Favourite Christines

Operafantomet. I'm totally with you regarding the voices! We had that problem in the old Canadian production too - perhaps it's one flaw. We always tended to cast Christines with these tiny voices (Melissa Dye love her though I do), and they'd tend to get a bit shrill on the high notes. Totally get what you mean about the "music-theatre person trying to sing opera" sound, but at the same time not wanting a huge, overly operatic vibrato (Marnie Rob). Of the Christines I've heard so far (unfortunately not live this time), the closest to the kind of voice I'd want would be Anna Maria Kofman.

1.) Rachel Barell
2.) Rebecca Caine
3.) Trista Moldovan
4.) Elizabeth DeGrazia
5.) Beatrix Reiterer
6.) Juila Moller
7.) Jennifer Hope Wills(was so nice to me when I met her)
8.) Joke de Kruijf
9.) Anne Görner
10.) Coby Thomas
11.) Amy Nuttel(youngest actress to play Christine. Perhaps Emmy should've gotten a bootleg of her.)

Robyn North gave the perfect portrayal of Christine for me, though I was also fond of Leila Benn Harris and Sofia Escobar too.

Phantom Shadowwalker wrote: We always tended to cast Christines with these tiny voices (Melissa Dye love her though I do), and they'd tend to get a bit shrill on the high notes.

That's my biggest problem with Melissa Dye...her voice is very sweet, but there's something too shrill about it. I haven't actually heard her as Christine, but on various recordings. Put it this way, her "We'll Go Away Together" with Hugh is probably the least listened to track on my iPod, though I've always liked the song itself.

Same thing with Karen Culliver. Even allowing for the poor quality of the recording, her Christine was too shrill for me.

I do like operatic Christines...just not to a heavy extreme where I start to picture the cliched stout blonde diva in a Valkyrie costume instead of an innocent young ingenue!

I've always been quite lucky when it comes to the Christines I've seen, I've liked all of them. My favourite is definately Gina Beck. I love her acting and her voice is lovely. Robyn North's Think of Me is my favourite of the Christines I've seen live.

Christines I've seen: (In order of the date I saw them, I loved them all equally)

Kelly Jeanne Grant (US tour)
Trista Moldovan (US tour)
Kristi Holden (Vegas)
Sarah Elizabeth Combs (Vegas)
Sandra Joseph (in concert)
-------------------

Sierra Boggess
Maria Kesselman
Claire Moore
Rebecca Caine
Dale Kristien
Patti Cohenour
Gina Beck
Jennifer Hope Wills
Mary D'Arcy

This is in no order
Joke de Kruijf
Rachell Barrell
Melissa Dye
Rebecca Caine
Robyn North
Julia Moller
Lisa Vroman
Anne Gorner
Tabitha Webb
Elisabeth Loyacano
Trista Moldovan*my favorite

Phantomgirl, Raphael , SylentPhantom and I all went to go see Lisa Vroman at the San Francisco Symphony. Here is the awesome picture at the stage door

Sierra Boggess
Jennifer Hope Wills
Sandra Joseph
Ana Marina
Kelly Jeanne Grant
Rebecca Caine
Lisa Vroman
Sarah Lawrence

Amending my list slightly:

#1: Sarah Brightman
#2: Julie Goodwin
#3: Teresa de Zarn...(she's a recent discovery who went from obscurity to #3 on my list!)
#4: Ana Marina

...and my 25 other favourites. There really are 25 others...I counted

If you like Teresa DeZarn, you should try to get your hands on a copy of the BBC Wales' special on the Canadian tour stop in Vancouver from the mid-90s. It obviously focused mostly on the Welshman Peter Karrie, but DeZarn was the principal Christine, so she's featured a bit as well.

If you like Teresa DeZarn, you should try to get your hands on a copy of the BBC Wales' special on the Canadian tour stop in Vancouver from the mid-90s.

Ooh, sounds interesting! And where might I get my hands on such a thing? What's it called? Is it on youtube?

Thank you!

MlleMusique wrote:

If you like Teresa DeZarn, you should try to get your hands on a copy of the BBC Wales' special on the Canadian tour stop in Vancouver from the mid-90s.

Ooh, sounds interesting! And where might I get my hands on such a thing? What's it called? Is it on youtube?

Thank you!

I'm not sure if there was a title to the special; it was a one-hour news special. I don't think it is on YouTube, unfortunately, but you could try searching for "peter karrie" on there and see what you can see. Probably the only way to get it now is to get a VHS copy from a PK fan, though someone may have converted it to DVD along the way. I'd suggest going to his fan appreciation site (see the thread just posted the other day in Land of Random). If there's a DeZarn site, someone there may also have it.

SenorSwanky wrote:

MlleMusique wrote:

If you like Teresa DeZarn, you should try to get your hands on a copy of the BBC Wales' special on the Canadian tour stop in Vancouver from the mid-90s.

Ooh, sounds interesting! And where might I get my hands on such a thing? What's it called? Is it on youtube?

Thank you!

I'm not sure if there was a title to the special; it was a one-hour news special. I don't think it is on YouTube, unfortunately, but you could try searching for "peter karrie" on there and see what you can see. Probably the only way to get it now is to get a VHS copy from a PK fan, though someone may have converted it to DVD along the way. I'd suggest going to his fan appreciation site (see the thread just posted the other day in Land of Random). If there's a DeZarn site, someone there may also have it.

Had no idea about the existence of this special. I love Phantom documentary specials...must see if I can track this down. Though why was it done by BBC Wales?

Scorp wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:

MlleMusique wrote:

If you like Teresa DeZarn, you should try to get your hands on a copy of the BBC Wales' special on the Canadian tour stop in Vancouver from the mid-90s.

Ooh, sounds interesting! And where might I get my hands on such a thing? What's it called? Is it on youtube?

Thank you!

I'm not sure if there was a title to the special; it was a one-hour news special. I don't think it is on YouTube, unfortunately, but you could try searching for "peter karrie" on there and see what you can see. Probably the only way to get it now is to get a VHS copy from a PK fan, though someone may have converted it to DVD along the way. I'd suggest going to his fan appreciation site (see the thread just posted the other day in Land of Random). If there's a DeZarn site, someone there may also have it.

Had no idea about the existence of this special. I love Phantom documentary specials...must see if I can track this down. Though why was it done by BBC Wales?

I guess because Karrie is Welsh. They interviewed him and his wife and covered how he moved his family to Vancouver for the run, among many other things more related to the show itself.

Now that I've seen Gina Beck live, I'm definitely adding her to my list. She's got a most interesting interpretation going on, being mesmerized and almost hypnotized by the Phantom's voice. This was especially noticeable in the mirror scene, in MOTN and in Wandering Child, where she appears to go into a trance. Much in sync with Leroux, in many ways.

She also did some lovely singing, and my God she looks perfect in wig and costume. I'm a bit surprised by how different she sounds live than in recording, I like her a lot better live. Almost a Rachel Barrell syndrome, except she's got a sweeter and gentler voice. And she did a helluva TOM cadenza the first night I saw her, the audience went wild! So fun. So my (ever-changing) list, of those I've seen live:


BEST EVVAH:
Mia Karlsson
Viktoria Krantz
Gina Beck

YES:
Rachel Barrell
Teresia Bokor
Hanne Damm
Susanne Elmark
Anne Görner
Colby Thomas

WHY NOT:
Celia Graham
Agnete Munk Rasmussen

NO!:
Katie Knight-Adams
Nicky Adams

Well, I've only seen Trista Moldovan live. I thought she did very well with the character vocally, and her acting pretty good, though it wasn't the absolute best. Overall, I loved her portrayal! Of the Christine's I've heard, I highly rate: Elisabeth Berg, Sarah Brightman, Lisa Vroman, Rebecca Caine, Rachel Barrell, Claire Moore, Mia Karlsson, Julia Moller, and Elizabeth Loyacano.

EarlFan wrote:Of those I've seen live, Gina Beck and Rachel Barrell, they are both perfect as Christine.

Agree 100%, they're my top two! This is the worst topic in the world for me to post in though, as for some reason I seem to be hard to please when it comes to Christines, I don't know why. My list of favourite Christines is very small. I'll give honourable mentions to Kristi Holden, Charlotte Page and Julia Möller too...they were all very impressive.

Aside from Beck and Barrell though, I do rate Joke de Kruijf, Sarah Brightman and Rebecca Caine all very highly based on their performances on the cast recordings, but I never saw any of those three live.

Scorp wrote:

EarlFan wrote:Of those I've seen live, Gina Beck and Rachel Barrell, they are both perfect as Christine.

Agree 100%, they're my top two! This is the worst topic in the world for me to post in though, as for some reason I seem to be hard to please when it comes to Christines, I don't know why. My list of favourite Christines is very small. I'll give honourable mentions to Kristi Holden, Charlotte Page and Julia Möller too... they were all very impressive.

I'm a bit sad you never got to see Mia Karlsson's Christine. I think she would be very much to your liking. Her acting was just so interesting, cause she seemed to live and breathe the role at times, and responded to the atmosphere each night. There were just so many nuances and such a delicate approach. That, combined with an angelic voice, made her my definitive favourite.

I've got to add Tabitha Webb to my list of favourite Christines. I like her about the same as Gina Beck, they're very different, though. Tabitha seems younger, more innocent perhaps. I love her wig, it's light brown, about the same colour as Robyn North's. Tabitha's Christine reminded me a bit of Robyn's, but I prefer Tabitha's voice.

Lisa Hull (London, Uk tour). Love, love, loved her.

operafantomet wrote:Now that I've seen Gina Beck live, I'm definitely adding her to my list. She's got a most interesting interpretation going on, being mesmerized and almost hypnotized by the Phantom's voice. This was especially noticeable in the mirror scene, in MOTN and in Wandering Child, where she appears to go into a trance. Much in sync with Leroux, in many ways.

Interesting. I'm usually not that keen on Hypno!Christines, but I'm curious to see what Beck's take on that is.

R.

1) Kristin Hölck
2) Lisa Vroman
3) Rebecca Caine
4) Elisabeth Berg
5) Renee Knapp

I only heard her do the title song but...L'ubica Vargicova just NAILED that high E!!

I have to add Rebecca Luker and Sarah Pfisterer to my favorites, joining Sarah Brightman, Glenda Balkan, Mary D'Arcy, Tracy Shayne, Kimilee Bryant, Lisa Vroman, Claire Louise Hammacott, Dale Kristien, Karen Culliver, Sylvia Rhyne, and Ana Marina.

Now I have to add Shona Lindsay and Jan Hartley-Morris to my list.

My favorites (and not in any particular order):

I've only seen live Elizabeth Mauer. I didn't care for her interpretation of Christine, because it was rather stiff. Even acting alongside her husband. I remember enjoying her Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, but I felt really turned off by the whole performance (esp. since Tim Martin Gleason was her Raoul... ugh, don't care for his Raoul).

Who I've heard that really stood out to me:

Maria Kesselman: Her Christine is GORGEOUS. She is very youthful in the pictures that Marcus had captured of her in that one book that I just gush when I see them. Also, she herself has put up clips from a soundboard from the OLC of Phantom. But it's not the whole thing, but I base a Christine off the Title Song, Wishing, and All I Ask of You, and she nailed all three with flying colors.

Rebecca Caine: I used to rate her as a #2 (back when I only heard her and Sarah), but she's clearly my #1 now. There is something about her old fashioned way of acting (and perhaps the fact she was in Les Miserables) that she's used to playing in respectable period pieces. Her Christine sounds like it's clearly from that era and I feel happiness, sadness, and fear from her.

Sarah Brightman: I like her Christine because it's 'unique', it's not bad, it's not good, it's what the musical needed to be a hit. Her high notes are, well, high, but they fit because in the title song, the Phantom is encouraging her to sing to unremarkable heights (because he's getting off on her voice in a sense) so her pitch works. Can't say about her acting, but I love her with Steve Barton and Michael Crawford. They seemed to all have this nitche that really made them work, loose one and it doesn't seem exactly right.

Joke de Kruijf: Her Christine is so pitch perfect that she's my favorite foreign Christine. I like to think of her as a Disney princess when I hear her voice, because it has a melody within the melody (if that makes sense?). It's a shame that the show only had a highlights CD, I would have loved to hear her in the smaller bits. But she is exquisite.

Kim So-Hyon: She's my newest addition to my Christine list. Her 'Think of Me' was gorgeous, as well as her title song. Take it granted, I didn't listen to the Japanese or Korean versions of Phantom. But her singing was exquisite. When she sings, it seems all so natural to her (this is when she's performing in a concert), but I'm ever so curious to see her acting while singing. I'm sure she does great!

Other notables: Gina Beck, Patti Cohenour, Celia Graham, and Rachel Barrell. (Somehow, I tend to like the London based Christine's more.) If we ever get into the topic of Christine's we don't like... Sandra Joseph and Julie Hanson would probably be on the list, as well as Nicky Adams and Tabitha Webb.

ML6 wrote:Also, she herself has put up clips from a soundboard from the OLC of Phantom.

Where? I've never heard her Christine, but have always wanted to.

SenorSwanky wrote:

ML6 wrote:Also, she herself has put up clips from a soundboard from the OLC of Phantom.

Where? I've never heard her Christine, but have always wanted to.

A quick YouTube search found me this. I assume that's what ML6 is referring to, but I could be wrong. Either way, there are clips there.

phantomgirl110 wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:

ML6 wrote:Also, she herself has put up clips from a soundboard from the OLC of Phantom.

Where? I've never heard her Christine, but have always wanted to.

A quick YouTube search found me this. I assume that's what ML6 is referring to, but I could be wrong. Either way, there are clips there.

Thanks. She's got a stunning voice (and face), especially considering she was only, what, 23 to 24 when she did the role?

SenorSwanky wrote:Thanks. She's got a stunning voice (and face), especially considering she was only, what, 23 to 24 when she did the role?

AND was a trained classical ballerina... A pity she didn't officially become an alternate or principal, if only for half a year.

I remember she toured with the musical "Which Witch" in Norway in 1993. I passed her several times before the show, and I wanted so badly to approach her, to ask about her effort in both WW and POTO, and to get her autograph. But I didn't dare to, as I didn't speak English all that well back then. I regret that now!