Willemijn and Julia are the top Elphabas. They don't overact, they don't shout, they don't overiff. Idina, Eden and Sho are the runner ups as they are very good too. They're all on my favourites list. Elphaba is more determined and really wanting to do this more than anything else and is delighted that she's finally doing it but inside she is scared because she's afraid of having less power to fight back and Julia really captures that. The other Elphabas I've seen just shout as if they're angry.
Julia and Stephanie are the top two Elphaba's for me becaus rthey really get into the character of Elphaba which in turn brings you into the story of Wicked. And stephanie would habe been the first Elphaba till they dumped her for Idina.....just like how Shirley Temple was going to be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and they dumped her for Judy.....
what i love most about Julia here is that i hear ALL of Elphie's emotions here. Like of course she's determined and slightly angry, but realistically, she's probably scared out of her wits. She has just made herself an enemy of the frickin state, AND her best friend refused to come with her, so now she is alone and on the run, and you hear that with Julia
omg! THAT is Elphaba I tell you. and I think she really is smart coz she changed the tone a bit, which makes her stand-out from the rest of the other elphaba's who just copied idina's. I am a fan of idina, but this, THIS IS AWESOMENESS!!! :D
say what you will about julia, but in my opinion she has the greatest perception of elphaba. nobody can play the wicked witch like she can except miss Hamilton herself :)
Shes awesome :) but not my favourite - i agree with the comments about her Vs. idina - although her voice isn't as powerful as other elphies i have seen, but she did very well and she was far better than some of them - if its idina vs julia TEAM JULIA :)
Oh wow, it's super deep. I like it a lot! It's really different for Idina's, since her's seems much high and...more...screamy...(in a really amazing way, she's my favotite).
a very interesting take on the song. Sometimes when the singer has to "cheat" on the vocal line it really detracts from the performance, but she does it very well.
Vibrato is the natural thing for the voice to do when it hits the note perfectly she doesnt hit them all the time so it must be put on a bit so that she can hit the notes more easily x
I Love her little head bob on "as someone told me lately" it makes me smile every time I see it :)
I love her voice, but you can tell when she doesn't get good support under it because she gets a little gravely, other than that shes a master at flipping between full and head voice, and shes a BEAST :)
I think she's got a really deep voice, it has nice tones in parts (not that im an expert of course) just sometimes don't appreciate it as much as others fo for this role...she is obv v good tho x
How funny to read all these opinions of voice experts! There's nothing wrong with her vibrato, it's actually the natural vibrato a voice produces when it's free of muscular tension. Keep in mind when comparing her to Idina Menzel that Idina more or less screams whereas Julia actually sings. Whether you prefer one over the other is quite simply a matter of taste, not a matter of quality.
I believe that Idina is trained in the Seth Riggs technique - it's a pop/rock technique, whereas listening to Julia, I'd guess she was what people call "classically" trained - the technique derived from opera. Both techniques have their strengths and weaknesses, it all comes down to a matter of taste. Although, in Chess, Julia's voice is much more suited to the score than Idina's... Look up the song "Nobody's Side" for each on here. Julia nails it, Idina sounds a bit out of her depth, IMHO.
@Lindow Clearly YOU are a voice expert also. We should all take lessons from this person here because they clearly are the authority when it comes to opinions.
@Lindow alltough i prefer idina i completely agree it gets really annoying wen on every dg video people are like " well she is not as good as idina menzel" when it is a matter of opinion
@jermainerebeccaMUSIC THANK YOU! That's so true. So far I have yet to see a video of Idina that I think is BETTER than anyone else, singing-wise. She has more than met her match in the vocal department. Her acting was really good for the role though, so everyone will have their own opinion, but I don't run around saying things like "Not as good as SJB!" all over anyone else's videos.
@mrmsram same here! her voice always bothered me in comparisons of Elphaba's. But ever since I saw a video of her in Chess, I couldn't help but be amazed by her talent (:
@mrmsram Same here. Before I couldn't stand viberato but now....I actually really like her style. She plays Elphaba almost perfectly in terms of acting and characteristics and her singing is starting to grow on me.
ALERT!!!: jULIA IS RETURNING TO THE TOUR FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT STARTING SEPT. 2ND!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT USUALLY MEANS 6 MONTHS SO THTS ALOT OF TYME :)
That isn't true. That was simply a rumor started on Wikipedia. And on the subject, 6 monthes isn't a limited engagement. 6 monthes is the length of a normal Elphaba contract.
If it's true could you provide a legitimate source? And a limited engagement means that they worked out a specific contract with the producers which would ential her most likely staying for maybe 2 to 4 monthes. It's like when Shoshana and Megan went on tour, they were only there for just under 4 monthes. A normal Wicked contract starts out at 6 monthes and can be extended afterwards. Therefore a limited engagement would be less than that
I doubt it... as much as I would love that (Julia is the best actress to have ever played Elphie and my favorite by far), Wicked was HARD on Julia's voice. I doubt that she would subject herself to that again- I mean, she doesn't want to damage her voice or end up in a Julie Andrews-like situation.
i kno where ur commin' from but julie andrews lost her voice due to a surgery
yes wicked was herd on julia but she has been away from the role for nearly a 1 1/2 now so her strength in her voice could have gained baq. im nort fightin' anybdy on this but im jus sayin but ive read if doesn't happen...i stand corrected if it doesthan it jus proves to never give up hope :)
Julie had the surgery due to vocal nodes, which are caused by strain and overwork.
Her voice is probably OK now, but why risk it if she already knows that it's not good for her? She doesn't want to end up like Julie- Julie could have been winning Tonys, instead she's playing Disney queens.
I adore Julia's Elphaba, but it's not good for her. I'd love for her to originate (it's about time she had a Tony- she's kickass!) or even replace in a role with a better range for her (Next to Normal?)
Julie Andrews' current vocal range is approximately one octave; prior to the surgery it was approximately 4 octaves. She is not doing anything near what she could have been doing had the surgery not been botched.
So I'm not going to lie...Julia wasn't my favorite...but hearing this she went up a couple noches with me...At some points she sounds phenomanal like her "to fly." and the last note was super dooper amazing! And to top that all off shes a great actress....i'll be watching more of her now:)
Yea i can see where your commin' from, I mean i love her but i get it, it's the exact same way i feel about Idina! I love her and she's fantastic but i really think that elphaba was just not meant for her, at least vocally anyway...
Full agreed. I love Julia Murney, she a true star. But I really think that Wicked isn't for her. She's a great beltress, but the score doesn't suit her voice in a way (though she still sounds great), and we all know how it was such an exhausting ordeal for her.
her bring from quiet to loud was good i dont think i have ever heard it that way before and her me was good but a lower pitch would be nice too. the only thing that let her down was her "down"
of all the elpabas i have seen and heard, julia is the only artist to produce her belt in a consistent, technically sound manner. although her vibrato makes her voice unique, she will still be capable of belting a d flat in 10 years. the unique timbre of her voice ranks her as my favorite. (not to mention...the bitch can ACT!)
still. i'd just prefer people to show a little respect, i've never heard of someone calling a woman "bitch", and meaning it to be a complement. maybe it means nothing to you, but i'm a female, and whether it was supposed to sound this way or not, it's offensive nonetheless.
So, I'm not a woman? And it's not a "compliment." It's like calling someone "nigga." It's not nice, but it's not offensive. I'm not trying to be rude but from what you've already said I'm almost positive you're going to take this the wrong way: It's 2009. Lighten up, toots.
Too bad she's an alto and this isn't at all operatic... and if her voice was wrong for Elphaba, presumably she wouldn't have been cast- both on tour and Broadway. Give the casting director a little credit.
Also, Julia's the most incredible actress to portray this role yet (in my opinion). So even if you find her voice "soprano operatic sh**", you should give her acting a chance.
Do you have ears? Can you hear that? She sounds like a dying cat! Dazisbi is right this roll isn't supposed to be Operatic. And if you don't realize that then maybe you shouldn't be commenting at all.
You should take some opera classes because if you have then you would know that is totally operatic. I even took this to one of my professors, who has a history of performing in oper for over 30 years, and he agrees that her voice is operatic. take that you noob!
But...it's simply not. She's not operatically trained, I'm pretty sure. It might not be your typical pop-Elphaba (Shoshana Bean, etc.) voice, but it's a very typical Showtunes voice. Maybe she has a voice that would suit opera with proper training but she is not singing this operatically. She is clearly belting. Julia is a trained voice artist, not an opera singer. Maria Callas = opera. Julia Murney = not opera.
Yeah her vocal coach is Liz Caplan, the biggest vocal coach on braodway, and you can hear in her voice and see that her Larynx position and 'anchoring' fits the profile of a Belter and her sound quality on the higher register is completely Belted
I seriously can't see how anyone could pull Opera out of this performance....She does not have an opera voice. You know more facts than me though. Good job.
No its because she extends into the head register in a more mixed way than pure Belt, but its not Opera TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, because her larynx position here is completely different to that of an Opera singer, although her phrasing and the 'line' of the song is more traditional than some, but her technique is not opera, and her singing teacher is Liz Caplan, imfamous broadway trainer
And it sounds like someone else doesn't have actual facts as to why Eden might be better than Julia. Maybe you should back up your claim before insulting people because you have nothing credible to say.
As I said to kerryellisfan333 as well, what the fuck is your problem? I can't even rationalize a warped reason for what you two said, so, really, what the fuck is your problem?
I'm sorry about the others said; they're very out of line. To be fair to Julia, this song, as opposed to "No Good Deed" for example, is not a very actable one, especially not during the flight. I think Julia does the best she can with the song. She tries to show Elphaba's insecurity by making her voice frail for a moment near the end, and, in videos, you see her show Elphaba's bitterness with her little head-bob as well. Out of curiousity, who would you say acts "Defying Gravity" the best?
Thank you for your support. I mean one can have different opinions but there were lines crossed here.
I know that Julia has very strong songs and scenes in Wicked. There are also better DGs of her. But she tends to overact and here I think she really overdid it. SJB and Willemijn Verkaik are Elphabas who also make very strong movements but I think they do not cross a certain line which Julia crossed here. But again: I know that she is a very good actress.
From the videos I've seen Willemijn seems outrageously talented. I don't know German, so it's a bit harder for me to pinpoint great moments in her acting, but her vocals are some of the best I've heard from Wicked in a LONG time. I saw Stephanie this past summer, and she's very good as well. What do you like most about her? Any specific moments in the show?
I wouldn't think too much into it on youtube. kerryellisfan is just being stupid, I would just ignore them, if they had any brains they would realize that a great number of nazi's were not even of german decent. Now onto what you said about Julia, I kind of agree Julia has never been my favorite. Her voice just doesn't click with my taste. My person favs are Eden and Kerry but it is because of my taste. I feel like Julia's voice is more geared toward something more opera than wicked.
I just have to say this because I can, you are a total idiot. Seriously grow up, I pray you are not american because then you make the rest of us look stupid.
just because her voice is powerful and unique doesnt mean she was sick. listen to the wild party cast recording, shes amazing there too, performing eight shows a week isnt easy, lots of actors have off days and wear their voices out. I personally think she's phenomenal, and ive seen her live in wicked, shes a great actress. but everyone is entitled to thier own opinion and im not bashing anyone who doesnt like her, just dont be rude about it, she can belt just fine.. and sing amazingly
I don't get why so many people have a problem with her. Maybe she doesn't have the belt quality to her voice like some of the other Elphabas do, but she definitly has a powerful and classic tone to her voice, which I think is more impressive than a belter. I like her rendition of the song and i think that those people who have nothing better to do than criticize her, should go try to sing the freken song themselves.
i personally dont like her voice in this song there's way too much vibrato for my taste. she doesn't have that bway showtune voice. its not bad i just dont think that this a part she can really fit.
She was on from Jan-Oct 2007... And from what I understand she was sick when she was on tour, but not so much on Broadway. I know she did say that she just about wore her voice out towards the end of her run, though.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Your truly an idiot "she was sick all the way through her broadway run" do you know how long that was? No one is sick that long, what did she have...mono?
julia murney was sick all the way through her broadway run
i feel sorry for her i think they should have swaped her with some one else and then gone back to broadway when she was better because it would have never ot better because she was singing on it every day and with massive song like dg-twai-ngd
I can't see what you guys are talking about, I think she sounds amazing.
But if she IS off, it could be because they just threw her into it - they were like "you remember from when you did the tour, right?" And she was like "uh...no" and they were like "Oh, well you'll figure it out"
It takes A LOT of adjustment to get into the swing of going that show again and she was probably tired from trying to get back into a rhythm.
i think she was nervous during this because it was her first on broadway, because you can tell she is a little quieter and less powerful during this one than her usual ones.
Willemijn and Julia are the top Elphabas. They don't overact, they don't shout, they don't overiff. Idina, Eden and Sho are the runner ups as they are very good too. They're all on my favourites list. Elphaba is more determined and really wanting to do this more than anything else and is delighted that she's finally doing it but inside she is scared because she's afraid of having less power to fight back and Julia really captures that. The other Elphabas I've seen just shout as if they're angry.
boffinme80 3 months ago
am i the only one who wants the wicked soundtrack with her singing on it? she has the most beautiful voice!
booknerd1998 3 months ago 5
I think this is the best of her!
firstwickedfan 4 months ago
Julia and Stephanie are the top two Elphaba's for me becaus rthey really get into the character of Elphaba which in turn brings you into the story of Wicked. And stephanie would habe been the first Elphaba till they dumped her for Idina.....just like how Shirley Temple was going to be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and they dumped her for Judy.....
8prieskd 4 months ago
what i love most about Julia here is that i hear ALL of Elphie's emotions here. Like of course she's determined and slightly angry, but realistically, she's probably scared out of her wits. She has just made herself an enemy of the frickin state, AND her best friend refused to come with her, so now she is alone and on the run, and you hear that with Julia
omnigeek13 6 months ago 3
teal wicks!! then kerry... then julia!! :)
connorhodges9999 6 months ago
omg! THAT is Elphaba I tell you. and I think she really is smart coz she changed the tone a bit, which makes her stand-out from the rest of the other elphaba's who just copied idina's. I am a fan of idina, but this, THIS IS AWESOMENESS!!! :D
yvanqwerty 8 months ago 4
say what you will about julia, but in my opinion she has the greatest perception of elphaba. nobody can play the wicked witch like she can except miss Hamilton herself :)
suki3275 8 months ago 4
best acting of elphaba....seriously!
geffreythegimp 9 months ago 2
Her voice is perfect for how I would have imagined the wicked witch of the west to sing in the original movie
bolty1704 11 months ago
I'm sorry Idina who? JULIA MURNEY FTW
1:06 to 1:34 electrifying.
fridollina 11 months ago 3
Shes awesome :) but not my favourite - i agree with the comments about her Vs. idina - although her voice isn't as powerful as other elphies i have seen, but she did very well and she was far better than some of them - if its idina vs julia TEAM JULIA :)
17DefyingGravity 1 year ago
Oh wow, it's super deep. I like it a lot! It's really different for Idina's, since her's seems much high and...more...screamy...(in a really amazing way, she's my favotite).
XxMissNoNamexX 1 year ago
im actually starting to like her voice now
Mrwickedman95 1 year ago
favorite after idina
gsgsgstdsss 1 year ago
My First Elphaba. ^^
RosesNightengales 1 year ago
I love the way she sing "Everyone deserves a chance to fly"
noveditzmee 1 year ago
OMG I love Julia Murney.... not as much as Idina but in someways she has so much more emotion!!!! Gorgeous voice!
MissRachelBerry 1 year ago
a very interesting take on the song. Sometimes when the singer has to "cheat" on the vocal line it really detracts from the performance, but she does it very well.
jamesthemaniac 1 year ago
To all people that question her vocal abilities, look for Julia Murney's back to before and nobody's side.
kylejerel 1 year ago
SHE SOUNDED SO PRETTY EARLY ON!!!!! I'm so sad that I never experienced her in the early stages of her Elphaba
SMSProductions1 1 year ago
I actually got to meet Julia Murney, she is so cool. I love her voice and what she brings to the stage.
xorissaxoful 1 year ago
HEY, IT'S GOAT LADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Imflyinghighdefying 1 year ago
@Imflyinghighdefying Hey, it's an ass hole!
ieatglue44 1 year ago
sort of like Alistair Brammer who played Marius in the west end production of Les Mis - sounds like a sheep!
JonnoJonnerz 1 year ago
I love her voice.. I've just never thought it fits as Elphie. She's such a good singer though.
xkaleidosaurusx 1 year ago
i know she cant help it,, but i still hate her voice
stumpy999999 1 year ago
Vibrato is the natural thing for the voice to do when it hits the note perfectly she doesnt hit them all the time so it must be put on a bit so that she can hit the notes more easily x
asswhole239 1 year ago
As different her voice is from all the other elphabas, it actually fits the role of elphaba perfectly.
txtingtbone15 1 year ago 7
I Love her little head bob on "as someone told me lately" it makes me smile every time I see it :)
I love her voice, but you can tell when she doesn't get good support under it because she gets a little gravely, other than that shes a master at flipping between full and head voice, and shes a BEAST :)
Biggs1823 1 year ago 5
Stunning...A TRIUMPH. Uterus = fallen out.
angelxschunard 2 years ago 7
god, why does julia just kick ass so hard?
RaWrZzZz 2 years ago 9
I think she's got a really deep voice, it has nice tones in parts (not that im an expert of course) just sometimes don't appreciate it as much as others fo for this role...she is obv v good tho x
freedomxxnow 2 years ago
How funny to read all these opinions of voice experts! There's nothing wrong with her vibrato, it's actually the natural vibrato a voice produces when it's free of muscular tension. Keep in mind when comparing her to Idina Menzel that Idina more or less screams whereas Julia actually sings. Whether you prefer one over the other is quite simply a matter of taste, not a matter of quality.
Lindow 2 years ago 42
I believe that Idina is trained in the Seth Riggs technique - it's a pop/rock technique, whereas listening to Julia, I'd guess she was what people call "classically" trained - the technique derived from opera. Both techniques have their strengths and weaknesses, it all comes down to a matter of taste. Although, in Chess, Julia's voice is much more suited to the score than Idina's... Look up the song "Nobody's Side" for each on here. Julia nails it, Idina sounds a bit out of her depth, IMHO.
OsiriSioux 1 year ago 3
@Lindow TOTALLY AGREE!
jeeeem 1 year ago
@Lindow Clearly YOU are a voice expert also. We should all take lessons from this person here because they clearly are the authority when it comes to opinions.
whalewashingcrad 1 year ago
@Lindow alltough i prefer idina i completely agree it gets really annoying wen on every dg video people are like " well she is not as good as idina menzel" when it is a matter of opinion
jermainerebeccaMUSIC 8 months ago 3
@jermainerebeccaMUSIC THANK YOU! That's so true. So far I have yet to see a video of Idina that I think is BETTER than anyone else, singing-wise. She has more than met her match in the vocal department. Her acting was really good for the role though, so everyone will have their own opinion, but I don't run around saying things like "Not as good as SJB!" all over anyone else's videos.
MithraMusic 6 months ago
She's great, but not as powerful as she normally sounds.
WhoaItsJonathan 2 years ago
but i do like her riff. it makes it so much more easier to hit that note. to me.
mbas97 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
yeah. i agree. i also kinda think her voice is just kinda annoying. but ya. definetaly too much vibrato.
mbas97 2 years ago
i really like how simple, YET so powefule her last note is.
BriansDeaf 2 years ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
i feel sorry for her, because of her voice, but i can't stand her as elphaba. no offense to anybody.
mbas97 2 years ago
I love her second "Bring Me Down!" it's so original, and much better for most others' vocal range who want to sing this. I love her!
100DiddlySquatxx 2 years ago
She has a good mixed voice thats for sure but idk if it's strong enough
nathannapier191 2 years ago
Might go see her in concert tonight in Virginia!
WhoaItsJonathan 2 years ago
looove the "AHHHHHHH" in the end! she's petty good!
harajukukevin6657 2 years ago 3
I used to not be able to stand Julia's voice. But, now, she's starting to grow on me.
mrmsram 2 years ago 25
@mrmsram I have to agree with that.
GlindaTheGood09 1 year ago
@mrmsram same here! her voice always bothered me in comparisons of Elphaba's. But ever since I saw a video of her in Chess, I couldn't help but be amazed by her talent (:
jamrocksthehouse 1 year ago
@mrmsram Same here. Before I couldn't stand viberato but now....I actually really like her style. She plays Elphaba almost perfectly in terms of acting and characteristics and her singing is starting to grow on me.
WhiteBuddha 1 year ago
@WhiteBuddha Youre like me!
I used to "hate" her singing and vibrato, but now I reckon she's pretty amazing. :D
BlazedHearts 1 year ago 2
Everytime, this woman is just the best. I adore her voice! and what a storyteller, thats what it's all about, truth and storytelling!
MrTamzzin 2 years ago 8
Totally agree... she's one of the strongest in the role because her performance is truthful, compelling, and thus moving.
RastloseJahre 2 years ago 4
Her voice was so much stronger when she started this run....
I hate that Wicked damaged her voice.
ieatglue44 2 years ago 2
look to all u skeptics out there julia IS coming back!!!! trust me!!!!
ive been following wicked cast changes for three years and 9 tymes out of 10 all the changes have happened
jus wait you'll see...
ElphieBeGood 2 years ago
ALERT!!!: jULIA IS RETURNING TO THE TOUR FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT STARTING SEPT. 2ND!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT USUALLY MEANS 6 MONTHS SO THTS ALOT OF TYME :)
ElphieBeGood 2 years ago
That isn't true. That was simply a rumor started on Wikipedia. And on the subject, 6 monthes isn't a limited engagement. 6 monthes is the length of a normal Elphaba contract.
justyouraveragedude 2 years ago
im telling u it's true :D
wats a limited engagement then?
ElphieBeGood 2 years ago
If it's true could you provide a legitimate source? And a limited engagement means that they worked out a specific contract with the producers which would ential her most likely staying for maybe 2 to 4 monthes. It's like when Shoshana and Megan went on tour, they were only there for just under 4 monthes. A normal Wicked contract starts out at 6 monthes and can be extended afterwards. Therefore a limited engagement would be less than that
justyouraveragedude 2 years ago
It's true.
BroadwayLegs 2 years ago
That is not true lol
degeorgetitanic 2 years ago
I doubt it... as much as I would love that (Julia is the best actress to have ever played Elphie and my favorite by far), Wicked was HARD on Julia's voice. I doubt that she would subject herself to that again- I mean, she doesn't want to damage her voice or end up in a Julie Andrews-like situation.
WickedRENThead20 2 years ago 3
i kno where ur commin' from but julie andrews lost her voice due to a surgery
yes wicked was herd on julia but she has been away from the role for nearly a 1 1/2 now so her strength in her voice could have gained baq. im nort fightin' anybdy on this but im jus sayin but ive read if doesn't happen...i stand corrected if it doesthan it jus proves to never give up hope :)
ElphieBeGood 2 years ago 2
Julie had the surgery due to vocal nodes, which are caused by strain and overwork.
Her voice is probably OK now, but why risk it if she already knows that it's not good for her? She doesn't want to end up like Julie- Julie could have been winning Tonys, instead she's playing Disney queens.
I adore Julia's Elphaba, but it's not good for her. I'd love for her to originate (it's about time she had a Tony- she's kickass!) or even replace in a role with a better range for her (Next to Normal?)
WickedRENThead20 2 years ago
Julie won the Oscar for her playing and singing.... so personally I don't really think it makes a difference ;)
Tony - Oscar basically the same, one for Movies, one for Theatre
GeaAy 2 years ago
Julie Andrews' current vocal range is approximately one octave; prior to the surgery it was approximately 4 octaves. She is not doing anything near what she could have been doing had the surgery not been botched.
WickedRENThead20 2 years ago
It hasn't, her voice is permanently damaged. The role shredded her voice.
sorafsfd 2 years ago
So I'm not going to lie...Julia wasn't my favorite...but hearing this she went up a couple noches with me...At some points she sounds phenomanal like her "to fly." and the last note was super dooper amazing! And to top that all off shes a great actress....i'll be watching more of her now:)
AngelicTyrant 2 years ago
she an awesome singer and it was great and this might just be me but she wasnt meant for the role
Direcctorhorror456 2 years ago 2
Yea i can see where your commin' from, I mean i love her but i get it, it's the exact same way i feel about Idina! I love her and she's fantastic but i really think that elphaba was just not meant for her, at least vocally anyway...
Elphaboy 2 years ago
YEEESS!! she kind of dull compared to SJB
Direcctorhorror456 2 years ago
Wow ...I think she has the perfect voice for Elphaba
iluvRENT07 2 years ago 2
Full agreed. I love Julia Murney, she a true star. But I really think that Wicked isn't for her. She's a great beltress, but the score doesn't suit her voice in a way (though she still sounds great), and we all know how it was such an exhausting ordeal for her.
sparepart973 2 years ago 5
her bring from quiet to loud was good i dont think i have ever heard it that way before and her me was good but a lower pitch would be nice too. the only thing that let her down was her "down"
dimbgeest 2 years ago
of all the elpabas i have seen and heard, julia is the only artist to produce her belt in a consistent, technically sound manner. although her vibrato makes her voice unique, she will still be capable of belting a d flat in 10 years. the unique timbre of her voice ranks her as my favorite. (not to mention...the bitch can ACT!)
veruca420 2 years ago
"bitch"? well, now, that's a bit rude. i think you could've worded that a little differently.
TheAngelSpeaks15 2 years ago 2
I'm almost positive that they didn't mean "bitch" in a derogatory sense. Lighten up.
That bitch can act. She acts the SHIT out of this role! God. I adore her...
angelxschunard 2 years ago
still. i'd just prefer people to show a little respect, i've never heard of someone calling a woman "bitch", and meaning it to be a complement. maybe it means nothing to you, but i'm a female, and whether it was supposed to sound this way or not, it's offensive nonetheless.
TheAngelSpeaks15 2 years ago
So, I'm not a woman? And it's not a "compliment." It's like calling someone "nigga." It's not nice, but it's not offensive. I'm not trying to be rude but from what you've already said I'm almost positive you're going to take this the wrong way: It's 2009. Lighten up, toots.
angelxschunard 2 years ago
She has a great voice!
kelseighrox925 2 years ago
is glinda kendra or anneligh
WickedFan264 2 years ago
Kendra
leelee987654 2 years ago
can you post the clip from 0:22 because that was my favorite performance from her.
Imflyinghighdefying 2 years ago
I love her acting and her second "Bring Me Down" is the best of all
Jimsteinman 2 years ago
SHE'S FUCKING AWFUL!!!!! she has the wrong voice for elphie, elphie needs to be powerful. not soprano operatic shit!
dazisbi 3 years ago
Um... she's no where near an operatic soprano during this song. Just a little fyi.
kylejb 2 years ago
Wow, you have almost no idea what you're talking about...sorry.
ieatglue44 2 years ago
Too bad she's an alto and this isn't at all operatic... and if her voice was wrong for Elphaba, presumably she wouldn't have been cast- both on tour and Broadway. Give the casting director a little credit.
Also, Julia's the most incredible actress to portray this role yet (in my opinion). So even if you find her voice "soprano operatic sh**", you should give her acting a chance.
WickedRENThead20 2 years ago
her voice is gorgeous, especially when its not strained.
PARAWHORExHERE 3 years ago
it was alright but, you cant beat the original Idina Menzel, Hicks YES!
sockroker 3 years ago
lol pretty much every other elphaba since the "original" has been better, especailly julia.
ifreakingloveSJB 3 years ago 2
Do you have ears? Can you hear that? She sounds like a dying cat! Dazisbi is right this roll isn't supposed to be Operatic. And if you don't realize that then maybe you shouldn't be commenting at all.
sockroker 2 years ago
If you don't realize her vibrato is not at all operatic, then perhaps you should not be commenting, sir or ma'am.
ieatglue44 2 years ago
You should take some opera classes because if you have then you would know that is totally operatic. I even took this to one of my professors, who has a history of performing in oper for over 30 years, and he agrees that her voice is operatic. take that you noob!
sockroker 2 years ago
But...it's simply not. She's not operatically trained, I'm pretty sure. It might not be your typical pop-Elphaba (Shoshana Bean, etc.) voice, but it's a very typical Showtunes voice. Maybe she has a voice that would suit opera with proper training but she is not singing this operatically. She is clearly belting. Julia is a trained voice artist, not an opera singer. Maria Callas = opera. Julia Murney = not opera.
ieatglue44 2 years ago
Yeah her vocal coach is Liz Caplan, the biggest vocal coach on braodway, and you can hear in her voice and see that her Larynx position and 'anchoring' fits the profile of a Belter and her sound quality on the higher register is completely Belted
Aarondefyinggravity 2 years ago
I seriously can't see how anyone could pull Opera out of this performance....She does not have an opera voice. You know more facts than me though. Good job.
ieatglue44 2 years ago 2
No its because she extends into the head register in a more mixed way than pure Belt, but its not Opera TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, because her larynx position here is completely different to that of an Opera singer, although her phrasing and the 'line' of the song is more traditional than some, but her technique is not opera, and her singing teacher is Liz Caplan, imfamous broadway trainer
Aarondefyinggravity 2 years ago
She's belting. a broadway number. That's about as far from opera as you can get. Vibrato don't equal opera. Your professor is a stupid cunt.
sorafdfs 2 years ago
amen...and lol. haha.
badideabears 2 years ago
Omigod, that made me laugh out loud! "Your professor is a stupid cunt." Amen.
angelxschunard 2 years ago
i agree
Aarondefyinggravity 2 years ago
It sounds like a previous Elphie is bitter that someone is better than her. Get off YouTube, Eden Espinosa! Shouldn't you be doing Hair or something?
angelxschunard 2 years ago
sounds like youre jealous of Eden! she is amazing. and she turned down Hair. know you facts before making yourself look like a dumbass!
5660201 2 years ago
And it sounds like someone else doesn't have actual facts as to why Eden might be better than Julia. Maybe you should back up your claim before insulting people because you have nothing credible to say.
angelxschunard 2 years ago
Eden is nasal and one dimensional lol
sorafdfs 2 years ago
Julia Murney is an amazing Elphaba.
Her voice and acting skills are through the roof!
<3
FuckingFierheller 3 years ago
whoa..,.just whoa. absolutely incredible!
RaWrZzZz 3 years ago 6
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sorry but i really Don't like Julia as Elphie Kerry and Stephanie yes not Julia
operastar1994 3 years ago
isnt she the first elphaba?
PunkSkaterEmoxx 3 years ago
no she was the first person to sing defying gravity so iv heard but Idina was the first julia was the 5th broadway elphaba
NobodyInAllofOZ1 3 years ago
ooooooh ok
PunkSkaterEmoxx 3 years ago
stephanie was the first ever in readings and stuff. she did not get the part because idina was more famous (tony) and it is an expensive production.
julia was the first one to ever sing dg in front of an audience.
and idina was the first elphie on b'way.
katelovestennessee 2 years ago
I thought it was Stephanie J Block originally?
philip066 3 years ago
she read for the role before idina but then idina was cast
NobodyInAllofOZ1 3 years ago
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Her acting during the fligth is horrible, sorry.
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
How so?
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
Just not my cup of tea... too much. But there are other songs where I like her acting more.
But what kerryellisfan333 did is unbelievable. She insulted me as a nazi. Hasn't anyone else something to say too such an insult?
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
They're right. Technically, you are a nazi.
omglolwhatever 3 years ago
What? What is the matter with you? Why should I be a nazi? Because I am German? Is it that what you mean?
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
As I said to kerryellisfan333 as well, what the fuck is your problem? I can't even rationalize a warped reason for what you two said, so, really, what the fuck is your problem?
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
I'm sorry about the others said; they're very out of line. To be fair to Julia, this song, as opposed to "No Good Deed" for example, is not a very actable one, especially not during the flight. I think Julia does the best she can with the song. She tries to show Elphaba's insecurity by making her voice frail for a moment near the end, and, in videos, you see her show Elphaba's bitterness with her little head-bob as well. Out of curiousity, who would you say acts "Defying Gravity" the best?
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
*what the other's said
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
Thank you for your support. I mean one can have different opinions but there were lines crossed here.
I know that Julia has very strong songs and scenes in Wicked. There are also better DGs of her. But she tends to overact and here I think she really overdid it. SJB and Willemijn Verkaik are Elphabas who also make very strong movements but I think they do not cross a certain line which Julia crossed here. But again: I know that she is a very good actress.
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
From the videos I've seen Willemijn seems outrageously talented. I don't know German, so it's a bit harder for me to pinpoint great moments in her acting, but her vocals are some of the best I've heard from Wicked in a LONG time. I saw Stephanie this past summer, and she's very good as well. What do you like most about her? Any specific moments in the show?
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
I love how she tells the story with her eyes, If you understand what I mean... she just looks and it is funny, evil, vulnerable and so on.
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
I sat further back in the orchestra, so I couldn't really see her eyes, but she is indeed very talented.
Sebastianswain 3 years ago 2
I wouldn't think too much into it on youtube. kerryellisfan is just being stupid, I would just ignore them, if they had any brains they would realize that a great number of nazi's were not even of german decent. Now onto what you said about Julia, I kind of agree Julia has never been my favorite. Her voice just doesn't click with my taste. My person favs are Eden and Kerry but it is because of my taste. I feel like Julia's voice is more geared toward something more opera than wicked.
bcuzikan 3 years ago
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fuck u nazi
kerryellisfan333 3 years ago
What? Are you out of your mind?
LOSTACTOR1988 3 years ago
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no u stupid nazi shut up hitler
kerryellisfan333 3 years ago
What the fuck is your problem???
Sebastianswain 3 years ago
I just have to say this because I can, you are a total idiot. Seriously grow up, I pray you are not american because then you make the rest of us look stupid.
bcuzikan 3 years ago
I would love to trade for this video! After Lisa, Julia is my favorite Elphaba!
Dorianslover 3 years ago
Julia!!! I saw her in Boston!!! God This woman has an amazing voice as well.
MichaelCrawfordsFan 3 years ago 3
not idina. i personally think she is too ordinary
KaraokeKid22 3 years ago 2
"Julia has a unique voice, like every other Broadway actress."
That's hilarious! Don't get me wrong, I know what you mean (I think), but that's such a funny way to put it.
thelovepigeon 3 years ago
honestly shes waaaay better live than any recording ive found :]
billydevious 3 years ago
i love her.
mymixedtape05 3 years ago
just because her voice is powerful and unique doesnt mean she was sick. listen to the wild party cast recording, shes amazing there too, performing eight shows a week isnt easy, lots of actors have off days and wear their voices out. I personally think she's phenomenal, and ive seen her live in wicked, shes a great actress. but everyone is entitled to thier own opinion and im not bashing anyone who doesnt like her, just dont be rude about it, she can belt just fine.. and sing amazingly
JNR61592 3 years ago
I don't get why so many people have a problem with her. Maybe she doesn't have the belt quality to her voice like some of the other Elphabas do, but she definitly has a powerful and classic tone to her voice, which I think is more impressive than a belter. I like her rendition of the song and i think that those people who have nothing better to do than criticize her, should go try to sing the freken song themselves.
highandlovingit 3 years ago 3
I agree with highandlovingit! What is up with all this belting crap these days? It's not all that impressive. Julia is great :)
ummmmyeah 3 years ago
Belting to me it´s just screaming your face out, if you have the stage presence and power that Julia has, you are one of Broadway´s finest!
betonejo 3 years ago 3
i agree with ur first scentence. She is so awesome. she has all of the belt power, she is just as awesome as everyone else
imetcarmencusack 2 years ago
why is she on broadway?
socrplaya9 3 years ago
because she was amazing
imetcarmencusack 2 years ago
i personally dont like her voice in this song there's way too much vibrato for my taste. she doesn't have that bway showtune voice. its not bad i just dont think that this a part she can really fit.
socrplaya9 2 years ago
well thanks at least for giving a real REASON whyh u dont like her, but I disagree. Her voice is amazing in my opinion.
imetcarmencusack 2 years ago
She's one of the only Elphabas that acts the part just as much as she sings it.
angelxschunard 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I dont care if she was ill or not I just dont like her voice. I think I know what Im talking about when I say I dnt like some thing
xxPaigeBxx 3 years ago
Comment removed
jacobarla 3 years ago
She was on from Jan-Oct 2007... And from what I understand she was sick when she was on tour, but not so much on Broadway. I know she did say that she just about wore her voice out towards the end of her run, though.
skapowers 3 years ago
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Your truly an idiot "she was sick all the way through her broadway run" do you know how long that was? No one is sick that long, what did she have...mono?
CHPinOH7 3 years ago
julia murney was sick all the way through her broadway run
i feel sorry for her i think they should have swaped her with some one else and then gone back to broadway when she was better because it would have never ot better because she was singing on it every day and with massive song like dg-twai-ngd
123080709 3 years ago
someone from the choir is totally sticking out!!it's asoprano...
lordovil 3 years ago
i hear a girl voice.
but i dont think its a soprano.
marcxxmaverick 3 years ago
i love this, she is so good
soigj 3 years ago 2
I can't see what you guys are talking about, I think she sounds amazing.
But if she IS off, it could be because they just threw her into it - they were like "you remember from when you did the tour, right?" And she was like "uh...no" and they were like "Oh, well you'll figure it out"
It takes A LOT of adjustment to get into the swing of going that show again and she was probably tired from trying to get back into a rhythm.
again, i think she sounds AWESOME.
danderson1320 3 years ago 2
ok she confuses me i watch alot of wicked videos with her and i hate it!!! but in chess and the wild party shes amazing!!!
westonallenkemp 3 years ago
i love her!!! and im not sure if she was sick on b-way
ramoneandfatone 3 years ago
Julia Murney is very sick in this performance. Watch the video I have of her and you will see her really perform
Fiyero 3 years ago
i think she was nervous during this because it was her first on broadway, because you can tell she is a little quieter and less powerful during this one than her usual ones.
WickedKid100 3 years ago
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WHAT THE FUCK!!!
No need to cry over a few abbreviations, is there!?
Is this better for you?
tom2811wales 3 years ago
I really hated her at the beginning of the year but she is really grown on me a lot! Now I'm really sorry I never got to see her!!
WishingOnlyWounds 3 years ago 2
chills.....her voice is so strong and stable...hard to find that on such high pitches! go Julia!!!!! <3
happyocdspazz 3 years ago 3
wow, i love the ppl trying to give advice to a braodway singer, like she should sing in her head voice and stuff, kind of pisses me off
soigj 3 years ago
same here, finally someone who agrees with me. i get so many bad responses from comments like that.
futurerockstar250 3 years ago