I enjoy hearing vocal analysis on this channel that I watched this when a) I can't sing to save my life and b) I hate musicals. There are only two good musicals ever in my opinion.
Never saw anything about Wicked, but am I the only one that notices how much original Gelinda Melissa Rauch channels into her character Bernadette in BBT?
Question-what is an operetta? Because I always thought of it as a cross between musical theatre and opera….When you were talking about having this as an audition piece, it brought up the question. ❤️🎶
Listening to Chenoweth strangely enough reminds me of Junior Asparagus from Veggie Tales. I know its probably not the best suggestion for a reaction, but im sure other fans of veggie tales would appreciate you checking out some of their songs in your free time ❤❤
While you are at it, you might want to look at Morissette's "Defying Gravity" (I didn't see a reaction on Y.T.) She did some musical theatre numbers in 2020 during the Philippines lock down. : "Morissette - Defying Gravity (an Idina Menzel cover) Live on Stages Sessions". There's also a good cover of "She Used To Be Mine", including an intro where she talks about her experience singing in a production of Camp Rock.
I haven't seen either production yet, just listened to the music, but I think Kristin embodies the Glinda in the book more, in that she is rich in terms of the backwater place she is from, but not even close to Emerald City standards, and is trying to be less provincial. Ariana sounds like she's a bit more posh from the get go, and less "fake it till ya make it". Just a huge book fans take 😊
Heartily agreed. Though, as a note, the book is a different animal from the musical (and I don’t care for the Disney-fication of the musical at all, though I accept that’s a matter of personal taste) but the movie felt like it was from a completely different franchise-if you’re looking for any vestige of the book’s odd, gritty little Wizard of Oz retelling beyond the barest bones of the plot and characters you’ll probably be disappointed.
Dea Elizabeth I would really love you to do an analysis on the voice of the following All By Myself (written Eric Carmen taking parts of Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano concerto) sung by Lucy Thomas whose voice i thin you will find interesting to listen to. Her's hoping - and thanks for all your work on this channel
Slightly of topic, but having watched your breakdown of Kate Bush, I'd really love you to review something by Cocteau Twins, like Lorelei, or Carolyn's fingers. I feel like you'd have some thoughts on those
In 1999, I was lucky enough to see a revival of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown when it was on its pre-Broadway tryouts in Chicago. I got the tickets because I knew that Anthony Rapp and BD Wong were playing Charlie Brown and Linus. After the show, my mom and I weren’t talking about those two but about the ones playing Snoopy and Sally-Roger Bart and Kristin Chenoweth. We immediately knew that they were destined to be huge stars, because they stole the show. They ended up winning the show’s only two Tonys.
Hello Elizabeth, I have a genuine suggestion for you as I would love to hear your opinion and analysis of a most Charismatic Voice. Chris Wilson (1956-2019) was heralded as ‘Melbourne’s Best Kept Secret’. A singer/songwriter who also played harmonica, saxophone & guitar, he wowed audiences wherever he sang. I had the privilege of speaking with Chris a couple of times, a quietly spoken English teacher with a huge stage presence and voice to match. The song I suggest is “You Will Surely Love Again” Live at the Continental. Others are: Face in the Mirror, Ballad of Slimboy Fat, Hard Hard Land. I truly do hope that you get the time to hear & learn of Chris Wilson. Thankyou.
This is a really great analysis, but it feels like it's missing hearing your version of the song. I know that's not what you do typically on this channel but in this case it seems like it would be very useful. In film you almost have to extend things and up the orchestra because every music score is competing with John Williams and Hans Zimmer in some way.
Hello from Seattle! 😁💚🌲☔2 LIVE Prince reaction requests (Typed how the YT titles are typed ↓↓↓ Come for his range. Stay for his solos! 🎸): *"PRINCE SOMEWHERE HERE ON EARTH LIVE ON JAY LENO"* *"Prince Motherless Child Live!"*
Not related to the video, but I don't know where to comment otherwise... I really recommend that you one day analyze the voice of the fantastic singer Peter Hammill. He may not be well known to the broad public, but he is a LEGEND in the world of progressive rock. Mostly thanks to his work with the band Van Der Graaf Generator in the 70s, where he also wrote all the music and lyrics. But - He has also been very productive as a solo artist, playing music quite different from the band, often with just a piano or a guitar to accompany his singing. A real contrast to the heavy and bombastic music of VDGG. But his singing style is the same - powerful, passionate and dramatic, often shifting between beautiful melodic singing and harsh and “aggressive” vocals in the same song. Much like many of today’s metal bands, but in the 70s he was unique in that way. He has such an incredible range in his voice in many ways. Well, people either love his way of singing passionately, or just can’t stand him because they think he’s “too much“. :) I would love to hear your opinion on his way of using his voice. A good place to start is the solo live performance of “Forsaken Gardens” from “Swiss tv 1974”, where he plays the piano and sings in clean voice all the way through. Then maybe proceed to “A Louse Is Not A Home” from the same tv-performance, to get a taste of his more “raspy” vocal style. But there are many songs and videos to choose from, just remember he was at his peak in the 70s and 80s. :) Thanks for this wonderful channel, I love what you do!
Just some links to make it more easy for you, if this sounds interesting. :) Forsaken Gardens, Swiss TV 1974, best quality: ruclips.net/video/eMuYJLY5Axw/видео.html The whole performance of Swiss TV 1974, Three songs, marked by poster for easy reference: ruclips.net/video/IMxOdeNKdXQ/видео.html A quote from Wikipedia, to maybe spark some interest in the vocal style on "A Louse Is Not A Home" :) "(His voice) ...ranges in tone from peacefully celestial to screaming rants (which are nevertheless highly controlled). Singing in registers from baritone to high falsetto, he growls, croons, shrieks and shouts in ways that have drawn comparison with the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix"
Film Glinda seems more like a giddy puppy - she's so excited (that little yelp of glee in the extended end for example) in having this new friend. Possibly also slightly tipsy given they've come straight from a massive party and have been up all night. (Its also the point having just made this connection where for Elpheba all this flamboyance has gone from "irritating" to "endearing" - and as you say i loved the extra little interjection of Elpheba saying "popular" and the slammed down book with a growly "right" - coming right after the extraordinary Ozdust scene which is sold as such a transformative and sensitive moment in the film - this is the solidifying of a two way relationship, so the extra interplay really makes sense).
I love how Ariana adds to the "stuck up Valley girl" with Cynthia's Elphaba -- she comes across as sweet ignorant social justice ally to me (and her name change scene really supports that)
sorry this is before i actually watched the video. Have you heard of Citizen Soldier? They (or at least the lead singer) is/was a therapist turned rock singer. They focus on mental illness into music, and I have found most of their songs to be helpful when I'm having a bad day. The one song I like is ICU. Just a thought!
Ariana does the ooh different in the film version. She says it like eww, yuck looking at Elphaba’s shoes. So cute. They are both amazing. On a side note, it drives me bonkers when the sound engineers use meladyne and other pitch and compression software on great artists who DO NOT NEED it. It’s become such industry standard now. I think it takes the life out of the singing. Makes me sad and honestly pissed. I’ve heard groups like Pentatonix perform live and sing perfectly fine without pitch issues only to have their official recordings be produced to death. It is ridiculous and disheartening.
When i saw this in the theater today (yes I am late to the party) i remember wondering if the “battle cry” Idnea had to do 8 times a week at the end of defying gravity (that she immolated in the theater version) hurt her voice at all. It seems like it would.
I love both versions and I loved the movie, but the intro to the movie’s song sort of sounds like a Christmas carol. It has nothing to do with Arianna’s voice and I like her in the role. I love Kristen Chenoweth though because she just makes me laugh in all her roles.
I would love to see you analyze Jonathan Young's version of Defying Gravity.. cause dear gods.. him and Brandon McInnis together work so well.. and you'll love to hear his belt. Just saying.
I just thought it was cute and funny, you said in the video at 26:18 "Elphaba could care less", which should be "Elphaba couldn't care less", which is exactly what happens in the script 😂
The singing recorded in the movie was sung live during filming, not in a studio (confirmed by the director and both actors in interviews). This makes Ariana's and Cynthia's performances even more special.
I like them both and am a die hard for the original Broadway cast recording BUT I listen to them different. When I listen to Kristen singing I know it's Broadway and will have a definite sound to fit the stage. When I listen to Ariana I think of the film and how much more they added to the story that allowed for her to sing it a different way. It's the "same story" but also totally different so the singing is expected to be different. I feel that the movie, being able to see faces close up etc. allowed for more intimacy and changed how Ariana sings the song. Kristen brought the selfish Glinda to help Elphie as she should and Ariana, though totally selfish, brought the vulnerability to the song knowing how much she is also judged for how she looks. Just a thought.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Im only 30 seconds in but i just wanna say: i know "first time reactions" tend to be the most popular, but where you have steadfastedly built up your audience's confidence in your expertise and love of music, im soooo excited for deep dives from your channel. I hope episodes like this thrive. ❤❤
Now I want to see Elizabeth perform this song! In costume, of course.
Kinda miss her old style musically
Hm
I just recently discovered this channel and I'm hooked! I'm not a singer, or any sort of voice student or opera fan, but I love love love your passion as you break down these videos! You have a way of transferring your feelings and passions to the viewer. And I love your facial expressions! Thank you!
I could literally listen to your analysis FOREVER! You are, simply, the best. Thank you for this one! ❤️
I like the movie/extended version better. Stephen Schwartz said in an interview, "Oh, the (extended) end of “Popular,” which Ariana was kind of resistant to -because she thought it might feel as if we were doing it for Ariana Grande, as opposed to for the character of Glinda. And it was only when I said to her, “Look, if I’d thought of this originally, I would’ve done this in the show. I just didn’t think of it until now. But actually it feels more like Glinda to me than what we did originally.” Then she embraced it. But Ariana and Cynthia particularly were very concerned about making sure that every choice was about the character and the storytelling, and not about them as performers outside of the story."
Ariana is very talented and her Glinda is fantastic but Kristen Chenoweth is just god tier and will always be my favourite Glinda
Excellent analysis - I am so familiar with both versions and still I learned so much. And I couldn’t agree with you more about the excessive use of production software on recordings these days. Once you hear it, you can’t unheard it.
This is actually my first time hearing the soundtrack recording, wow I swear the movie did not sound like this. I was resigned to learning the new version since that's what the new fans will know, but idk if I can get behind this specific recording
I always saw the "lar" to be Galinda modifying the vowel to match the rhyme scheme from her change that she made from "were" to "are."
"Instead of dreary who you were... well are.
There's nothing that can stop you from becoming popular... lahr"
I think it's so genius because it makes it seem like Galinda is coming up with the song off the top of her head and was thinking of words to rhyme with "Popular." As she ended up changing the ending of a line due to her "frank analysis," she had a "oh crap" moment when she ended the next line and so decided to modify the ending vowel pronunciation of Popular. Especially since part if her personality is that she sees herself as perfect, and she could never ever be heard doing a near-rhyme. The song has all perfect rhyme schemes except at the end, where she rhymes "clandestinely" with "popularity," possibly showing how her friendship with Elphaba might already be having an impact on her with her now able to do the near-rhyme and be ok with it.
I love your extrapolation of each singer’s voice and nuance they convey. You’re an amazing host and musician!
"You can't help but love her and hate her at the same time."
"What is this feeling?"
Different voices for different productions. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel had the perfect voices for a broadway musical--they projected through the orchestra to the back of the house. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have the perfect voices for film. Cynthia's "I'm Not That Girl" is one of the most moving performances I've ever heard. So much longing...
A request for your analysis: Lawrence. Gracie's voice will blow your headphones off! I recommend the acoustic version of "Don't Lose Sight."
Heck yes to the request!!! I would love to see her deep dive into Lawrence and really break everything down, especially their acoustic-ish songs
@@toddr.hepworth8098 , don't you mean Adele Dazeem?
Ariana and Cynthia have both starred on Broadway, their voices are perfect for that and film😂 the difference is the vocal production which is dodgy in places
Yes, to the Lawrence request!!! Gracie is incredible, but Clyde is so good as well.
Both voices are made for movies and Broadway considering all of there voices has appeared singing in a movie and in broadway
And if you haven't seen Kristin Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies, you should! It's a lovely show and she has a couple of songs she sings in it. Good stuff.
Thanks for this. Ever since this came out, I've been hoping you'd do a comparison of this song, and you even started out with Kristen's live performance. So happy to know you are going to be doing more of the songs.
I used to think that when Galinda changes PopuLER to PopuLAR that it was her not being sure about the pronouncification,. But I recently realized that it's perfectionist/ocd Galinda noticing that her amendment in the line "... who you were... well ... are." broke her planned rhyme scheme. Awkward pause... then she tries to belatedly update the rhyme and she's not sure if it worked. Another awkward pause before she decides it doesn't matter and just moves on.
It's an incredibly subtle lyrical joke about Galinda's fake self-confidence that makes me laugh and admire whoever came up with it... I presume it was a choice by Kristen and Schwartz working together to find the laugh, and it's a layer to the humor that makes Galinda's character work so well despite being who she is... well... was.
Singing bout happiness instead of flare is the bestest
My sake for Ariana s old tracks
Now that you’ve teased us with the revelation that you liked to sing “Popular” as an audition piece yourself, Elizabeth, maybe you’d be inclined to give it a go for your own recording? Strictly as an academic study to demonstrate how another outstanding vocalist we all love might express herself through the song, of course! 🤣🙏
I came to say "who else wants to see Elizabeth sing Summertime now"?!
@@lauraoliver7238 Have you seen the clip of her with Sean Daniel? ruclips.net/video/VB7lYoVbiHM/видео.htmlsi=J_JA84Xsizewa9OG (warning for your volume setting on the playback!)
Yes, please. We want to see your demonstration!!
Love to hear Elizabeth do both.
I need a Charismatic Voice analysis of the movie versions of “The Wizard and I“ and, of course “Defying Gravity”!
I found Ariana in the soundtrack less entertaining than Kristin, but Ariana's take on this song combined with her excellent over-the-top physical comedy had me grinning hugely in the theater. I kind of think that the song doesn't need to be as intensely funny as Kristin makes it when you're combining it with the visuals of a movie, where you can bring the audience in as close as you want to. So maybe I appreciate Ariana's versions of some songs less if I'm listening to them just in the soundtrack, but I think they're extremely well-suited to the movie, and I loved her performance in that context.
I would love to see you react to no one mourns the wicked. Arianna did a GREAT job.
I like the original better, i like both but the manic energy the Kristen brings is just magic
So glad to see content like this!!!
Megan Hilary killed it as Glinda when she was on stage as well. I saw it on stage last year with Celia Hottenstein as Glinda last year and she nailed it as well. Olivia Valli played Elphie and she was also absolutely amazing. Would’ve been awesome to see you up there Elizabeth.
Nice to see you doing some musical theatre! I know it's probably not everyone on the channel's bag. But it's certainly mine! Although I do have to say there's a popification going on in musical theatre Im not a huge fan of, even if it is an evolution. Would love to see you fo Jeremy Jordan's voice. If you've not heard him I know you'd like it a lot!
The funny thing is, I wasn't a big fan of Wicked when it first came out because I felt it was a bit too pop-ified (musically, not lyrically--I've always thought the lyrics were great). But musical theater has gone so insanely far in that direction by now that I feel much more forgiving toward Wicked today than I did back then.
Grande worked with a vocal coach for months to develop an operatic singing style for her role in Wicked. She wanted to sound authentic in the role, which required a different vocal placement than her usual style.
Grande's vocal performance in Wicked was closer to a Broadway and opera sound than her typical
Closer but still far off. And I say that as a huge fan of her performance but vocally she was nowhere near even legit territory nevermind true classical/operatic style. She sounded a tiny bit less pop and that's about it and it is fine cause that played to ehr strengths. I'm a professional singer that originally studied classical voice and now mainly works and teaches in MT and pop/rock.
I was on a business trip to Chicago and after settling in our hotel, one of my coworkers saw Wicked was playing. I had absolutely no interest in seeing it, but even less interest in sitting alone in a hotel room watching nothing on TV, so I joined my coworkers in seeing the play. I was absolutely blown away by how good it was, and later took family to see it when it played in Seattle.
The joy of the song has been processed out of the film. You are being very kind, saying it is very good. I'll take that stage version any day. Scale of 10, stage = 9, film = 4.
Excited for this! But I'm still waiting for a full analysis of Nils Molin's voice on a Dynazty song (The White is my recommendation), you've briefly heard him on your Ad Infinitum reaction but he is hands down the best male metal singer on earth right now, and extremely underrated.
Loved getting this insight into Kristin's vocals. For me, nothing can really touch the original. Sentiment perhaps, but Kristin and Idina were amazing together and yes, there's a huge difference to what these two did months on end live on a stage without a safety net and an overly produced movie.
Thank you for addressing the pitch correction (though I wish you had called it that directly). It's like you said, it's there to the detriment of the voices (none of them need it). I tend not to notice unless it's pointed out and then it clicks why something sounded off, but it utterly disappointed me to hear it was being used and makes the originals even more monumental to me.
I might be too proud an Ariana Grande fan, because hearing Elizabeth say she has "an amaaaaaaazing voice" while criticizing the yodel/production made my f%$&ing day!
Like, I don't *need* Elizabeth's approval any more than she needs mine, and certainly neither does Ariana Grande, but it's nice to have hey, as Elizabeth is an absolute monster vocalist/performer and analysist too...
GG!
*no lies were detected
If anyone thinks that Ariana Grande hasn't been dreaming of playing Kristenowith in this role since she first saw it as a girl on Broadway, is in serious denial
This is something I've been wanting for a while, would be interesting to do other pieces, for example "Tot Musica" by Ado Vs the French version by Hoshi.
That heavy hand does not happen in the film. Schwartz insisted on controlling the soundtrack. Jon Chu made the musical decisions for the film. I only notice the artifact in the soundtrack.
Thank you for this! I've been waiting for this since I first saw the movie. A singer friend of mine had said that Ariana always basically imitating Kristen, but I didn't see it that way. Thank you for giving me rebuttal ammunition. ❤
I really wish there was a pure studio version of the cast doing the soundtrack as (to my understanding) most of it is a lot of hard work from the production team stitching together the various live takes on set, and there are definite artifacts in places. They are so good I really want to hear them in the best possible circumstances. That being said, both the broadway and movie performances are wonderful and I love them and they show a real understanding of the differences in the medium they are in. The stage version is more comedic, the movie played a little more straight (but she is still ridiculous). The movie gets to work with closeups, facial and small expressions and most of all your eye is drawn to exactly what the director is wanting to convey (rather than wherever the audience is looking at the stage). The stage play has to convey all that mostly through the vocals.
My big question going into Wicked was 'Is there a reason for this being a movie?' - I think they really understood the difference in mediums and it really comes out in the performance and gave it a reason.
I saw this in San Francisco during their run before hitting Broadway. I happened to get there right after Glinda returned. It turns out, Kristen hurt her neck during an overly enthusiastic hair flip. She even slid in a joke about it when someone else flips their hair. She called out "Careful!" Easy easy to miss if you didn't know the backstory, and too funny if you did.
I am fine with the movie and I think Ariana Grande did an amazing job, however I have to go with Kristen Chenowith for a performance that I want to listen to more than once. I think for me it's the comedic acting that she brings to the song/role.
This will be interesting - I'm looking forward to it! I'll have to listen to both straight through to compare for myself before watching your analysis! Request - AVENGED SEVENFOLD - Afterlife
I didn't realize that you had listed 3 versions. Personally, I prefer the second, the Original Broadway Recording.
Having looked at this, I feel you really need to look at some of the songs from Twisted, by Starkid.
One thing I'm picking up here is that Kirsten is more precise with her enunciation. Ariana, in her pop music, is a cursive singer (where you soften the ends of the words so one blends into the next), and there's a few places in her version where she lapses into that cursive singing style.
Cheno also voiced a character in an animated film, which I needn't name here because the franchise practically fractured the internet in the 2010s, but it brings me to a completely out-of-left-field analysis request: how a voice actor (speaking and/or singing) brings polar opposite characters (e.g. Andrea Libman in the same franchise voicing a wallflower and an over-the-top party animal) to life. I find such vocal talents fascinating. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of behind-the-scenes recording session videos where Elizabeth could watch how they produce the voices for these different characters.
Interesting! I haven't seen the musical, so this was a nice deep dive.
Some recommendations for other bands to check out:
Avatar
Songs: Going Hunting, Secret Door, Bloody Angel
Fair to Midland
Songs: Dance of the Manatee, Whiskey and Ritalin
Brothers of Metal
Songs: Yggdrasil, The Mead Song, Berserkir
Blind Guardian
Songs: Wheel of Time, A Night at the Opera (Anything off of that album)
Just one note, your criticism of the first "yodel" being not quite as effective is explained when you see the video version as compared to the audio track only. At that very moment Ariana does a hair flip and you can tell the audio engineers added a sound effect for the hair flip that interfered with Ariana's vocal.
Kristin Chenoweth all the way here. Just sounds so much better to me.
Now do "No One Mourns the Wicked" (my very favorite Act 1 song!!), please please please!
I would love to hear you sing summertime!
I love how the costuming matches the vocal performance and characterization that both actresses brought to the role. Kristin's Glinda is bubbly, perky, and blonde. Her dresses and intonation are also very perky and bouncy. Ariana, as you had mentioned, is a little fluffier and more aloof. Her voice is more airy, very showy and a bit aloof. Her costumes are more elegant and showy than perky. There's just so much care in the details and I love it!
"I auditioned with this song for years" ...can we get a video of you singing this (or any song you want really) i haven't heard you sing (preferably not opera though?)
I actually know Kristin Chenoweth from her acting NOT her singing. I absolutely LOVE Pushing Daisies. She is great in it! But kind of assumed all of the singing in the show was her miming for laughs. I guess reality it was more like 'WE HAVE CHENOWETH! - Let's make her sing at every random opportunity! '
I was blown away when i found it it was her actual singing voice.
Especially when her character voice is SO different.
(all the songs so ...spoilers? almost all of them are pop covers:)
ruclips.net/video/151B6Eq2t9o/видео.htmlsi=QKiDTgQ4EQ0rpSbP
I dived into youtube finding random performances by her.
Personally LOVE her performance of Glitter and be Gay - Candide
I would love to hear an analysis of that!
(i have not seened the whole show...or wicked)
She's so funny, just a great all round performer! So much personality in her voice too!
ruclips.net/video/EdC652e9dpE/видео.htmlsi=3NDYOowXdA_oj5qZ
I read that the movie Wicked was recorded live on set. The cast, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, sang live for all of the solo musical performances. The cast chose to sing live because they wanted to be more connected to the words and to each other.
Great analysis as always. I'd love to hear your take on Kristin Chenoweth's rendition of "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide (specifically the live 2005 version from "Candide in Concert").
Very fun. I love both the play and movie. I did actually like the extension in this song in the movie it’s just a fun moment for Galinda that felt very in character, it’s a bummer about the yodels being so messed up for her. I didn’t notice it as much on the actual movie, I’ve heard it’s more pronounced in the soundtrack for some reason.
Kristin did such an amazing job with this character and making her so dynamic, funny, and so much more than just a “dumb blonde” antagonist.
Hope you revisit The Warning in the future!
I was curious at 34:16 ish mark about that yodel from Ariana because I agree, it sounded off, so I compared it to the actual movie (which I have on RUclips) and it doesn't sound like that at all. The soundtrack version messed it up by overdoing the pitch correction I think, and it couldn't pitch correct the yodel so it sounds strange. I don't know why they edited the songs to death in the official soundtrack when in the movie the vocalists sounded fine
I would LOVE for you to do a compare/contrast of "Patience" by Guns and Roses and Chris Cornell's version, since you've covered both artists. Pretty please!!
And I really wish you'd release the analysis to "All My Life" by the Foo Fighters. You said you did it many months ago. I don't understand why you won't release it 😢
More musical theatre episodes please
It's a measure of how much I enjoy hearing vocal analysis on this channel that I watched this when a) I can't sing to save my life and b) I hate musicals. There are only two good musicals ever in my opinion.
If one of them is Galavant, we’re on the same page haha
Never saw anything about Wicked, but am I the only one that notices how much original Gelinda Melissa Rauch channels into her character Bernadette in BBT?
Question-what is an operetta? Because I always thought of it as a cross between musical theatre and opera….When you were talking about having this as an audition piece, it brought up the question. ❤️🎶
Listening to Chenoweth strangely enough reminds me of Junior Asparagus from Veggie Tales. I know its probably not the best suggestion for a reaction, but im sure other fans of veggie tales would appreciate you checking out some of their songs in your free time ❤❤
While you are at it, you might want to look at Morissette's "Defying Gravity" (I didn't see a reaction on Y.T.) She did some musical theatre numbers in 2020 during the Philippines lock down. : "Morissette - Defying Gravity (an Idina Menzel cover) Live on Stages Sessions". There's also a good cover of "She Used To Be Mine", including an intro where she talks about her experience singing in a production of Camp Rock.
I haven't seen either production yet, just listened to the music, but I think Kristin embodies the Glinda in the book more, in that she is rich in terms of the backwater place she is from, but not even close to Emerald City standards, and is trying to be less provincial. Ariana sounds like she's a bit more posh from the get go, and less "fake it till ya make it". Just a huge book fans take 😊
Heartily agreed. Though, as a note, the book is a different animal from the musical (and I don’t care for the Disney-fication of the musical at all, though I accept that’s a matter of personal taste) but the movie felt like it was from a completely different franchise-if you’re looking for any vestige of the book’s odd, gritty little Wizard of Oz retelling beyond the barest bones of the plot and characters you’ll probably be disappointed.
Ariana’s tone is sooo beautifullll ❤
Suggestion: Red Handed Denial - “Father Said” (Lauren Babic live one take performance) amazing performance by an even more amazing artist.
Dea Elizabeth I would really love you to do an analysis on the voice of the following All By Myself (written Eric Carmen taking parts of Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano concerto) sung by Lucy Thomas whose voice i thin you will find interesting to listen to. Her's hoping - and thanks for all your work on this channel
Slightly of topic, but having watched your breakdown of Kate Bush, I'd really love you to review something by Cocteau Twins, like Lorelei, or Carolyn's fingers. I feel like you'd have some thoughts on those
I highly recommend taking a look at 900 days by Asaf Avidan. Specifically from the In a box III recording session.
In 1999, I was lucky enough to see a revival of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown when it was on its pre-Broadway tryouts in Chicago. I got the tickets because I knew that Anthony Rapp and BD Wong were playing Charlie Brown and Linus. After the show, my mom and I weren’t talking about those two but about the ones playing Snoopy and Sally-Roger Bart and Kristin Chenoweth. We immediately knew that they were destined to be huge stars, because they stole the show. They ended up winning the show’s only two Tonys.
There’s A LOT more trombone in the movie version. Bold and brassy (beautiful) 🌺Aloha
Hello Elizabeth, I have a genuine suggestion for you as I would love to hear your opinion and analysis of a most Charismatic Voice. Chris Wilson (1956-2019) was heralded as ‘Melbourne’s Best Kept Secret’. A singer/songwriter who also played harmonica, saxophone & guitar, he wowed audiences wherever he sang. I had the privilege of speaking with Chris a couple of times, a quietly spoken English teacher with a huge stage presence and voice to match.
The song I suggest is “You Will Surely Love Again” Live at the Continental. Others are: Face in the Mirror, Ballad of Slimboy Fat, Hard Hard Land.
I truly do hope that you get the time to hear & learn of Chris Wilson. Thankyou.
This is a really great analysis, but it feels like it's missing hearing your version of the song. I know that's not what you do typically on this channel but in this case it seems like it would be very useful.
In film you almost have to extend things and up the orchestra because every music score is competing with John Williams and Hans Zimmer in some way.
Lottie from The Princess and the Frog is my absolute favorite Disney character, she's such a bestie
Hello from Seattle! 😁💚🌲☔2 LIVE Prince reaction requests (Typed how the YT titles are typed ↓↓↓ Come for his range. Stay for his solos! 🎸):
*"PRINCE SOMEWHERE HERE ON EARTH LIVE ON JAY LENO"*
*"Prince Motherless Child Live!"*
Not related to the video, but I don't know where to comment otherwise... I really recommend that you one day analyze the voice of the fantastic singer Peter Hammill. He may not be well known to the broad public, but he is a LEGEND in the world of progressive rock. Mostly thanks to his work with the band Van Der Graaf Generator in the 70s, where he also wrote all the music and lyrics. But - He has also been very productive as a solo artist, playing music quite different from the band, often with just a piano or a guitar to accompany his singing. A real contrast to the heavy and bombastic music of VDGG. But his singing style is the same - powerful, passionate and dramatic, often shifting between beautiful melodic singing and harsh and “aggressive” vocals in the same song. Much like many of today’s metal bands, but in the 70s he was unique in that way. He has such an incredible range in his voice in many ways. Well, people either love his way of singing passionately, or just can’t stand him because they think he’s “too much“. :) I would love to hear your opinion on his way of using his voice. A good place to start is the solo live performance of “Forsaken Gardens” from “Swiss tv 1974”, where he plays the piano and sings in clean voice all the way through. Then maybe proceed to “A Louse Is Not A Home” from the same tv-performance, to get a taste of his more “raspy” vocal style. But there are many songs and videos to choose from, just remember he was at his peak in the 70s and 80s. :) Thanks for this wonderful channel, I love what you do!
Just some links to make it more easy for you, if this sounds interesting. :)
Forsaken Gardens, Swiss TV 1974, best quality:
ruclips.net/video/eMuYJLY5Axw/видео.html
The whole performance of Swiss TV 1974, Three songs, marked by poster for easy reference:
ruclips.net/video/IMxOdeNKdXQ/видео.html
A quote from Wikipedia, to maybe spark some interest in the vocal style on "A Louse Is Not A Home" :)
"(His voice) ...ranges in tone from peacefully celestial to screaming rants (which are nevertheless highly controlled). Singing in registers from baritone to high falsetto, he growls, croons, shrieks and shouts in ways that have drawn comparison with the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix"
Your vibrant red is so beautiful on you! 😊
next film deep dive should be the full film, La Bamba (1987)
Film Glinda seems more like a giddy puppy - she's so excited (that little yelp of glee in the extended end for example) in having this new friend. Possibly also slightly tipsy given they've come straight from a massive party and have been up all night. (Its also the point having just made this connection where for Elpheba all this flamboyance has gone from "irritating" to "endearing" - and as you say i loved the extra little interjection of Elpheba saying "popular" and the slammed down book with a growly "right" - coming right after the extraordinary Ozdust scene which is sold as such a transformative and sensitive moment in the film - this is the solidifying of a two way relationship, so the extra interplay really makes sense).
Please listen to more PowerWolf! Some of their older albums are amazing, especially the song Son of a Wolf from the blood of the saints album.
Day 9
I love how Ariana adds to the "stuck up Valley girl" with Cynthia's Elphaba -- she comes across as sweet ignorant social justice ally to me (and her name change scene really supports that)
sorry this is before i actually watched the video. Have you heard of Citizen Soldier? They (or at least the lead singer) is/was a therapist turned rock singer. They focus on mental illness into music, and I have found most of their songs to be helpful when I'm having a bad day. The one song I like is ICU. Just a thought!
Since they have a new album coming out this week. I suggest checking out Nemophila - G.O.D. I think you will appreciate Mayu's harsh vocal ability.
I wonder if hardy is on the list of artists to look at country but rock metal elements), i love the variation she does.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Elizabeth Fraser,s singing. Try "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. I promise you won't have heard anything like it.
Ariana does the ooh different in the film version. She says it like eww, yuck looking at Elphaba’s shoes. So cute. They are both amazing. On a side note, it drives me bonkers when the sound engineers use meladyne and other pitch and compression software on great artists who DO NOT NEED it. It’s become such industry standard now. I think it takes the life out of the singing. Makes me sad and honestly pissed. I’ve heard groups like Pentatonix perform live and sing perfectly fine without pitch issues only to have their official recordings be produced to death. It is ridiculous and disheartening.
When i saw this in the theater today (yes I am late to the party) i remember wondering if the “battle cry” Idnea had to do 8 times a week at the end of defying gravity (that she immolated in the theater version) hurt her voice at all. It seems like it would.
I love both versions and I loved the movie, but the intro to the movie’s song sort of sounds like a Christmas carol. It has nothing to do with Arianna’s voice and I like her in the role.
I love Kristen Chenoweth though because she just makes me laugh in all her roles.
Yes. I thought the film was like a play with an infinite canvas. And they used that canvas very well.
How about a comparison of Conrad's "The Heart of Darkness" and Coppola's "Apocalypse Now"?
Something you may not have 2:43 herd yet' Ariana Grande and The Weekend: Save Your Tears- live performance.
I can't think of a suitable comment, so ---> #letsgettoit
Usual suggestion: “Kickstart my Heart” by Mötley C.
Woah yeah!
Agreed. Stop supporting trash music wicked pusher and do some Crue instead
@@BiblecosmologyThat's not very nice.
I'll second this. Crue is criminally underappreciated as Hair Metal, and I think Elizabeth will flip over Vince Neil's vocals.
Great! Now do Hilty, Mason, and Evans!
I saw Kristin and Idina on Broadway and, though it’s not fair to any actors who follow them, there will never be another Glinda or Elphaba to me.
I love the new ending. It made me love a song that I usually skip.
Please do the alive version on my PJ playlist. It tells the story of the song how it should be heard.
Those two are cray.
For another happy song to add to your playlist I suggest JUNGLE, by ELO.
I would love to see you analyze Jonathan Young's version of Defying Gravity.. cause dear gods.. him and Brandon McInnis together work so well.. and you'll love to hear his belt. Just saying.
Raphael's final act
I just thought it was cute and funny, you said in the video at 26:18 "Elphaba could care less", which should be "Elphaba couldn't care less", which is exactly what happens in the script 😂
The singing recorded in the movie was sung live during filming, not in a studio (confirmed by the director and both actors in interviews). This makes Ariana's and Cynthia's performances even more special.
It's a shame the ruined it all in post. It just sounds like robots singing it.
I like them both and am a die hard for the original Broadway cast recording BUT I listen to them different. When I listen to Kristen singing I know it's Broadway and will have a definite sound to fit the stage. When I listen to Ariana I think of the film and how much more they added to the story that allowed for her to sing it a different way. It's the "same story" but also totally different so the singing is expected to be different. I feel that the movie, being able to see faces close up etc. allowed for more intimacy and changed how Ariana sings the song. Kristen brought the selfish Glinda to help Elphie as she should and Ariana, though totally selfish, brought the vulnerability to the song knowing how much she is also judged for how she looks. Just a thought.
My daughter is a fan and thinks you should react to Elaine Paige "memory" from cats the musical
can you react to lola young! shes really good
i'm interested on your opinion of Mankeskin - trastevere live in tokio.. thanks