Beauty and the Beast : Bill Condon about Emma Watson's singing voice

---

Are we going to exclaim, Wow, Emma Watson can really sing!
Bill Condon: Yes! She sort of had to and wanted to prove she could do it. She had always loved singing, but in those years of doing Harry Potter she hadnt done it. She got her voice back in shape, took lessons and then there it was! This beautiful, sweet, pure sound that she has. It is interesting. We dont usually think about movie stars being able to sing, and then they do it. Some peoples voices just reveal something about themselves and seem like the essence of them. Emma is one of those people, theres a natural connection from the way that she speaks and the way she sings.

---

http://ewatsondaily.tumblr.com/post/153503278189/according-to-bill-condon-director-of-beauty-and

I for one am excited to hear Emma Watson sing for the first time.

To me, this is still a bit worrying. Some directors also used the terms "pure" and "sweet" in reference to other horrible musical casting choices where the actress had no true trained vocal ability (cough, cough Amanda Seyfried). "Pure" and "sweet" often are code words for a weak, breathy voice with no training and no ability to use vibrato

But again, she looks the part and is a good actress here's hoping she has a voice ;)

Well Bill Condon did say that Emma Watson took some singing lessons beforehand. So we'll see when we hear it in theaters this March.

---

Well Bill Condon did say that Emma Watson took some singing lessons beforehand.

---

If her only vocal training came 2 months before they filmed the movie, those lessons will be virtually useless that's like someone saying they are ready to perform surgery after reading a medical pamphlet. HOWEVER, he was vague and kind of implied that she had been singing before as a child.

I hope that she has a secret love for musical theater and that like some other childhood stars took lessons growing up as well like Neil Patrick Harris for example

I'm also willing to trust Bill Condon who has proved that he knows what he's doing with a musical.

Amanda seyfried does have vocal training (in fact, she's a colatura soprano). And yeah I know a lot of people didn't like her singing, or the singing in Les Miserables at all, but personally, I think she has a beautiful voice

---

Amanda seyfried does have vocal training (in fact, she's a colatura soprano).

---

Yeah um no. You will find ZERO (and I mean zero) voice teachers who would describe her as "trained" She took 2 voice lessons when she was 8 years old and then stopped. Take it from people who trained their entire lives and have degrees in voice, she is not a "colatura soprano".

Well, I'm reminded of The Phantom of the Opera. People ripped into Butler (whose character was NOT supposed to be an opera singer) but Rossum was the disappointment to me and supposedly was trained.

Let's hope she's good, and more importantly, the movie. *fingers crossed*


~ I keep my expectations low then I can be pleasantly surprised.~

His character was supposed to be a great trained musician. Also, I'm sick of the excuse that if a character in a musical isn't a singer then they're allowed to sing poorly. Curly in Oklahoma is a cowboy, but you wouldn't want to hear someone squawk through "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl with no education, but you don't want a weak chirpy "I Could Have Danced All Night." Most characters in musicals aren't singers, and yet the actors playing them should generally know how to put over a song because it's a musical!

(I will also say that there's a long history of musical theatre actors who aren't the best singers but really knew how to perform a song regardless. However, sometimes the role as written calls for a really good singer. I don't know that Rex Harrison would be able to pull off The Phantom.)

It was my understanding of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera movie (and not the broadway musical or the book) that he was a musical genius genius in teaching and composing and recognizing talent who was mostly self taught with some help from Madame (who was the only one who knew he existed and she was mostly in charge of the ballet it seems, not the singing). Musical genius does not necessarily mean in performing. All the training in the world can't help you if you just don't have a good voice or range. It can do wonders for improving your use of what you have, but some people have the gift and some people don't.

I personally didn't think Butler's singing was squawking or awful, and I felt it raw and powerful when he did sing. I don't expect my characters who aren't professional singers to sing professionally, but I do expect the ones who are professional singers (Rossum) to be able to. Of course, some "professional singers" have horrible, grating voices and people still pay to see/hear them so.maybe the two of us are in a minority. I notice you didn't cite Paint Your Wagon. Lee Marvin and "A Wandering Star." *shudder* Eastwood was decent, and they dubbed the actress who actually took singing lessons to prepare for her role. The studio dubbed her, but let the two guys sing when they made no preparations. Personally, Marvin is who they should have dubbed.

There are a great many people in all walks of life, education, and professions who never had any training and still have decent voices and decent ability that isn't weak or squawky or anything awful. Belle is not supposed to be an opera singer, and Beast isn't a bard. If the two actors sound nice and on key I won't be complaining.

I think we really are in agreement. I hope you understand the point I am making I'm not happy with all the criticism over these film actors needing to sound like professional singers when the characters they are playing aren't professional singers. If that's what people want, then they should go see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.

I wouldn't know if Rex Harrison would be able to pull of The Phantom (I assume you are referring to the character from the broadway musical), but I'd be willing to watch him try.


~ I keep my expectations low then I can be pleasantly surprised.~

Emma strikes me as someone who has a singing talent. We just never see her sing. With training and her hard work, I'm sure she'll pull it off.