xoalxscrzox
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'I Dreamed a Dream'Who sings your favorite version of I Dreamed a Dream and why ? My favorite has to be Elena Roger, she sings the song in spanish and puts so much emotion into it that it makes me cry when I listen to it
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flying_pigs
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Kerry Ellis!
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l'ivrogne transfigur�
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Do you mean just in terms of singing the song, or does this include how they act it?
For instance, of the current West End Fantine (Rebecca Seale) and her understudy (Natalie Day), I prefer Rebecca's voice and how she sings the song, but I prefer how Natalie acts it.
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Orestes Fasting
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Louise Pitre made me cry just listening to the recording.
Vocally, Nikki Ren�e Daniels, Sophie Josslyn, and Lea Salonga were all fantastic.
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beyondthebarricade
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I actually like Ruthie Henshall (who sang in the TAC)'s version the most. But of course, there are many good ones... and if I'm not wrong Michael Crawford sang it too?
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Yakko
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| beyondthebarricade wrote: | | I actually like Ruthie Henshall (who sang in the TAC)'s version the most. But of course, there are many good ones... and if I'm not wrong Michael Crawford sang it too? |
Yeah he sang it and he's the reason why men should never sing songs meant for woman.
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The Very Angry Woman
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Linda Pierson-Huff, Lea Salonga, Jayne Paterson.
Not in any order.
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Monsieur D'Arque
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Crawford recorded a version, as did other male actor/singers Mandy Patinkin, Dennis DeYoung, and Adam Pascal- at least, I think Pascal did for a cabaret or something.
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The Very Angry Woman
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So did Michael Ball.
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mm10
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And Neil Diamond - think he had a hit with it
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Monsieur D'Arque
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Did Les Miserables predate "Cats," or come after it?
I had thought that Memory was the last standard written, but it's looking like I Dreamed A Dream is making a late-period comeback, recorded by pop stars and standards singers, and made mega-famous by Susan Boyle.
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l'ivrogne transfigur�
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Cats is the older. It opened in London in 81, and Les Mis took the title of longest-running musical from Cats when it closed.
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MizzieFan
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My favorite has to be Ruthie Henshall, but Natalie Day is very close second 
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Monsieur D'Arque
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Well, then, as of right now, "I Dreamed A Dream" is the last standard.
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MizzieFan
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^And why is that? How EXACTLY do you mean that? I am rather curious.
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Monsieur D'Arque
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A standard is a song that passed into the mainstream pop music "cover song" vocabulary, traditionally but not always from a musical. In the old days, when Broadway wrote the hit songs before the rock and roll boom, almost every good show would produce at least one or two standards. With the change in styles, less and less songs from Broadway became ubiquitously known, sung and covered.
"Memory," from Cats, is a well-known song regardless of its connection to Cats, and was often considered to be the so-called "last standard," because it was one of the last few songs from a musical to cross the genre gap and become a mainstream popular song, but "I Dreamed A Dream" has made a late-period comeback, having been covered by mainstream artists (albeit retro ones) Neil Diamond and Dennis DeYoung, and now made notorious by Susan Boyle, elevating it to a hit single and album in a way that the old standards used to. And, being written a while after Cats, this makes "I Dreamed A Dream" the newest and so far the last standard in the music industry.
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musialman
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I love Lea Sagola's (sp?) version.
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The Very Angry Woman
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| musialman wrote: | | I love Lea Sagola's (sp?) version. |
Wow.
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MizzieFan
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| musialman wrote: | | I love Lea Sagola's (sp?) version. |
... It's Lea Salonga.
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Razadazzle
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Elena Roger: Wow. I just watched her version thanks to xoalxscrzox and was absolutely blown away. I believe that this song is meant to bring someone to tears as if a rise of emotion and reaction swells inside and is then released back into imminent but unchangeable disappointment. I think it is best when the actor/singer feels it so much so that the audience does as well. Perhaps even on the same level. Her performance was raw enough to do this. Not processed in any way but powerful all by itself. And at the end, all we are left with is the emptiness she feels. AWESOME DYNAMIC! I did however, wonder how her thoat felt afterwards. 
Linda Pierson-Huff: Nice voice but I�m so attached to the staged or at least characterized version of this song that it�s hard for me to enjoy. The poppy characteristics she added were too distracting to what is so important about this song: It failed to move me at all and I was simply focused on technique and what was processed about the recording. Obviously I enjoy live performances better
Lea Salonga: As always, she has a breathtakingly beautiful voice, and a perfect mix. However, I can�t put my finger on exactly what it is, but just based on this song, (and �Come to me�,) I thought the role of Eponine was much more fitting for her. Perhaps it�s the fact that Lea�s voice is SO very pure and Disney-esque (^^) that a combination of the characters age and her experience with hardships did not reach me on a true and genuine level. Beautiful voice though, and it goes without saying considering the vocalist.
Jayne Paterson: I didn�t get to hear her version. If anyone has the link to where I can, (given it is online anywhere,) please share.
Kerry Ellis: Powerful voice. She, along with Lea, is an amazing vocalist. I felt that the video of her live performance was a little overacted, especially toward the end and once again, noticed those poppy sort of flip flips, some modern singers like to add or just can�t leave behind. To me, it�s distracting to this character! A few different choices and I would have enjoyed it much more. Still, she is a very accomplished performer.
Gunilla Backman: The acting threw me through a bit of a loop. At first I was thinking, �well the beats are good because they are clear, and her voice is so close to perfect its mind boggling,� but I was left with, � The beats are too much because of the choices she makes with them, she seems almost delusional of her situation instead of more wrought with the reality of it, but her voice is still wonderful.�
Rebecca Seale: Just as a personal opinion, her crazy vibrato drives me through the roof. Her voice pierced my ears and I�m not sure whether it was good or bad. The recording wasn�t good enough to tell. From what I saw, the performance left something to be desired.
Susan Boyle: >.< Her voice isn�t bad, in fact it can be very nice, however I feel It�s always been more about HER than the character, which I suppose is a completely different approach and purpose, but it doesn�t appeal to me. It�s actually quite a turn off.
Other: Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, etc... X.X the point is lost amongst all of these performances I've seen. It's a personal thing for me to be closed minded about different approaches I suppose, but without the character and the emotion behind their motives for singing the song, all is lost in my eyes. I immediately lose interst or want to bang my head against a wall to make it stop. Exessive, but hey...
Ruthie Henshall: I feel everything to my very core. From her nostalgia, to her hope, to her hopelessness, to her rising pain, and lingering disappointment. The acting is subtle but if you pay attention to the intricate detail of her facial expression and where she DOES allow movement, it actually tells more of a story while remaining very believable and perhaps to some, relatable. Just take the time to watch it and to JUST pay attention to the emotion in her only her eyes. God, it�s overwhelming. I think the line between subtlety and robustness can be hard to balance on and to choose between in order to end up with an ideal result especially with a song as emotional as this, but she�s mastered it. Ruthie�s voice has always been so very distinct and yet it can morph freely depending on the characters she plays. There are more than a couple notes she hits in her performance of �I Dreamed a Dream� that just digs its nails into your skin and clenches your heart all very thoughtfully chosen. Some get goose bumps, others hairs seem to stand at attention, but it�s those moments contrasting with the softer tone of despair that really grab you. No matter how many times, I watch this, (and I have for YEARS,) I can never look away and am always always wholly involved with the character like she is. Of course, she did not have to follow the required blocking of the show, but I firmly believe that Ruthie is adaptable enough to have delivered just as much an outstanding performance had she been. And it's instantly recognizable and different from everyone else's, more so than most I feel which demands regaurd for her ability to make the role her own. Another enormously successful performance by Ruthie! (At least IMO) Might I also mention that I will forever be annoyed by the fact that more then one, (or even that just ONE,) Susan Boyle version pops up when you search just for �I Dreamed a Dream� on YouTube. >.< I know it also has to do with how recent the performances were but� STILL!
So obviously, though Elena Roger is also wonderful, my favorite version is Ruthies! 
(I may add more critiques later but I think this suffices for now.)
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The Very Angry Woman
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What an annoying sig you have.
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LovelyFantine
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I have a bit of an unfair choice because I've listened to it a lot more but my favourite is Ruthie's. I've given a few others mentioned here a listen.
Kerry Ellis has a very nice, sweet voice and did the big notes well but I didn't feel the emotion much from her.
For some reason I can't get on board with Gunilla Backman's Fantine at all. I think she just overacts it too much. And she's smiling way too much in IDAD!
Lea Salonga is good but I prefer as Eponine (again maybe cos that's what I've listened to more).
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Roseinmisery
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I have to admit I think Ruthie is my favourite. Everything about her; the way she looked, acted, sang etc WAS Fantine
Patti LuPone's original version is also amazing. She puts so much emotion into her voice I burst into tears every time.
I liked Kerry's version a lot too because she really showed Fantine's innocence and general loveliness. She just didn't really have enough emotion for me.
Vocally I thought Lea Salonga's was great and her performance was quite book accurate (I remember on an interview she said she has read the Brick obsessively to really understand Fantine). I just thought she suited Eponine better.
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music is my life!!!
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What I've found with alot of performers nowadays is that they don't fully emerse themselves in the role, and don't actually *feel* the song and its story. I love Kerry's and Lea's versions because they actually become Fantine, even if people say their acting is over the top. FANTINE IS DESPERATE SHE WOULD BE OTT!!!!
 needed to get that out my system, sorry.... but like when i auditioned for the school version, i was so overwhelmed with emotion at the end of IDAD, and i think it was a combination of my emotional depth in my fantine audition and kick-ass attitude in my madame thenardier audition that got me madame thenardier
my advice to any budding fantine is that they should READ THE BOOK or at least the Fantine pages... .it's on google books somewhere, but seriously, everything just falls into place and you can completely relate to the character. It also helps you draw parallels between her and Mdm T, as the wo "mother" figures in the show, they need to be completely opoosite...
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