Over the holidays, I chatted with a number of people who, like me, saw the trailer for July’s Mamma Mia! (pictured, right) — the sexy, salty Mediterranean love story scored with vintage ABBA hits. Unlike me, however, most were unenthused — if not baffled by — the thought of Meryl Streep starring in a musical.
But here’s the thing. I’ve always harbored this suspicion about Meryl: She loves to sing! (In character, that is. Though she reportedly studied singing as a child, she suffered acute nerves when asked to perform songs at the Hollywood Bowl while promoting 2006’s A Prairie Home Companion.)
You can hear Streep’s singing voice making cameos in 1983’s Silkwood, 1987’s Ironweed, 1990’s Postcards from the Edge, 1992’s Death Becomes Her, 1998’s Dancing in Lughnasa — and she not only played a professional singer in Prairie (left), she danced (uncredited) in a big production number opposite Greg Kinnear in 2003’s Stuck on You. As the star of Mother Courage and Her Children in a 2006 production for NYC’s Shakespeare in the Park, she belted out Brecht. And I’ve even heard her sing the blues, while riding in the car with my nephew, on the 2004 children’s CD Philadelphia Chickens (fun fact: other singers on the Grammy-nominated album include Natasha Richardson, Eric Stoltz, Scott Bakula, and Kevin Kline). Streep’s warbling may be frequently breathy and occasionally faltering, but she can carry a tune, and it’s evident she relishes the art of interpreting a song.
After all that dabbling, it may be Streep’s finally gotten what may have been her dream all along: the lead in a musical. Meryl and Mamma Mia! may be a better fit than anyone expects — certainly, the quality of the acting can make a musical theater number flop or soar. I’m totally looking forward to a performance which, if not perfectly in tune, will probably be full of joy. Meanwhile, how many of you PopWatchers remember other forgotten examples of Streep singing over the years, in a movie or elsewhere?
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I thought her singing in “Postcards From the Edge” was terrific, especially the final number, “I’m Checking Out”. Additional Fun Fact: When Oliver Stone was set to direct the film of “Evita”, the top contenders for the lead were Streep and Michelle Pfeiffer.
I wanna see this!
The only other Meryl-related musical thing I can think of, other than the ones you listed, is her narration on George Winston’s piano music to “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Probably doesn’t really count, but nonetheless. I can’t wait to see her in this. Whatever proficiency she may lack will more than be made up for in her enthusiasm.
Meryl Streep seems quite capable of doing ANY role – MAMMA MIA is a bit of fluff but I think it will be a perfect summer film and she’ll be fantastic!
She also sings in HEARTBURN… duetting with Jack Nicholson and also singing solo to her babies…
She sings “Itsy Bitsy Spider” in character as a new mother so it’s not exactly on the same scale as MAMMA MIA.
Seriously? Are there people who AREN’T excited by Meryl singing and bringing the quality of a fluff musical up a notch or ten? I think it’s (and she’s) going to be great! Musicals don’t often require perfect pitch 100% of the time (witness Helena Bonham Carter playing a great Mrs. Lovitt while not exactly singing the score to its full operatic potential). Great acting in a musical can trump a not-perfect singing voice (as long as the tune can be carried at some level) every time. And great acting is what Meryl does almost every time.
I’ve heard her singing on the radio to promote “Prairie Home Companion”- her voice is lovely.
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I enjoyed this post, but, your family notwithstanding Christine, I don’t think you should have to defend Meryl Streep’s right to do anything.
I think she’s proven over the years that she can do (and succeed at) whatever the hell she wants.
I burst out laughing when I remembered that opening scene from Death Becomes Her. She does sing well, but the song is so (intentionally) cheesy. If I remember correctly, it was a musical adaptation of Sweet Bird of Youth. While Mamma Mia isn’t my favorite musical by any means, I figure Meryl Streep starring will get me to see it. Honestly though, I’m more interested in hearing Lilly Kane, I mean Amanda Seyfried, sing.
Here’s the real deal guys…. Meryl is WAY too old for the part. One of the larger plot points in the play is how her character gave birth at a very young age. She is supposed to be a young woman that all the boys still want, not some 60-something gray-haired mature lady. She got the part soley because she is Meryl Streep.
Meryl sings “Gartan Mother’s Lullabye” on the 1991 Disney CD “For Our Children” – a nursery staple of ours when our daughter was a baby. It’s a beautiful song on a beautiful CD. Meryl is going to tear “Mama Mia” up!
I’ve seen every one of Meryl Streep’s movies and I have heard her sing. I think she is perfect in every role she does. I love her. As for her voice, its not always on key, but she does a great job anyway. So Meryl sing on. she will be an asset to Mama Mia. She and Lily Tomlim were wonderful in Prairie Home Companion. So sing on Meryl. Love you. Eva from Virginia
To Josh – Streep is NOT too old for the part… (and for the record, she’s only 58 so not quite “60-something”).
Maybe you’re a purist for the original material but source material such as books or plays are almost ALWAYS tweaked for their film versions.
And I’m sure there are still plenty of men (and/or boys) that want her!
Michael H. is right. I’m 25 y.o. and I WANT Meryl Streep!
Check out this other trailer (which I believe is from the UK). It’s longer and it shows more of the movie AND more of the singing. Streep sounds (and looks) AMAZING. I can’t WAIT for this to come out!
Interesting that some people can’t believe La Streep can sing.
For what it’s worth, here’s what I know: Back in the spring of 1980, a dear friend called to tell me that HER oldest BF from high school was visiting from New Jersey, and that we were all three going to a movie. The film was “Kramer vs. Kramer” and the “Jersey girls” told me they had both gone to high school with Meryl Streep and wanted to see what was, for me and I think most people, her first “big” movie role. They both also told me (way back then!) that they hoped she’d make a musical, because she was a fantastic singer who had the lead in several of their high school’s musical productions.
So I’ve been waiting all these years for Meryl to sing! Hope it’s worth the wait.
The purpose and point of Mamma Mia as a live stage musical is that the actors on stage do not sing all that well – even though some of the characters were supposedly in a musical group. The lack of vocal perfection makes the audience feel like they could be on stage…it’s alomst karaoke theatre. Mamma Mia as a stage musical has never used high-quality singers in any incarnation, period. Maybe the volume of the songs are so loud live that no one notices this.
That said, Meryl Streep should be great in this role…she has better comedic timing than people give her credit for.
I just saw Mamma Mia live in my city during Christmas holidays, loved it, SO excited about the movie version! I agree Meryl’s a wee bit too old to play the 40-something Mom (no matter what others say, the Mom in MMia is a VERY young Mom, had her kid very young). But that said, Meryl Streep can do pretty much anything, so she’ll probably pull it off (and the make-up artist can worry about covering up her wrinkles).
I love Meryl’s voice and hoped that she would be Evita many years ago but as we all know that didn’t happen. I think Mamma Mia will give moviegoers a chance to see this hidden talent of hers and we’ll be blow away!
I absolutely LOVED seeing the trailer. I can’t wait to see Ms. Streep in this movie. ‘Mamma Mia!!’
Love Mamma Mia and Meryl, but c’mon she’s too old to play this part. Michelle Pfeiffer would have been a better fit being 10 years younger (and she can sing too). Sorry, but even the great Meryl Street has to face ageism in Hollywood.
How often does any actor play their actual age in a role? It’s very normal for an actor to play 10+ years younger than their actual age. As long as she can translate the fun of the show into the movie, it’ll work.
Wait – someone needs to be defended for wanting to sing ABBA tunes? What horrible fascist country have I found myself in?
I knew Meryl Streep narrated “The Velveteen Rabbit”! She has a soothing voice and I find her singing more tolerable than Michelle Pfeiffer [I wish she could have read me a story or two]…I think she is great…singing, sobbing–she can do it all!
PS is right. I think it’s actually news when a performer acts their age (Jack Nicholson in “About Schmidt” for example), than when they play someone younger.
Also, look at that picture on the right…that easily looks like someone in their 40s (maybe even late 30s)
Honestly, Meryl could sing – or read – the phone book and I’m there. She rocks.
Count me in as one of those who think (and absolutely NOTHING against Ms. Streep!!) the character is a much younger woman…in my mind, veeery early 40’s. It’s about a woman (who had a baby at a very young, very irresponsible, very care-free time in her life) marrying off ,in turn, her young daughter.
I’m sure Meryl has the chops to play it…it just doesn’t seem right to me.
But I’m sure, being such a huge MM fan, I’ll see it anyway.
Meryl is awesome. She’ll be great in Mamma Mia. What can’t she do?
Meryl sang live in theatre often in her younger years – including the lead in a musical ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (available on dvd – she’s great!) and the lead in Brecht/Weill’s ‘Happy End’ in NY for which she won raves. She is very much a legit singer … and those who think she is too old for the role – you are all idiots!!
She sang back up on a Carly Simon song, “Two Little Sisters,” which appeared in her film “Marvin’s Room.” She’s pretty good, and you can hear her if you listen closely. And of course, she almost played the title role in the film “Evita.”