"Urinetown"

The show I decided to see this semester was "Urinetown" performed by the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University's Pittsburgh Playhouse. I got to see the preview of the show on Sunday, and it was a great time, I highly recommend seeing it! The actor I would like to focus on for this review is the actor who played the police officer. Firstly, the tempo at which he spoke varied immensely. He was able to adapt the tempo to serve different comedic moments. Also, during the number in which all the cops are singing about the town, the tempo and rhythm in which he sang was very fast and "rap-like," which goes along with what was happening at that moment. Although he had to quicken the tempo and vary the rhythm throughout the show, he stayed true to his natural voice and adapted accordingly. He had very crisp articulation and pronunciation. Although his voice is very deep and manly, he did not let that get in the way of the words he was speaking. Everything was crisp and clear, the way it should be. He spoke in a very deep pitch, which really fit the masculinity of his character. It was funny to see how his voice and Sally's voice, which was high pitched and squeeky, varied. They were a very funny narrator couple for this reason. The police officer also spoke in a very loud volume. He did so to distinguish himself from the other characters because of how he was narrating the whole show. The moments in which he talked to the audience were very funny, and he did not lose any of his volume, but increased it, to make sure all could hear what he was saying. Overall, the quality of his voice was deep, rich, and manly. Out of everyone in the show, I was drawn to his voice because of these qualities.

Read and Respond #4: Voice

Read and Respond: Breath

The Gold Watch - Pulp Fiction (1994)

"Two Little Mice" Speech by Christopher Walken

Christopher Walken performs Lady Gaga's Poker Face

Voice Analysis: Christopher Walken

VOICE ANALYSIS:

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN

“Somebody said to me that I speak English almost like somebody for whom English is not their first language.” -Christopher Walken

INTRODUCTION

Christopher Walken has been impersonated, revered, and mocked throughout the years for his unique style of speaking. It is undeniable, Walken has a very memorable air about him. Much of the reason for this timeless appeal lies simply in the tempo and rhythm at which he speaks. Through his mastery of articulation, pronunciation and volume, he evokes feeling from each and every viewer. There has not been a character of which Walken has not mastered. He possesses an unforgettable voice, one in which, as a young actor, I wish to learn from.

COMPONENTS OF THE “VOICE RECIPE”

Whenever Walken’s name is mentioned, the way he uses his voice is often a topic of discussion, and imitation. Firstly, what must be addressed is the tempo at which he speaks. Walken speaks very slowly, as if he greatly contemplates everything that comes out of his mouth. The particular pace at which he speaks has not changed throughout the years, although he has been imitated and critiqued by many people including Kevin Spacey, Robin Williams, The Cast of “Who’s Line is it Anyways” and countless others. The tempo at which Walken speaks very much defines him as an actor.

Another thing that defines Walken’s voice is the use of pauses. Walken has a very interesting way of phrasing his sentences to foster interest from the audience. Demonstrated in a line from “Mousehunt” (1997), Walken’s use of dramatic pauses, indicated by eclipses, works to his advantage in conveying suspense and meaning. “You have to think...like a mouse. If you can do that...if you can think like a mouse...you can anticipate their moves. Then...boom!” By taking a pause before using an onomatopoeia such as the word “boom,” he creates a sense of mystery, and anticipation. He leaves the audience wanting more, and then delivers a strong punch line to satisfy the curiosity of the viewer.

The next important component of Walken’s voice is the way in which he invites the audience to listen closer to each and every word. He does this through his characteristic slur, connecting phrases. As demonstrated in the critically acclaimed film “Catch Me If You Can” (2002), Walken’s character Frank Abagnale Sr. accepts an award, and subsequently gives a speech. Within this speech, he tells the story of two mice: “Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.” Throughout the retelling of this story, the habitual slur of each word, especially the connection between the words “two little mice,” prompts the audience to listen closely, as if they were trying to distinguish each word from the next. Doing so, Walken ultimately portrays the nerves Frank Abagnale Sr. is feeling at that moment in time.

One cannot talk about Christopher Walken without mentioning his distinct accent, as it is widely impersonated due to it’s memorable sound as it reaches the viewer’s ear. He is distinctly characterized by the accent of his hometown, Queens, New York. Despite this, Walken is easily able to transform his voice, as in the film “Hairspray” (2007), when he portrayed Wilbur Turnblad. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, Walken had to master the particular accent that went along with that location. He was able to do so, while maintaining the many great qualities of his voice including: tempo, rhythm, articulation, etc.

Another important aspect of Christopher Walken’s ability to use his voice effectively is the way in which he utilizes a range of volumes throughout his work. An example of this shows when he portrayed the character Gabriel in “The Prophecy” (1995). Utilizing a hushed tone, he masterfully delivered this line: “You know how you get that dent in your top lip, way back, before you were born? I’ll tell you a secret, then I put my finger there, and I say ‘shhh.’” This line is meant to send shivers down the spine of each and every audience member, and Walken’s eerie delivery of the line does just that. He has the innate ability to make the viewer really listen to each word he says. The more one cares about what is being said, the more invested one is in the speaker of the words. Through his use of a variety of volumes, Walken has a talent for making the audience feel for every character he plays.

 

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

There are many valuable lessons to be learned from Christopher Walken’s ability to utilize qualities of his natural voice. He is able to skillfully emphasize the meaning of each line through five different ingredients in the “Vocal Recipe.” As a young performer, the qualities of which I can adopt from Walken’s example are; his ability to convey interest through use of varied tempos, his natural knack for emphasizing importance through maintaining an unpredictable rhythm, his talent for generating interest through unclear articulation, his capacity for adapting to different accents, and his aptitude for acquiring sympathy through varied use of volume.

CONCLUSION

All in all, Walken’s ability to utilize and transform his voice, is only challenged by his innate talent. His voice is so distinct, that when reading a passage in which he has spoken, one can almost hear Walken speaking the text. In this way, he has become a memorable performer, and personality in this day and age.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

• “I am you. And, you are me. And, we are here.”
• “Communion”(1989) Whitley Strieber
• “You know how you get that dent in your top lip, way back, before you were born? I’ll tell you a secret, then I put my finger there, and I say ‘shhh.’”
• “The Prophecy” (1995) Gabriel
• “You have to think...like a mouse. If you can do that, if you can think like a mouse, you can anticipate their moves. Then...boom!”
• “Mousehunt” (1997) Ceasar the Exterminator
• “That’s right I did kill him, he fucked up one too many times so I put a bullet in his eye. Then, I put two more in him just to make sure. Now, that was somebody I loved, I loved him. But, I got the call, I put him down like a sick animal.”
• “Nick of Time” (1995) Mr. Smith
• “I’m scared, Sam. What’s happening to me?”
• “The Dead Zone” (1983) Johnny Smith
• “I haven’t killed anybody...since 1984.”
• “True Romance” (1993) Don Vincenzo Coccotti
• “Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.”
• “Catch Me If You Can” (2002) Frank Abagnale
• “From here on, nothing goes down unless I’m involved. No black jack, no dope deals, nothing. A nickel bag is sold in the park, I want in.”
• “King of New York” (1990) Frank White
• “I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give the watch to you.”
• “Pulp Fiction” (1994) Captain Koons

Quote

There's a Message in Your Voice

7 Tips on How to Use Your Voice Effectively for Presentations

Rehearsal Video #2

Rehearsal Video #2

This is my second rehearsal video for "My Skeleton, my rival" by David Ignatow. I think it went well, I do not like how I ended it, though. I should have let the "glitter fall" as we discussed in class. Other than that, I feel as though it went really well. I remembered all of the words, which is always a struggle for me.

Rehearsal Video #1

Rehearsal Video #1

This is my first rehearsal video for the poem "My Skeleton, my rival" by David Ignatow. I think it went well, I like how the intoning made my voice sound. It gave my voice a new layer of resonance. Also, the "ha ha maaasss" really help me project and get "on top" of my voice.

Read and Respond: Presence

Read and Respond #2 

Presence

In Patsy Rodenburg's study of stage presence, there are only three realms in which every person lives. First, second and third circle. Sometimes we flutter in and out of each of the three circles. Everyone lives in either first, second, or third circle. Through my experience with these following people, I have concluded that they live in either first, second, or third circle respectively.

First Circle: My Aunt Anne lives in first circle, undoubtedly. She stands with slumped shoulders, although her torso is aligned perfectly. She also walks with a shuffle, and murmurs frequently. Anne is an introvert, meaning she gathers energy from being alone. I have found in my study of first circle that many introverts live within this circle.

Third Circle: There is a girl who used to go to my high school named Macy. She definitely lives within third circle most of the time. She walks with a sense of entitlement, is very presentational, and outspoken. I have known her for eight years, and every time I see her, she seems to take up more space than she should be.

Second Circle: My sister Jessica is always in second circle, which makes sense because she is an actress, and probably is familiar with Patsy Rodenburg’s study of stage presence, and therefore utilizes it. She is very open, accepting and just overall a very present person. Jess is very pleasant to be around as well.

Miley Talks About Nudity and Her Tongue

VOICE RECIPE: Miley Cyrus on the Ellen Degeneres Show

"I don't do the tongue thing with dads..."

1. Tempo- Miley talks in a very steady, slightly fast, but not outrageously fast, tempo.

2. Rhythm- Miley speaks in a steady rhythm, from practicing her speech through interviews, her TV show "Hannah Montana" and her concerts. Like many other young girls, Miley used to speak in a very staggered rhythm, but with practice, these habits have dissapeared.

3. Articulation- Miley speaks with a southern twang, which makes her sound as if she had marbles in her mouth when she talks.

4. Pronunciation- Again, her southern accent makes her sound, to some people, like she lacks sophistocation. But, with all of her training in the art of interviewing, I am sure she knows how to pronounce all the words she says.

5. Pitch- Miley speaks at a very middle ranged pitch, it may seem that she speaks higher because of the nasal quality in her voice.

6. Volume- Miley Cyrus has always talked very loud, whenever she was on set, or in interviews, or on stage, she has always been a loud speaker.

7. Qualities- She has a very nasal sound to her voice, emphasized by the southern twang that is in her voice as well.

8. Word Choice- Because she is in an interview, she is using very coloquial language, appropriate for the era and the audience.

9. Non-Verbals- Miley only said "um" or "er" once in the interview.

Read and Respond: Body

Read and Respond #1

Body

Has there ever been a time when you have felt totally closed off from the outside world? Maybe you stood with a bit of a slouch, talked in a mumbled fashion, walked by shuffling your feet, and never really connected to the outside world? Or maybe you have experienced the complete opposite. Were you ever too open, too loud, too tall, just too much in general? We have all been there. We have all been either too open or too closed. The first experience can be called the "First Circle," while the second instance is the "Third Circle." Well, what about "Second Circle" then?

"Second Circle" is the ideal space in which we as performers, and human beings, should live. When we are in this state, we are open, accepting, really connected with others, ourselves, and our environment. According to Patsy Rodenburg, author of The Second Circle, everyone is in second circle when they are born, it is just a matter of finding that again in our later years. It is so hard to find our second circle in adulthood because of all the habits we have acquired over the years. Habitual tension and movements impair our ability to fully emerse ourselves in second circle energy. Once we are in second circle, however, we are connected, focused and present.

The moral of this post? We need to find our "Second Circle," and train ourselves to live in this state of being as frequently as we can.

Belle & Sebastian - "Space Boy Dream" (HD)

VOICE RECIPE: "A SPACE BOY DREAM" by Belle and Sebastian

"Faced with the reality of it, in a dream, I was terrified."

1. Tempo- Eventhough the music is grooving behind him, the speaker talks steadily, at a very clear tempo. He speaks very slowly, telling the story percicely and fluently.


2. Rhythm- The speaker speaks very steadily, and his rhythm is pretty much the same throughout the whole piece, eventhough the music starts to pick up at a certain point. But, when the music starts to build dramatically, he stops talking.


3. Articulation- The speaker articulates with the tip of his tongue on the back of his teeth. Eventhough his vowels are slurred together, the consonants really tell the story.


4. Pronunciation- Although the speaker has a pretty thick Irish Brogue, making the listener have to pay extra attention to his words, he is very good at pronouncing every word that he says. The consonants are clear, allowing his vowels to be a bit relaxed, as common in an Irish Brogue. Something interesting about this sort of accent is the fact that the "r" sound is flipped, not rolled, as in Spanish or Italian.


5. Pitch- His pitch is very relaxed, he does not vary his pitch very much, for he does not need to. This relaxed pitch (almost monotone) is soothing, which is fitting because he is talking about a dream, and dreams happen in a state of sleep or relaxation.


6. Volume- The speaker is not speaking loudly, forcing you to listen closely, and to really analyze what he is saying. It is as if someone was whispering to you in a loud room.


7. Qualities- The color of his voice is very warm, which again is fitting because dreams happen in a state of sleep and relaxation. I find his voice to be comforting, but because of the subject matter, mysterious at the same time.


8. Word Choice- He uses very colloquial language, for he is informally telling a story. I am sure that if he was in a public speaking situation, he would speak very differently; maybe louder, or clearer.

9. Non-Verbals- Aside from the music playing in the background, there aren't really any non-verbals used in his speech. His "r" sounds are flipped, creating sort of a click when you listen to it, but aside from that, all his sounds are words.