Honestly, Shelly Burch wasn't compelling as Claudia either. I'm not sure anyone could be.
It's a tough role. She's only onstage for a relatively short time, and she spends almost all of it trying to fight Guido's idealized image of her, instead of us really getting to know her as herself. However, "Unusual Way" is a gorgeous song, and I find her dialogue during "Simple" to be very moving in context of the moment. |