Hello Young Lovers

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/26/15 at 1:35pm

I was watching Kelli O'Hara's version of this song at Barnes and Noble on youtube, and then I looked for Donna Murphy's version and the one comment on it, it's from a fan saying that Donna sounds flat. I thought it was apples and oranges, a performer like Kelli who does a flawless job with this song...and then Donna, the opposite, how come Donna won a Tony for such a lackluster performance? Was her acting good at least?

[tazber]

Posted: 6/26/15 at 1:56pm

Updated On: 6/26/15 at 01:56 PM

[Buscee]

Posted: 6/26/15 at 2:36pm

Everyone is human and can have their "off days" It's quite possible that Donna was having that "off day". I saw Donna in the show, and she sounded great. Donna was also missing a lot of shows when she played the part due to vocal problems.  Kelli is flawless in the role, but I am sure even she can have her "off" Moments.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/26/15 at 3:26pm

I saw the show with Donna several times, and she always gave a wonderful performance. That was one show I didn't see any understudies in the leading or supporting roles.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 5:27am

Donna Murphy was a beautiful and captivating Mrs. Anna.  Don't know the recording you are speaking of, but she didn't win the Tony for that recording, she won it for her work on Broadway, which was stellar.

Of course, as many know, she also arguably won because Julie Andrews refused her Tony nomination.  But that doesn't change the fact that Murphy gave a great performance.  In fact, as much as I adore Kelli O'Hara, and admired her Anna, I would have to say that I preferred Murphy's performance.   

Assuming you are correct, muscl23ft, and Murphy gave at one point an off key performance of "Hello, Young Lovers" - that doesn't change the fact that both Murphy and O'Hara are among the most accomplished Broadway vocalists.

Also, you might want to look up the phrase "apples and oranges" because you are using it to mean exactly the opposite of what it means.

Updated On: 6/27/15 at 05:27 AM

[Jon_sense]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 5:48am

I didn't know many felt Andrews was likely to win if she'd accepted the nom. She didn't get great reviews and it clearly wasn't a well-regarded show. The King & I revival was a big success and Murphy was a pivotal part of that.  To me, it was no contest.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 8:54am

Victor, Victoria wasn't a well regarded show but as I recall Andrews's performance was not badly received.  Quite the opposite.  She got raves and the rest of the cast, though not Tony nominated, also got very good reviews.

Updated On: 6/27/15 at 08:54 AM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 9:37am

Donna does have a tendency to sing flat.  

[hen88]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 11:47am

I saw both Donna Murphy and Kelli O'Hara in the role.  In my humble opinion, while O'Hara is a flawless vocalist, her acting was rather bland and devoid of character.  Murphy, on the other hand, struggled with some musical aspects of the role, most notably in the above-mentioned song, but her acting and characterization were sublimely rich and multi-layered.  For me, she's the definitive Mrs. Anna.

Updated On: 6/27/15 at 11:47 AM

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 12:09pm

There was a CD made of the Donna Murphy production that is still available to purchase or sample. So you can compare the two somewhat.

When I recently listened to it my biggest impression was that Lou Diamond Phillips sounded almost boyish and not kingly enough. Since I think he has gone on to a semi-career of playing the King in various productions, others might not agree.

I didn't have any major reservations about Donna's performance when I saw the show live.

I would say that I preferred Kelli's performance, but I might have been influenced by the fact that when I saw Donna, I was sitting somewhere in the back half of the orchestra and Donna seemed pretty far away up on stage. When I saw Kelli, I was sitting adjacent to the big thrust stage and Kelli was about 15 feet from me when she delivered "Hello, Young Lovers."

 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 1:41pm

I can't believe anyone would say that Kelli's performance was bland. I got goose bumps when she sang this song...even her youtube video is so powerful. She's excellent.

[mtcond]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 1:56pm

I saw that revival twice, once early in the run and once right before Faith Prince took over as Anna. Both times Donna sang flat throughout. It seemed like she heard the pitches correctly, but what was coming out was just a trifle under. It drove me nuts--but in every other aspect she was so wonderful. She gave a rich, textured, honest performance, and her chemistry with Lou Diamond Phillips was electric. Their "Shall We Dance" was one of the most heart-felt, slightly erotic, slightly dangerous moments I've seen on stage, and that was true both times. She did deserve that Tony. Though Julie Andrews carried "V/V" by sheer force of will, there was really no comparison. If she had accepted the nom and won, it would have been because she finally came back to Broadway and Broadway was overjoyed to have her, regardless of the quality of the vehicle. With Murphy, you felt like you were seeing a perfect match of actor and role--except for singing it flat. By the time she did "Wonderful Town" she seemed to have solved that problem, at least to my ears. 

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 2:29pm

"I can't believe anyone would say that Kelli's performance was bland. I got goose bumps when she sang this song...even her youtube video is so powerful. She's excellent."

It's just as unbelievable as you saying that Murphy's performance was "lackluster." 

I'm glad that this thread exists to gather memories from those who saw Murphy's performance and describe it as anything but "lackluster."

[SweetLips]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 3:50pm

Would love some comments from cast members of the Australian production with Hayley Mills as Mrs Anna--looked gorgeous but don't think one note fell where it should.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 3:59pm

Murphy also had pitch issues in Anyone Can Whistle and Into The Woods. She's ridiculously talented, but singing in tune isn't always her forte. 

[Fan123]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 8:46pm

As OlBlueEyes mentioned, the cast recording versions of both renditions can be compared:

 

Donna Murphy - https://soundcloud.com/thekingandimusical/sets/the-king-and-i-musical-new-broadway-cast-recording

 

Kelli O'Hara  - https://open.spotify.com/album/4MCsklkiBP9KTADPWmrhWB

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 8:52pm

I would take Donna Murphy's vocal issues over 98% of the generic singing that happens on Broadway today, especially since she brings a Meryl-Streep-like level of acting that is rarely matched by most actors in musical theatre. Her performance as the Witch aside (in a very troubled and misguided production), just read the reviews for her performances in ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, FOLLIES, PASSION (all Sondheim shows), and THE KING & I. I personally find her rendition of Anna to be one of the most exquisitely drawn cast recording performances I've ever heard--I could listen to her Shakespearean-quality rendition of "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" for hours, and I have.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 8:56pm

I also heard Carrie Underwood and Rebecca Luker singing the song...Rebecca has a good instrument, but I don't care for her much. Carrie was a trainwreck.

I heard Donna's recording...I think she sounds much better than in the youtube clip. Yet, she still sounds flat. I just don't care for her. Oh well, it's not the end of the world if I don't care for a performer. She won 2 Tonys, so enough people do enjoy her I guess. But remember, that Halle Berry has an Oscar for best actress too! Awards are a popularity contest, it doesn't mean they're necessarily good. I'm sure some dislike Kelli O'Hara too and I think she is perfection.

[Jon_sense]

Posted: 6/27/15 at 9:22pm

Halle Berry may not be Oscar worthy in Catwoman or other trainwreck film but her Monster's Ball performance was widely heralded and, to me, wonderfully raw. I'd imagine Spacek was the only one who came close in the voting. Of all examples of not necessarily worthy performances (Taylor in Butterfield 8, Grace Kelly in Country Wife), I'm surprised that's the one you chose.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 1:35am

I don't find Donna Murphy any more flat on the CD version of TKAI than I did the night when I saw her in the role of Anna opposite LDP.

Is she operatically belting out the tune? No. It's simply a beautiful and tender rendition IMO.

The night I saw her, I found her voice to be beautiful and her acting to be stellar.

And I thought LDP was charming.

And Jose Llana's rendition of "I Have Dreamed" is perhaps one of the most beautiful I've ever heard.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 9:06am

>And Jose Llana's rendition of "I Have Dreamed" is perhaps one of the most beautiful I've ever heard.<

Have you heard Martin Vidnovic sing it on the 1977 Broadway cast recording? 

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 9:31pm

Watching YouTube clips. Because both productions of The King and I used "Getting to Know You" as a publicity number to use at the Tonys and to haul around on the morning TV show circuit, you can compare the two. Donna (all this is IMHO) appears to sing it a bit slower and to reflect on each line of the lyrics before deciding how she wants to express that line lyrically. Kelli sings it effortlessly, while devoting more attention to the children.

I also liked Donna in the clip from that quaint little period piece that aired very irregularly in the 90s, Remember WENN. (I see that a 1998 VHS tape of the series highlights is available on Amazon for only $100.)

Kelli has shown herself to be a very fine actress across all the musicals that she has done:  Piazza, Pajama Game, Bells are Ringing (Encores), Bridges and as a tipsy coquette in The Merry Widow. Away from the musical stage, Donna right now would be a better straight actress. Of course Kelli is sixteen years younger than Donna and has not attempted any roles yet where the singing is subordinate to the acting, if there is any singing at all.

 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/29/15 at 12:08am

I was thinking, I think if I have to pick the best number from this show, it was "Hello Young Lovers" by far...and if I have to pick my favorite song-moment of the season it'd be "Hello" and "Say a Prayer" by Victoria Clark. The most stunning solo song numbers on Broadway this season. For ensemble numbers, I have a whole new list, that includes, On The Town, Something Rotten and Gigi among others.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 6/29/15 at 2:59am

">And Jose Llana's rendition of "I Have Dreamed" is perhaps one of the most beautiful I've ever heard.<
Have you heard Martin Vidnovic sing it on the 1977 Broadway cast recording? "

I have actually.  I still think Llana's version is one of the most beautiful I've heard.

 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/1/15 at 4:47pm

I loved Donna's acting choices in this clip here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqiFMYIDavI

She certainly has a lot of personality as Anna (though still restrained), and I think she actually had more of a connection with the children than Kelli O'Hara did in her truncated morning show clip. However, it's not a fair comparison since they chose to play and sing their Annas differently, and a morning show clip out-of-context to the rest of the performance is not a good illustration of what the actresses are giving in the show night after night.

In regards to Donna Murphy singing flat, I wonder what BWW posters would say about Gertrude Lawrence if she was performing The King and I today (and not in a thousandth time kind of way like Carol Channing and Dolly).

I also have to say I think Kelli's version of "Hello Young Lovers" is the most gorgeous version I've heard and made me appreciate the song even more than I had before. I do think she sort of oversings the other songs though. Donna Murphy has my favorite rendition of "Getting to Know You" while I love Deborah Kerr's dance sequence strong in that song and the way her Anna is probably the most prim and proper with an obvious soft spot and love for the children. OT, but on Youtube there's an audio clip of Deborah Kerr and Marni Nixon's mix of "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You" and it's absolutely excellent. I wonder why they decided to cut it as it gave Anna another showcase and probably could have helped Kerr nab that Oscar. I get why they cut the Lady Thiang reprise of "Something Wonderful" and "Western People Funny" even though it takes out a lot of the power and depth from Lady Thiang, but not "Shall I Tell You..."

Updated On: 7/1/15 at 04:47 PM