“And then there’s Feldstein, whose vocal issues disqualify her from the start. Her mid-range is weak. Her top is unpleasant, whiny, without any intensity. As was the case with Smith, the ballads suffer the most. Just as damagingly, Feldstein is not even particularly funny, relying on three muggy facial expressions that she cycles throughout the performance, all of which are variations on “Can you believe I’m up here on a stage singing and dancing?!”
The appraisal continues thus, and though for many of us, this feels fair and mostly accurate, a number of others feel this take borders on cruelty. I’ve never seen a production and casting spark such vitriol, two people I know - who otherwise can certainly be vicious about subjective dislikes - hanging “no bashing or I’m unfriending” on FB discussions this week, one theater page erasing threads more than once. I’ve seen far more critical dissections of both performances and material but this one is a unique marker. |
