Interesting thread and I think a lot of valid points have been made. But one
point I think folks are dancing around is whether the audience is there to hear a specific actor/actress or are they there to hear the story and show and character....that
IMO determines an expectation to whether a voice is live or (hopefully not) tuned.. What is the REASON people or you go to that show?
Someone mentioned Milli Vanilli and others--those were 'names' you expected them to sing and they did not and this is cheating and fraud
IMO...where as if you had a
show character--like Grizabella from Cats--if the girl couldn't hit that note on Memory with all that heart and feeling then I know I would be grumpy and disappointed...
Going back to CATS--there are different 'variations' of how each actor has played key parts to their own twist or interpretation to bring that character to life--but the common requirement has been that they all be able to musically accomplish the songs as scored. Autotuning
IMO is best left for the studio recorders & not for Live...and yet I have mixed many a band who HAS used an autotuner live..not in theater but in concert. But concerts are different from Theater--concerts no one expects them to be more then what they are...but in a show or theater
play you expect higher because you are there for the SHOW--for characters and for a story...but--what happens when a 'name' is in the cast of a Show?
Unlike some 'older' performers in the music industry who are touring again---many not always or just cannot hit those big notes like they did in the 1980's or before--people who go to those shows are a
bit more forgiving in the aspect and most concert singers will
play it off to the audience and many forget it. So lets put a 'name' to the character discussion of hypotheticals--would you expect a Julie Andrews in such a key part in a show on broadway to 'need help' or would you be more forgiving just to hear her as she is or be forgiving IF she had to have a little help--I would probably be happy as she is simply to see her on
stage and hopefully it would not be so obvious if she was 'helped'. But--If the part is played by a known name
IMO the expectations in some performance can be forgiving....I'm there to see a great performer in a
role but understandably they did not achieve that greatness yesterday and may not be as great as they once were...but if the show and the part is played for character--I'm going to see a performance of that show and its done by a professional actor/actres who can do the part...but who has perhaps not achieved that reknown Elaine
Page level of greatness yet--then I expect the actor/actress to be cast and to be able to
play and sing that character as fully expected..notes and all. If she sucks--it was bad casting and the director will never live it down.. Nice part about Live Theater is folks are hired for TALENT--not for looks or popularity like the movies & TV where 'talent' can be added or dubbed later in Post... Generally speaking for Live Theater--if they can't act or sing the part they don't do the part..leave the autotuners at the studio....
JMO..FWIW.....
-w