kontextmaschine:

kontextmaschine:

listening to the Cats (2019) soundtrack again, as someone who used to listen to the original Broadway cast recording

Wow did they not cast Broadway singers. Even where they cast professional stage performers OR professional musical performers!

Tayswift’s “Macavity” sounds like a grown-up wash on singing it in front of the mirror when she was 8, which I would totally believe

Well,

Danny Collins & Naomi Morgan could actually be cast as more-dancers-but-hold-their-own singers; Morgan had already played Rumpleteazer on tour

James Corden is game, and okay sing-talking by himself, but doesn’t hold up in multi-voice sections

Robbie Fairchild – he gives it his all, and he’s a great dancer, but if they were going to use Munkustrap as a singer that much they should have cast him as one

Francesca Hayward… sings like a ballerina, wispy and thin and a little radiant, but not in a way that really sells the new-kid insecurity. They use her well as a dancer, though.

The chorus cats are used as dancers first, and with cats singing their own theme songs they don’t have to carry that weight and can have a bit more vocal character, but still.

Laurie Davidson is mostly used as an actor, carrying the emotional arc and mostly acting his way through Mr. Mistoffeles.

Judi Dench and Ian McKellen creak through on charisma, playing elders of the theater set creaking through on charisma. She’s not to blame for the bizarre setting of The Ad-Dressing of Cats

Steven MacRae pulls it off by not even trying to keep Skimbleshanks’ character or accent consistent.

Taylor Swift – like I’ve said, she sings like a kid dancing around in her room and she writes a song that’s not very musical theater but is very Taylor Swift.

Jason Derulo… sure, he’s a singer. He’s not a Broadway singer.

Jennifer Hudson… it’d be a stunt casting, but she could pull off Grizabella on stage with that voice and no CGI snot closeups

I’m not sure Rebel Wilson can sing