SERIOUSLY!!!! Why has this woman not gotten the recognition she deserves??!?!? (2:16-2:24) That lead straight into that crazy ass high G# without taking a single breath? WOWZA!!!!!! 0.o
This is my favorite version of this song, with Elaine Page on London bootlegs I've heard a close second. Both of them bring a raw power to the role that is fantastic. Would KILL for a studio version of Julia doing this song!!!
@Jman383 What are you on about? Julia is one of the most acclaimed MT actresses primarily for her acting abilities. She completely owns any role she takes on and is often considered one of, if not, the best at any character she plays.
she sounds better here than she does in the actual performance video. I absolutely HATE when that happens... it's like well great I sang it perfect when no one was here...
@sorafsfd. Idina may very well have absolute pitch. Just because you have absolute pitch, doesn't mean you have the ability to sing perfectly all the time. It simply means you have the ability to identify notes without a reference pitch, or identify non-musical tones, like the humming of a refrigerator, Having perfect pitch makes practicing easier, but it doesn't protect from errors in performances. That said, I've seen some of the Idina performances of this on YT, and they were only OK.
Wow! She can sing! I wasn't familiar with her at all. Just happened upon her thru surfing Adam Pascal (my heart)stuff. Read some of you guys'comments and went to find more about this Julia chick. Saw her Elphaba. Really something. I'm not a Broadway Babe. I'm an L.A. girl, so I can't toss around Bway actors' names like you guys can. Hope you don't mind me learning from you!
@Jman383 Uh, the placement is perfect. Like I said, I don't know what video you're watching. Before you go saying I'm in "middle school", you might want to go ahead and remind yourself of what "pitch" is - considering Idina's off almost a quarter of the time and Julia's is dead on. And that "melisma" you looked up in your dictionary is actually dead-on, just like her pitch in the rest of the song. I'm sorry if you're not used to actresses who can actually act. That's not my problem.
I agree that this is the best rendition I've heard. I'm not a theater buff at all but Julia really gets the song right. Idina tends to oversing (though her belts during the free section at the end are very good) but her voice always sounds nasally to me.
Did I just fall in love? You guys, I think I just fell in love! Bittersweet, powerful, a hint of vulnerability with some raw sexuality thrown in for good measure. The confusing part is I'm not sure whether it's Julia or Florence I'm in love with .
I totally agree that it comes down to peoples taste and what they think. I love her voice for this song on the rehersal part only not the performance. Some reason i think she lost it a little there. But I still think she is amazing.
@Jman383 Like I said before - I love Idina in some of the other things she's done, but in Chess, she really didn't prove anything. Sorry if I offended you, but it's unfair for you to criticize somebody who gave a decidedly better perfrmance just because you're a fan of the other actress who sang the part.
Julia owns this song. Judy and Elaine are both wonderful, but they're FAR too well-mannered. Florence is a strong woman, and Julia pwns the role... Pfft. She pwns every role. And 2:20-2:24 is incredible.
@Jman383 You're claiming Idina's performance is better and saying JULIA'S is a stone wall? Lol. One sentence and you just proved every point I was trying to make and totally discredited whatever "intelligent" points you've been feebly attempting to prove.I have to hand it to you, that was really funny.
Honestly, don't bother responding anymore. I'm sick of flooding Julia's video with comments like this and your hypocrisy astounds me. Go spam somewhere else.
Yep, and the "music" in chess is also MUSIC. You know, the kind of thing you put emotion and feeling into, which Idina's performance completely lacked? I don't get why you're cornering me by attacking Julia, as it only forces me to point out flaws in Idina's performance which, considering I love her as a singer, I'd rather not do. You're claiming/assuming I'm not a musician/don't know what I'm talking about, yet you feel comfortable making statements like "Idina's rarely ever off"? Really?
i have to say i think julia owns this song second place to elaine paige, the only thing thats keeps her in second is the fact that she ruins the end for me with that riff on the last note, she has an amazing voice dont get me wrong but all people tend to do in musicals these days is try and fit in as many riff;s as they can we know they can sing otherwise they wouldent be playing the leads sometimes simple is so much more beauty
So your philosophy for good singing is... vocal damage? And, by the way, her G-sharp at 2:20 was completely ballsy! In addition, you apparently are deaf to vibrato if you think she's not gritty enough!
I just don't think her voice is anywhere near up to snuff with the rest of the cast's. It is a beautiful voice, don't get me wrong. It just sounds like a trained voice, rather than a naturally pure voice. She sounds rather pitchy, in this humble user's opinion
Listen to Judy Kuhn's version and there is just no comparison! Judy's is effortless. Murney's seems strained and nasal and vibrato, which seems to be making up for something her voice naturally lacks. I just don't get her. I guess it comes down to a matter of preference. For instance, I think that all the males in this cast were, hands down, better than the females. Josh...and especially Adam Pascal!!! Hello! Listen to him on Pity the Child! effortless. let's see what Menzel does w/it!
Uh, Julia's A flat is right on the fucking button and doesn't waver at all. I don't know what video you're watching. And since when is an arpeggio dreadful? It's pathetic that you're talking as if you're musically knowledgeable yet managing to spout complete crap. I love Idina Menzel, don't get me wrong, but she doesn't even HIT the A flat, and her "riffs" are nasally, wimpy, and her acting has no character as Florence. This performance rocked hers, hands down. Sorry.
![NOBODY'S SIDE - Julia Murney CHESS [RehearsalThe Actors' Fund of America Concert]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EUwPY1NeLq8/mqdefault.jpg)
![NOBODY'S SIDE - Julia Murney CHESS [RehearsalThe Actors' Fund of America Concert]](/img/tr.png)
since I first heard it I fell in love with this song. and her version is the best I´ve come across so far
SERIOUSLY!!!! Why has this woman not gotten the recognition she deserves??!?!?
(2:16-2:24) That lead straight into that crazy ass high G# without taking a single breath? WOWZA!!!!!! 0.o
briliant having done a production of the show know how hard the songs are totally amazing
This is my favorite version of this song, with Elaine Page on London bootlegs I've heard a close second. Both of them bring a raw power to the role that is fantastic. Would KILL for a studio version of Julia doing this song!!!
shes so amazing im obsessed with her!!
shes my idol
@Jman383 What are you on about? Julia is one of the most acclaimed MT actresses primarily for her acting abilities. She completely owns any role she takes on and is often considered one of, if not, the best at any character she plays.
That caterwaul is a clean octave jump before the warble - and a high G# to boot.
Wowza.
the fact that there is no commercial audio recording of this concert is simply criminal
Yes! I'd pay good money to have a decent recording of her doing the whole show.
Too great. Thank you so much for this. :]
she sounds better here than she does in the actual performance video.
I absolutely HATE when that happens... it's like well great I sang it perfect when no one was here...
To have that voice...gawd..so amazing...
Oh man. She really hits that note at 2:20 way stronger than she did at the actual performance. Soooo amazing.
listen. I like this rehearsal better then the actual performance... Both are amazing but this is... like... wow
@sorafsfd. Idina may very well have absolute pitch. Just because you have absolute pitch, doesn't mean you have the ability to sing perfectly all the time. It simply means you have the ability to identify notes without a reference pitch, or identify non-musical tones, like the humming of a refrigerator, Having perfect pitch makes practicing easier, but it doesn't protect from errors in performances. That said, I've seen some of the Idina performances of this on YT, and they were only OK.
Wow! She can sing! I wasn't familiar with her at all. Just happened upon her thru surfing Adam Pascal (my heart)stuff. Read some of you guys'comments and went to find more about this Julia chick. Saw her Elphaba. Really something. I'm not a Broadway Babe. I'm an L.A. girl, so I can't toss around Bway actors' names like you guys can. Hope you don't mind me learning from you!
Head whip at 2:34 rocks!
She is SO intense.... I love it!
***in awe***
I think the bottom line should be that Julia is amazing, because this is a video of Julia, not of Idina.
@Jman383 Uh, the placement is perfect. Like I said, I don't know what video you're watching. Before you go saying I'm in "middle school", you might want to go ahead and remind yourself of what "pitch" is - considering Idina's off almost a quarter of the time and Julia's is dead on.
And that "melisma" you looked up in your dictionary is actually dead-on, just like her pitch in the rest of the song.
I'm sorry if you're not used to actresses who can actually act. That's not my problem.
I agree that this is the best rendition I've heard. I'm not a theater buff at all but Julia really gets the song right. Idina tends to oversing (though her belts during the free section at the end are very good) but her voice always sounds nasally to me.
I really like her voice. I don't know why but I think she is really good.
brilliant.
2:20-2:23 should be known as the murney note. I swear to god!!!
Did I just fall in love? You guys, I think I just fell in love! Bittersweet, powerful, a hint of vulnerability with some raw sexuality thrown in for good measure. The confusing part is I'm not sure whether it's Julia or Florence I'm in love with .
Hm...you think so? I personally think her voice is very raw, and it adds a lot of passion to what she sings.
HELL yeah!
Fricken' fierce.
I totally agree that it comes down to peoples taste and what they think. I love her voice for this song on the rehersal part only not the performance. Some reason i think she lost it a little there. But I still think she is amazing.
@Jman383 Like I said before - I love Idina in some of the other things she's done, but in Chess, she really didn't prove anything. Sorry if I offended you, but it's unfair for you to criticize somebody who gave a decidedly better perfrmance just because you're a fan of the other actress who sang the part.
Sounds clean to me too.
loving the alison jiearesque, moment at 2:24
Julia owns this song. Judy and Elaine are both wonderful, but they're FAR too well-mannered. Florence is a strong woman, and Julia pwns the role... Pfft. She pwns every role.
And 2:20-2:24 is incredible.
Sorry, Folks! She is (one of) the Best ever!
@Jman383 You're claiming Idina's performance is better and saying JULIA'S is a stone wall? Lol.
One sentence and you just proved every point I was trying to make and totally discredited whatever "intelligent" points you've been feebly attempting to prove.I have to hand it to you, that was really funny.
wtf cares who is better Julia is fucking phenomenal here
in the rehearsal video of deal, no deal you can see it is hidden in her hair.
julia sounded amazing.
just wondering, where is her microphone? because you cannot see it. just curious.
Honestly, don't bother responding anymore. I'm sick of flooding Julia's video with comments like this and your hypocrisy astounds me. Go spam somewhere else.
Julia Murney is flawless. I saw her play Elpheba in Wicked and she was pitch-perfect and hit ALL the notes. Idina...not so much.
Pet peeve: Volume of ensemble is the same or louder than the lead.
me too
Yep, and the "music" in chess is also MUSIC. You know, the kind of thing you put emotion and feeling into, which Idina's performance completely lacked? I don't get why you're cornering me by attacking Julia, as it only forces me to point out flaws in Idina's performance which, considering I love her as a singer, I'd rather not do.
You're claiming/assuming I'm not a musician/don't know what I'm talking about, yet you feel comfortable making statements like "Idina's rarely ever off"? Really?
Her pants look like they're straight out of the 70s, ahahaha. Not that that's a bad thing!
God this woman is great.
i have to say i think julia owns this song second place to elaine paige, the only thing thats keeps her in second is the fact that she ruins the end for me with that riff on the last note, she has an amazing voice dont get me wrong but all people tend to do in musicals these days is try and fit in as many riff;s as they can we know they can sing otherwise they wouldent be playing the leads sometimes simple is so much more beauty
So your philosophy for good singing is... vocal damage? And, by the way, her G-sharp at 2:20 was completely ballsy! In addition, you apparently are deaf to vibrato if you think she's not gritty enough!
i think julia is better than idena. She sings it for what it is and doesnt try n add so many frills. amazing performance
i like this version more than i like Idina's
Does she even have a make on or is it just her own power?
Any one who thinks Idina's version is better than this needs their head read. Idina is absolutely terrible - this on the other hand is amazing.
Julia Murney and that high G sharp...so hot... need cold shower now.
I just don't think her voice is anywhere near up to snuff with the rest of the cast's. It is a beautiful voice, don't get me wrong. It just sounds like a trained voice, rather than a naturally pure voice. She sounds rather pitchy, in this humble user's opinion
@sorafsfd hi five to you, it would help if idina could get a straight note out
I know,,, it was this big crescendo,,, she looked great in the lighting effects,,, and then they overbalanced the orchestra for her voice! ugh!
Listen to Judy Kuhn's version and there is just no comparison! Judy's is effortless. Murney's seems strained and nasal and vibrato, which seems to be making up for something her voice naturally lacks. I just don't get her. I guess it comes down to a matter of preference. For instance, I think that all the males in this cast were, hands down, better than the females. Josh...and especially Adam Pascal!!! Hello! Listen to him on Pity the Child! effortless. let's see what Menzel does w/it!
I've heard it done better on the Danish cast recording.
My guess is that Idina will be a lot better than Murney, whether you like her or not.
Uh, Julia's A flat is right on the fucking button and doesn't waver at all. I don't know what video you're watching. And since when is an arpeggio dreadful? It's pathetic that you're talking as if you're musically knowledgeable yet managing to spout complete crap.
I love Idina Menzel, don't get me wrong, but she doesn't even HIT the A flat, and her "riffs" are nasally, wimpy, and her acting has no character as Florence.
This performance rocked hers, hands down. Sorry.
That caterwaul at 2.20 is hideous! She misses the note!
Otherwise it's great!