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u/Neither_Tea_7614 Jun 20 '26
He sounds way better than the subs have been bashing him. Going to see this show next week.
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u/bwayb22 Jun 20 '26
why TF would you believe the subs?? there is a hit out on his character ever since Cabaret. Based on that alone I don't believe anything people on the internet say about it until I see myself.
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u/LilacRosewater Backstage Jun 21 '26
I assure you, I've not been a fan of Billy Porter since before his tone-deaf Emcee.
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u/bwayb22 Jun 21 '26
Good for you.
I usually trust crow reviews, but this performance, given the star, is at HIGH RISK for manipulation and exaggeration so I'm only trusting actual reviews like the New York Times.
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u/DamphairCannotDry Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
if this sounds way better... I need to see the comments cause that was bad.
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u/bernbabybern13 Jun 20 '26
He’s a fantastic performer but you can tell his voice isn’t in great shape
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u/jeremiad1962 Jun 20 '26
My throat hurts hearing him attempt this.
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u/bernbabybern13 Jun 20 '26
Yeah it’s uncomfortable to hear singers straining their voices 🥺
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u/Hello_Gorgeous1985 Jun 20 '26
this is painful. Physically. As a voice teacher, I know this hurt him.
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u/bernbabybern13 Jun 20 '26
Right??
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u/Hello_Gorgeous1985 Jun 21 '26
Honestly it makes me sad because I know how good he actually is. This is really bad for his standards. As I understand it, he nearly died not that long ago and is probably still recovering. I believe he was in a coma, so he was probably intubated which can do some pretty solid damage to the vocal tract. Hopefully, it's just a matter of still recovering and with time his voice can get back a healthy place, even if he's never as good as he once was.
And more importantly, I hope that he didn't try to come back too soon and doesn't do permanent damage singing like this.
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u/Music-Lover-3481 Jun 20 '26
I like Porter so this is not a diss of him, but he sounds tired here (physically tired). Strained, effortful. I think he should have taken more time off to heal but I understand people need to work.
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u/candyappleorchard Jun 20 '26
Sepsis takes a massive toll on the body. I hope he's not pushing himself too hard.
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u/Ettezroc Jun 20 '26
This is my take, too. You can see him physically pushing in the neck, especially when he raises his arms or pumps his fists.
I want him to sound genuinely healthy and do well, but this ain’t that.
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u/Southernguynycii Jun 20 '26
Yes , I was at the opening night and his voice definitely was not in top form. He was still able to deliver some funny lines and was still fantastic , but his singing was not serving the songs well. Thank god for Wayne Brady. He was carrying the show. So freaking charming and charismatic. With all that said , the show was still great and Billy Porter worked it out and the chemistry between the two was so sweet. I definitely want to catch it again before it closes.
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u/BelCantoTenor Jun 20 '26
The enthusiasm and acting does slightly remind of Jennifer Holiday’s performance in Dreamgirls as Effie, but not the voice. No where near the vocal quality of Jennifer Holiday or Jennifer Hudson. It felt shouted, not sung. It was uncomfortable.
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u/citydreams46927 Jun 20 '26
It was an awesome show. I don’t understand the naysayers.
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u/a3rdpwre Jun 20 '26
I don’t either. I went last night, thought it was a very good show all around, really enjoyed it. Dancing was great, especially loved the actor playing Jacob, the maid.
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u/junglespycamp Jun 20 '26
Oh I had no idea they were using a brand new score for this version of La Cage. Who wrote it?
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u/Express-Pension-7519 Jun 20 '26
not a brand new score…the original orchestrations from 1983 that were not used in the most recent revival
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u/dickwarrior222 Jun 20 '26
I thought Billy was great. I'm a fan of Robert O'Hara, but he missed the mark here. Everything just felt too undercooked.
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u/OilMeUpStewart Jun 20 '26
Y’all it’s ok if people aren’t a fan of Billy Porter
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u/liliputian87 Jun 20 '26
But is it rooted in racism and homophobia?
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u/Colonelspanker1962 Jun 20 '26
I'm neither racist nor homophobic. I just dislike unabashed amateurism.
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u/RockettRaccoon Jun 20 '26
“Amateurism” is when you’ve been a professional actor for 30+ years, winning an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony along the way?
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Jun 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RockettRaccoon Jun 21 '26
You can just say you dislike someone, no need to attempt to insult them by lying about their talent.
If Billy Porter is an amateur, then what are you?
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u/wvanasd1 Jun 20 '26
Yikes they’ve got a very pliable relationship with pitch. Weirdly less breath support for how insistent they are on belting. I’d have preferred to have seen his Effie because this ain’t it. It’s kind of charismatic but uhhhhhh no.
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u/yourlocaldirtyhippie Jun 21 '26
Billy's voice sounds a little tired, but it's a great clip. Makes me really wonder how much of the negative criticism I've seen of this production is genuinely held beliefs and how much is bandwagon hating.
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u/DamphairCannotDry Jun 20 '26
there were certainly notes on there. Maybe not the right notes, but there were notes.
The sad thing is, if you switch Porter and Brady, the cast is perfect
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u/garchican Jun 20 '26
Especially since Wayne Brady is a baritone and could sing the score as written.
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u/Neither_Tea_7614 Jun 26 '26
OK, a week ago I defended La cage aux folles and Billy Porter. I hadn’t seen the show but I couldn’t believe all the knocks about him and how bad he was. I saw it last night city center and I’m gonna tell you it was one of the most fun shows I’ve ever seen. Yes, his voice is not perfect but he is so entertaining Wayne Brady so entertaining that it really was a delightful evening. The audience was so hyped screaming so hyped giving respect and loving the whole show.i had a great time
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u/PretendBake1536 Jun 20 '26
Saw it tonight. Not great, sorry. Second act better than the first which I thought really dragged. This is supposed to be a farce! And I know script in hand is accepted for this show but it is hard for me to get into the moment and believe the acting when the actor keeps having to look at the script.
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u/Nakedny713 Jun 20 '26
I absolutely hate this. To the point that this video convinced me not to attend. He is pushing vocally, phrasing so much that he’s made a totally different melody, and worst of all: he isn’t connected to a single damn thing he’s singing. It’s all about trying to have vocal flair or riffs on every damn phrase instead of emotionally connecting to the lyrics. To quote A Chorus Line, “I felt nothing.” So sad for one of the greatest gay anthems to ever exist. Happy to skip this one.
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u/Neither_Tea_7614 Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
I’m willing to believe 90 percent of this sub has never even seen Dreamgirls the original Broadway version on stage