| There's an argument to be made that the way Ronstadt blended the two voices -- her pop chest voice a glorious and supple instrument -- marked the event. She was a pristine, angelic Mabel capable of revealing another side of herself solely through that famous belt. When she let it loose in the second act, the justification for her casting only tripled. It's a unique performance, a masterful singer cleverly expanding and yet fully exploiting -- in the best sense -- her own vocal reputation. The other Mabels sang well, but only Ronstadt created that meta event. |
