Celebrating the worst voice ever recorded
Musical composer James Lapine is branching out into drama, with his new work that is set to star the four-time Tony winner Boyd Gaines and Emmy and Tony winner Debra Monk. Himself a three-time Tony Award winner for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion, this biographical play is based on the real-life notorious performer Elva Miller. Gaining infamy during the Sixties for her off-key, shrill covers of various hit pop songs, that included Downtown, Monday, Monday, and even A Hard Day's Night. This new play marks the first collaboration between Gaines and Monk since their 1995 Roundabout Theatre revival of Company.
What to expect
Gaines has become one of Broadway's most respected performers, having originated many roles in recent years for shows including 2007's Pygmalion, 2008's Gypsy, and 2010's Driving Miss Daisy. He was the first male actor to receive Tony nominations in the Big Four, a rare occurance even today. Monk's Tony Award was earned for her role in 1993's Redwood Curtain, before going on to win an Emmy for her recurring role on NYPD Blue in the late Nineties.
Elva Miller is notable for her absolutely destruction of popular songs during the Sixties, and was considered to be a comic singer in her later years. Her voice was described cruelly, if accurately as "roaches scurrying across a trash can lid." Ouch
