Like many others, my first encounter with the wonderful Emily Skinner was in her work in Side Show, though I was only able to see it on the Tony Awards. Because of that amazing song, I bought the CD.
My opportunity to see Ms. Skinner in person was, thankfully, due to my city being an early stop in the On the Record tour. As I mentioned in my blog entry “Broadway Funk,” one of the big things we should praise Disney for is utilizing real Broadway talent. It would have been very easy for them to cast a third-rate talent in that show (or even a less-expensive first-rate talent) since Emily Skinner’s name wouldn’t be recognized by the average On the Record attendee, but how thrilled I am that they chose her! Her powerful voice filled that theatre and hit every emotional note of each song. One particular standout was her rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” in which she took a song written to express the feelings of a little girl and made it into an expression of mature desire.
And that’s probably one of the things I love most about Emily Skinner. She has maturity and depth in her voice. She possesses the traditional Broadway soprano, but she interprets songs with such passion, however that word may be defined in a variety of songs.
She also does great things with comedy, as witnessed in the comedy songs on her Duets CD with Alice Ripley and her solo album Emily Skinner. There’s a ton of great songs and performances on both CDs (including a lovely number from James Joyce’s The Dead performed with Alice Ripley on her solo album), but I never stop laughing at “My Simple Christmas Wish” on her solo album.
Okay, it also helps that Emily Skinner is just too darn hot. Extreme beauty and talent. You can’t ask for more in a Broadway diva.
Getting to Know You Interview: http://www.robbierozelle.com/emskinner.html
the Broadway Mouth
July 30, 2007
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