Jim On Film
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Sherie Rene Scott, Adam Pascal and Heather Hadley
(c) Disney
Adam Pascal--For Disney fans, Pascal is best-known for the role he created (and is still performing) on Broadway in Disney’s best stage musical, Aida. Before Aida, Pascal made waves as Roger in the original cast of Rent, which is preserved on a two-disc set.
Pascal can be seen in the video and DVD recording of the concert My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, selections of which were released on DVD. One of the highlights of the concert is his duet with Aida co-star Heather Headley on "Elaborate Lives."
Pascal has also released a solo album of alternative rock music he has written himself through Sh-K-Boom Records (available in New York and through www.sh-k-boom.com). Pascal’s rock voice is perfectly showcased in this excellent recording entitled Model Prisoner. While the genre is not one that I particularly enjoy on a usual basis, Pascal’s album is so smartly written and his voice so suited for this style that it makes it an amazing recording. The music has a youthful beat accompanied by heartfelt lyrics that forces the listener to think; these lyrics are true poetry. Simply put, this is an excellent album.
Sherie Rene Scott--Like Pascal, Scott made her Disney debut with perfect comedic timing in the Broadway musical Aida. Her powerhouse voice that rings so beautifully on the Aida recording is even more powerful in person. Not only can she be heard on Michael Crawford’s Disney album (in a duet of Pocahontas’ "If I Never Knew You") and the concept album of Aida, she has also released a solo album through Sh-K-Boom Records (also available in New York and through www.sh-k-boom.com).
The album’s humorous title Men I’ve Had is in reference to the content of the album; Scott sings songs from composers whose works she’s performed on stage. This includes music by Elton John ("Come Down in Time"), Randy Newman ("Falling in Love"), and Jonathan Larson ("Love Heals"). While a must-have for any Scott fan, the album doesn’t truly showcase the best of her jaw-dropping vocal ability. Now, this may be because I am unfamiliar with all of the songs on the album, but Scott only gets to shine on Pete Townsend’s "Bargain." For the rest of the album, her voice is a hushed sultry style that will only appeal to some audiences.
Heather Headley--It is said that Michael Eisner plucked Heather Headley from the pre-Broadway tryout of Ragtime to make her Broadway debut as the adult Nala in Broadway’s The Lion King. In that show, with a spine-tingling voice, her performance shook the house as she sang the moving "Shadowlands." It wasn’t long before she was whisked away to originate the role of Aida in Disney’s third Broadway show, where her powerful performance earned her a Tony Award (during the acceptance speech, she promised to work for Disney for the rest of her life). For Disney, she also sang on the concept album for Aida, the Simba’s Pride album, and recorded "One Dream" for Disney’s California Adventure.
With Adam Pascal, Headley appeared on My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, but most recently, Headley recorded a concert version of the Broadway show Dreamgirls, set to be released on a two-disc set later this month. Also starring Audra McDonald (from Disney’s television Annie) and Lilias White (Calliope, the head Muse in Hercules), the performance has been criticized for making the normally vulnerable characters too strong, but with such a spectacular cast, it is sure to be a grand addition to any collection.
Headley is also soon set to release her first solo R&B album (originally, it was to be through Disney’s Hollywood Records label, but she switched to RCA). According to her website www.heatherheadley.com, the album should reach radio and store shelves some time this spring. She has updated her fans throughout the process of recording the album, and if her ability to select producers and writers rivals that of her acting and singing abilities, the album will prove to be the definition of hot.
From Burl Ives to Angela Lansbury to Christina Aguilera to Judy Kuhn, Disney has always employed the "cream of the crop, tip of the top" of performers to take on roles in their film, stage, and television productions, and while this list is only a kernel in a cornfield of talent, it is a start.
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-- Jim Miles (Copyright Jim Miles)
On Film does not have a regular schedule.
The opinions expressed by our guest columnists, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted February 21, 2002