Tag Archives: Christine Daae

One name that pops up from time to time as a possible casting pick for Esmeralda, especially with regards to musical versions as in Notre Dame de Paris, is Emmy Rossum. Emmy Rossum is most known for her role in the 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera as Christine Daae.

When I first saw the Phantom movie I really dislike it and her performance as I thought she was just weak on the vocals as well as Gerald Butler, however I have since soften on that opinion and I really don’t care. But Christine Daae is a very technically demanding role whereas Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris isn’t. Oh don’t get me wrong, you need a good singer but you don’t need someone who can hit that E6. So would Emmy Rossum make a good Notre Dame de Paris Esmeralda?

Well, one thing Rossum has going against her on the looks front is her skin tone, she is pale. However I think musicals are more forgivable for skin tone. I say give her bronzer if she is the best person for the role and there is that pesky little question again. Her other looks fit into the scope of the token look for Esmeralda of Notre Dame de Paris, so she pretty good on the look front.

 

But what about her voice? Like I said Rossum isn’t my favorite Christine Daae, to be honest I don’t have one I have a few but again not the question here. Rossum is often label as a lyric soprano which has warm full quality. Now I’m not going to pretend that I know anything about voice, I couldn’t tell you the difference between was it really means to be a Coloratura Soprano vs a Soubrette vs a Lyric Soprano. However listening to parts of Rossum’s Inside Out and Sentimental Journey I can say I prefer Rossum singing at the lower vocal register which is fine for Esmeralda. I think Rossum could sing to role perfectly well.

But then there is acting. Post Phantom Rossum’s movie career took a little bit of a creditable hit as she appeared in some BAD movies. To be fair to Rossum, no actor in the history of humans could have acted well in Dragonball: Evolution, just pick a good actor and imagine them in that movie and they would seem bad. Rossum got some credit back as Fiona in the Showtime show Shameless which I haven’t seen but I saw her in a clip from it and she was good in it.

However like I have said Esmeralda isn’t a technically demanding role but there is some contradictions that a good Esmeralda should keep in balance as she must be sensual while maintaining innocence, she also should have be natural and celestial. Rossum’s role as Christine Daae is a good lead in to these dualities so I think Rossum could handle the role on the acting front.

I think in the same way as I felt about Taylor Swift for the role as Fleur-de-Lys, Emmy Rossum wouldn’t be not my first choice for the role as Esmeralda but if were to happen if wouldn’t be the worst casting.
Actually I kind want Rossum to play Esmerada to Swift’s Fluer-de-Lys. Can we at least get them to sing Beau Comme le Soleil or Shining like the sun as it’s called in English? This is either a great idea or a terrible idea but I want to see it.

Anyway Yay or Nay on Emmy Rossum for Esmeralda from Notre Dame de Paris as like for a movie?

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