Randy Graff "I Dreamed a Dream" Les Miserables

[peterobs]

She's great. Mad Fantine. Great vocal performance.

[JaredWilliams]

Lea Salonga sure has some rude fans.

[af2un]

No one can top Lea Salonga's version. I love Randy, though, and she's definitely better -- way better -- than rough-voiced, wooden-as-a-tree Ruthie Henshall!

[emmychvic]

Definitely my favourite Fantine. I actually believe her when she's singing - I think the only other one that got the emotion down (that I've seen) was Ruthie Henshall.

Lea Salonga is an amazing performer, but I don't think her voice has enough raw emotion in it for her to be the best Fantine. :T

[xsugarxhighx]

her voice is absolutely AMAZING! Definitely the best version

link to her album version of I Dreamed a Dream:

/watch?v=ah218bDYnO4

[rlee1976]

She's truly amazing. She has that old-fashioned, swelled, present, LIVE voice that just expands as she builds more and more that is just incredible. It's like pretty crazy how much power and presence there is even when she's singing softly. It sounds just like the recording! She came out of it on the top note, big deal, these things happen. Wasn't terrible.

[lcowles]

Too bad she blew the big note at the end, but the clarity of her voice really suits this song very well. She's very pleasant to listen to.

[arodoet126]

definitely the best version....even better than patti lupone!

[anthonyhenrysmith]

she is FANTASTIC! got the cast album BUT- never saw this! wow!

[ezekielg444]

horrible instruments! can barely follow her sing

[collectingbees]

She is amazing. Haters to the left, she is so amazing.

[gogetyourverb]

I just love the beautiful Johnny Carson studio. It looks so original and unpretenious. It also seems like it has great acoustics because of the carpeted floors and plants. It looks cozy.

[QuartanAidan]

5:35 is a pitchy hot mess. but she's so good =]

[MrMonroman]

The backing track sounds like a third rate karaoke and ruins it

[Khaine994]

Well, she sings it quite good but I still prefer Ruthie Henshall

[clamman27]

She's one of the better Fantines. I like Patti best, but Randy is a close 2nd.

[panicitsadri]

Although I love Ruthie and Lea's portrayal MUCH better, she's does have a great voice.

But I really HATE how she sings some of the words, especially "ransom" and "but the tigers come at night"(ummmm what was that?)

[grl008]

@panicitsadri yes

[bresslili]

I had the pleasure of attending Wagner College with Randy for a few years. She is a wonderful actress and singer and a great person. She recently performed at the Hartford Stage in "Motherhood Out Loud". Always a pleasure to watch and hear :)

[kdavidkdr]

Bravo!

[MrZekervan]

looks like cher?

[Stevo5862]

she's no patti!

[screaminPirate]

ooo, I really like the vibrato and placement on "stride" at 4:45 :)))

[MsStarmusic]

Really very good voice, horrible playback, they didn`t have any better in the 80ìes....

[WFCSCproductions]

simply beautiful. i feel the torment and passion when she sings :)

the orchestra should be ashamed of themselves

[gogetyourverb]

In addition to studying theater at Wagner College, I wonder if she also got vocal training.

[Wendel14550]

I completely agree. I just downloaded this mp3 at mp3tuber..net

[TaleahHannah]

Hmmmm. . . I'm not so sure

[jerrymprice]

She's great!

[DanTheMan41686]

simply the best!

[islezeus]

5:36 she couldn't firmly hit the high note

[leasolanga]

i think she's great but at times she forces it too much

[iamintoyou]

I love the emotion in Randy's voice as she sings this song! Very dramatic and heart felt.

[joeprice010]

who the hell is randy graf? oh well whatever idc..

[riskboy999]

two words " Ruthie Henshall", aint gonna say more!

[manpleaser420]

the band is awful. She is pretty good the last half is much better than the first.

[koalasarah]

I think the best Fantine I've heard is on the International album. I think her name is Debbie White or something. Absolutely the best Fantine I've heard ever.

[CyrilWashbrook]

Not sure what they were thinking with that accompaniment. The rendition is reasonable, but the enunciation seems a bit too mechanical in the first half.

[lockedinsideurhsbox]

ugh the band was so bad!

[tim66hersch]

I must say this is my favorite version also. There is something in her voice i really like. Did she ever do anything else?

[collectingbees]

I don't care what anyone says about Randy, she is amazing. She is so emotive. I miss the days when musicals had characters and not divas pop voices. She sounds so rich and alive and wistful here. Incredible.

[AtLastOnTheGround]

Best version I've ever heard. Effortless and powerful.

[z3suzie123]

ugh wow how far this song has come.. she had no emotion until the end and couldn't reach the high note, Ruthie is soooo much better!

[PD1981]

Wow! I don't even know what to say about this but I'll give it a try. First of all, superficially, she is really hot. Secondly I think the band playing for her did a huge disservice to this performance because they absolutely botched the tune of this song. But thirdly the fact that she managed to pull off such a hauntingly beautiful rendition of this song even with all the problems with the band is a testament to her professionalism and her singing ability.

RIP Johnny Carson

[joeydimaggio5]

Is that Cher?

[quicksilver159]

She's not bad. What were we thinking in the '80s with the hair, clothes, and not to mention set design? Johnny Carson, you are missed.

[doh1959]

@quicksilver159 fuk the hair and clothes id nail her

[1carrotcake]

this one sucks, no offense.

[gogetyourverb]

I wonder why Randy wasn't in the 10th Anniversary Dream Cast. Does anyone know why? Don't worry I love Ruthie just as much.

[ozzian2000]

@gogetyourverb I went and was expecting Patti LuPone. I was FURIOUS to find out it was Ruthie Henshall and told everyone my feelings. Ate myself one whole heck of a lot of Humble Pie after that PHENOMENAL performance.

[DanDelvis]

So the music sucks. She need not have any music at all with that performance.

[DarthxErik]

I've always heard her on the soundtrack and never knew what she looked like. She's a really good Fantine. I love it!

[gogetyourverb]

One of the reasons I also love Randy Graff is that she is a graduate of Wagner College. That college has an excellet theater department so it's easy to see where Randy gets her talent and knowledge in every important aspect of theater.

[gogetyourverb]

Randy Graff is phenomenal, she is the best fantine other than ruthie henshall. I think I'm going to use Randy as my vocal influence.

[saritsiribud]

Emotional Performance>> Great !

[mharlhowne]

something wrong with her voice on 5:35 she cant reach the ryt tune :) but shes good

[canteenmug]

Captivating performance, love it!

[leleco520]

her voice is super trained......

i love it

[waori]

Dreadful backing track but she did ok. No match for Ruthie Henshall of course :)

[greenandgold1000]

rubbish compared to ruthie henshall

[MBFURUZ]

Maybe the best version I`ve seen so far. The music is crap though.

[XimeKlemen]

Me tooooo!!! haha

[Mardell88]

I thought it was Cher.

[mancubs2]

all though good you are not in the class of susan boyle she is a one off a kind

[Museleaders]

i respect susan, she has a great voice, but patti lupone's version simply is WAYYYY outta of susan's leauge...

[mancubs2]

nope

[vscheyving]

That's a synthesized piano (that sounds like it's cutting in and out)!!

[billyfisherboy]

what a crap version

[celebratingfantasy]

No no no no ... shut up bitch...you cant never ever

[DGKin]

The beauty and fresh elegance of this lady and the incredible feeling she puts into this song is mesmerizing. Her voice is powerful and dramatic. The "band" that others are mentioning is actually an electronic organ with backup and unless Doc Severinsen was off work that evening, lead by one of the worlds' greatest musicians. Musically I think it was perfect. It is able to accompany her beautiful performance without competing with it.

[kevin19970806]

band sucks alot but dont forget that this was filmed in 1987 when the technology sux

[helencheddar]

wow, she's got a nasal voice, and the band sounds weird, I agree the frequeist, Ruthie Henshall was waaaay better!

[freqeist]

simply awful arrangement,

she has a great voice though, i do prefer Henshell if pushed.

[thesilvershining]

I actually really like Randy Graff's portrayal of Fantine. I might even like it best. I guess I'm in the minority on that one. Don't care, tho ;)

[greekgal]

@thesilvershining I totally agree with you. I like the other Fantine's but I think Randy is the best! You can just totally feel the emotion when she sings. I fell in love with her when I heard her in the original soundtrack. She is phenomenal!

[MrLadyAlexia]

@thesilvershining i agree - i like her playing Fantine! i love hit when she hits the lower notes - towards the end! fab!

[revacohen]

@thesilvershining I agree with you. I think she's the best one, too.

[lesmizfanatic90]

@thesilvershining i wouldn't say she's the best but i do really like her performance. she doesn't hit those high notes well but i love her low alto voice.

[JCOberkrom]

Glad Susan Boyle got me to revisit Randy Graff's version. Both have their own style and both rock

[TBon3Supl3x]

when she says "the tigers come at night" at 3:55 it gets really scary lol

[aarond53]

haha. It DOES. And the way she says "tigerrrrrrsss" and "thunnnnnndrrrrrr"

Like, keep your mouth open, lady

[tubedice999]

lol

[arturo656b]

Wow, great song, terrible band, JC is missed, whats an album?.

[moneycrab]

it might just be the recording that is cutting out the notes and giving it a wawawwa sound

[7855waldo]

Oh, Carson, you are missed, you were the last vestige of class, the last comedian who trusted his instincts and his own material so much more than his wirters.

What this sounds like is what I feel now when you are missed.

[johninitaly]

Dennis Miller on the couch. When he was just a putz and not yet a wack-job conservative putz.

[magichounddog]

At 5:36 she botched that note.

[MagicScarf]

she did wonderful...i don't think the backing music was traditionally done with 80's synthesizers though

[Lindow]

God, the backing is a nightmare! Plonk plonk plonk!

[xxxruzzelxxx]

I was about to cry until I laughed at 5:50, LOL

[bigttim1]

Just doesn't do it for me. Lea Salonga is different class.

[RaeeeBaby]

goosebumps all over wow :)

[dirtylos30]

watch Ruthie Henshall's version of it on the 10th anniversary of Les Mis, amazing...

[magichounddog]

Ruthie is the best at this song!

[DivaBehavior]

She makes it look so effortless -- The acting flows naturally (there's no false theatrics in it), and her voice is so rich and well-trained. I love her "Not" at 5:17.

[jrongow]

I think Randy did a better job in terms of emotions, as compared to Ruthie Henshall, but I think Ruthie has the better voice. Personally, I find both their renditions the best out of all the renditions out there...

[zalman595]

She does a good job with this song, despite the Abominable backing track, BUT if you want to hear the definitive verion listen to the imcomparable Ruthie Henshall's rendition: Les Miserables(10th Anniversary.).

[Scoobybyeday]

A wonderfully strong performance for a live show but yes, as another commentor has noted, the backing was dreadful. I got a much better backing track for this song from Selectatrack for a mere £2.00!!

[hirhodes]

I applaud Randy for originating the role but I like Ruthie Henshall best.

[ricmarc]

at long last i know who is on my recording. bravo!

[davidmario]

best performance of this song

[xxdamuxx]

listen to susan boyle

[davidmario]

i did

[malletman88]

She is my all-time favorite Fantine.

[franinconverse]

woah... she completely owned that. this song always makes me want to cry.

[hrothgar1946]

The singing is beautiful; the background music is awful.

[darthbookworm]

it's beautiful! she puts so much emotion and feeling into this wonderful song!

[rickram1961]

Truly the best ever version of I Dreamed a Dream!

[CastellanLebbick]

Love it Love Love Love Love it.

[TheJesusSucks]

Wow! This may rival Lea Salonga's version, which I've always considered the best.

[franimalistic]

Aaah man... This is shockingly good in the beginning, but I feel like she loses control in the end-- and not entirely in a good way. Personal preference, I guess. I'm sure it was weird and nerve-wracking to sing in the studio like that.

[NYCinema]

Beautifully sung! Though she is not the best person to interviewed is she? She gives "dead end" answers.

[enfreedom]

This is one of the best versions of "I dreamed a dream" -- powerful and melodious.

[leleco520]

amazing

[chubsykins]

ruthie henshall is the best no doubt about it

[realmclennyd]

that a beautiful sng

[jeffper2]

i have to agree with dennis.....kinda sour

could be better ....not just to put her down but it's not good enough

[killbill87]

WOW! AMAZING!

[dennisls]

no wonder she was out of work so long

rubbish!!!

[MPL029]

She's a tad over dramatic in her singing...much different from her Bway performance.

[AtLastOnTheGround]

Wow -- Vocally, the best version of this song I've heard.

[dazzaone1]

so did i lol

[kevisaurus]

I thought this was Cher for a minute. Haha.

[MPL029]

OMG.///thats so true!!!!!! LOL

[RaWrZzZz]

shes pretty :D looks a bit like my mummy actually :D maman <3 i don't even need to say how brilliant she is :3

[miladyfencer]

Patti Lupone owns this song. She originated the role of Fantine during the London run in 1985, which predates the Broadway run by two years. Miss Lupone was the first American to receive the Olivier Award for her performance. Randy, wherever she is today, merely borrowed it.

[22BSUR]

very strong vocals... just right for the aria... ♪♫♪ ☼

[sjdmd89]

Randy definately does it the best. Patti LuPone will always be the best Evita but I love Randy's version of this song even with the poor music. She has such a clear powerful voice. Andrea McCardle and Patti LuPone use too much vibrato and Elaine Page's voice is too "sweet".

[Nightingal518]

It's probably already been said, but this performance doesn't do justice to how Randy sang it on stage, as Fantine, and there it was incredibly emotional and powerful. Just my opinion, but I liked it better than Patti LuPone's version in the London production.

[musardus]

what's wrong with the music??!!

[StarryNight713]

What is up with this backtrack from Hell?

[chimney1993]

Yeah!! It's awful!

[Hemanthemannequin]

I don't really care for this. It's so boring!

[MissMaria10]

I love her performance, however, the best performers are Ruthie Henshall and Judy Kuhn. Their voices cannot be matched. They are breathtaking.

[krazyutubefreak]

You're both wrong. Ruthie Henshall totally owns this song. Patti LuPone, God love her, just doesn't emote the song well enough -- that cockneyed tone throws it off too. And Randy Graff, while good, just does not match the emotional intensity (and emotional accuracy) of Ruthie Henshall.

[nathannapier191]

This is why johnny carsons show was so special her performing seems so casual and to think Les Miz was brand new! That audience must have been like Whoaaa!

[miladyfencer]

Patti Lupone owns this song.

[babrell]

Not if you listen to the ORIGINAL BROADWAY recording, RANDY ORIGINATED AND OWNS IT, PATTI SINGS PRETTY, NOT NEARLY AS EMOTIONAL

[miladyfencer]

In 1985, Patti created the part of Fantine in the original London run which predates the Broadway run by 2 years. She was the first American to receive the Olivier Award for her performance. She owns this song, and Randy, wherever she is nowadays, borrowed it.

[hateleyfan123]

Honey, it's Patti who originated the role of Fantine in the London production of Les Mis before another production popped up at the Broadway Theatre. Therefore she owns it.

[RaWrZzZz]

your name is amazing :D claire moore and linzi hateley are goddesses :D

[blackpython]

miladyfencer is absolutely right, Patti LuPone originated this role two years before Randy. The show premiered in London two years before it premiered on Broadway, and the original LONDON cast recording had already been out by that time. Randy did not originate the role.

[miladyfencer]

Hey blackpython, thanks for backing me. The Randy "Gaffe" fanatics have flamed me for telling the truth. Also, Patti was the first American to receive the Olivier Award for her performance as Fantine.

[FloweroftheGlen]

Hmmm itwas okay but i still prefer Ruthie's version. i didn't feel the emtion in RAndy's performance and Ruthie always gives me goosebumps plus her's was the first version i ever heard when i saw the 10th anniversary concert. Also the way RAndy pronounced some of the words was a bit funny but it might have been her accenct. Anyway Ruthie wins hands down!!!!!!!!

[greenpotatoparodies]

This version also gives me goosebumps, just not as much as Ruthie's version.

[geldagirl]

Her voice 'screeched' off-pitch on '...so different now than what it seems...' (near the end of song)...but maybe 'live' she was on key...(it was an old video recording after all) It was a fine performance by a lovely lady of 20 yrs.ago.

[greenpotatoparodies]

I think it was the quality of the video because it had several other problems towards the end.

[Frankiarmz]

I enjoy music but have not seen Les Mis, the only song I was familiar with was "Bring Him Home". I thank Susan Boyle for bringing attention to this beautiful song and all the fine singers who have made it their own. Thank you.

[tadcoughenour]

Susan Boyles version of this song is just that....another version. Everyone who has taken a crack at it since its Broadway premiere has wished in their wildest dreams to sound as good as Randy Graff. Yes, Susan did a good job. But could she have been the lead in Les Mis on Broadway, won a Tony and made this song famous from the get-go? I think we all know the answer to that is a huge resounding NO! It's fine if she brought you here, but props to those that brought it long before.

[Meweardesign]

With all respect, I think it was Neil Diamond's version on Hot August Night 2 in 1987 that really launched this song. He had far more of a commercial fan base than any of the cast. See link above.

[mikesterSTLMO]

This tranny sang sung it! But it did sort of fall apart at the end, didn't it.

[Jack1usa]

go susan!!!

[marmaduke0262]

this lady is still living the dream... I like Susan Boyle's version better.

[9663drew]

dont be stupid this woman is a concert trained singer not a half wit

[HanzPrague]

amazing..love this song. They are all awesome, Susane, Ruthie, Randy. My hat down

[hawkeyecreations]

copy and paste if your love for music is what brought you here, and that the next person who says "Susan Boyle brought you here" Should be bitch slapped!!!

[Gerardeus]

what happened with the music??? her voice is very good, but the music is terrible!!!

[mochaman15]

a couple of changes here and there and this could be Cher.

[gemx31x]

lea much better

[aradossan]

susan much better voice

[merger1324]

Copy and paste if Susan Boyle brought you here!!

[reidsksm]

Susan!!!

[frightatliving]

Copy and paste if Susan Boyle brought you here!!

[thelionofmeteor]

well !! to me i compare no one but i can still have the right to say who i like more..to me I have the best taste of Susan as far as I listen from all others( may be i haven't listen all of the singers who sung this song ) I do love some of them too. But my best taste is with Susan ( well we all got diferent appetite)