Jim On Film
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Barrie Ingham--A performer of both soaps as well as the stage, Ingham found his niche in the Disney canon as the voices of both Basil of Baker Street and Bartholomew the drunk mouse in The Great Mouse Detective. In 2001, Ingham closed in the Broadway show Jekyll and Hyde, performing the role of Sir Danvers Carew, which he originated on Broadway. On the Original Broadway Cast Recording (the third recording of the show), Ingham gets the opportunity to sing in a number of the amazing Frank Wildhorn/Leslie Bricusse songs, including "Facade," "Letting Go," and the awesome "His Work--And Nothing More." Perhaps of more interest is the video and DVD recording available of the show (which stars the almost satisfactory David Hasselhoff and an amazing Broadway cast) which includes Barrie Ingham.

Jodi Benson (second from right) and the cast from The Little Mermaid II
(c) Disney

Jodi Benson--Before her 1989 starring role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Benson performed on Broadway. Since then, she has starred as the voice of Weebo in Flubber, the hilarious Tour Guide Barbie in Toy Story 2, as well as making appearances in all the incarnations of The Little Mermaid, and performing voices for straight-to-video features. Since Ariel, she has also made several albums.

Crazy for You was the 1992 Broadway musical in which Benson starred as Polly Baker in this "new Gershwin musical comedy" that was comprised of classic Gershwin tunes. This dance-heavy show features some of Gershwin’s best-known songs, and you can hear Benson sing "Embracable You" and perform duets on "Shall We Dance," "I Got Rhythm," and others. Her versatile voice is as beautiful as ever in this recording. If you should check this out, be aware that there are two recordings, and Benson only appears on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.

After Ariel, Benson also performed vocal roles for several non-Disney characters both on television and on film. In Don Bluth’s Thumbelina (which also featured Aladdin’s Gilbert Gottfried as the speaking voice of Mr. Beetle), Benson got the opportunity to shine in some cheerful songs from Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman, and Jack Feldman, the trio who wrote "Perfect Isn’t Easy" for Disney’s Oliver & Company (Feldman also wrote the lyrics for Newsies and A Goofy Movie as well). Just as the movie is a little too kid-oriented, some of the songs are performed as such. Still, Benson shines in the role as she performs some fine songs, including the hilarious "On the Road" with Charo, the superior ballad "Let Me Be Your Wings" with Gary Imhoff, and the solo "Soon." While the album may no longer be available new, it probably can be found used.

(c) Disney

Paige O’Hara--Since her turn in 1991 as Belle is Disney’s beloved Beauty and the Beast, O’Hara has recreated and recreated the role for countless videos and television specials, including performing traditional Christmas songs on the soundtrack for the straight-to-video sequel. But before Belle, O’Hara was a stage performer who performed in shows such as Les Miserables. Since Belle, she has released two non-Disney albums.

Loving You is a 1995 album from Varese Sarabande comprised of Jerry Herman songs. On it, she performs songs from Herman’s best-known shows as well as a few lesser-knowns. Some of the highlights are O’Hara’s spirited medley of "Open a New Window" (from Mame) and "Before the Parade Passes By" (from Hello, Dolly!) as well as the sassy "So Long Dearie" (also from Hello, Dolly!) O’Hara is a versatile performer, and though it is easy to recognize the familiarity of the favorite Disney heroine, the listener never envisions Belle singing these songs. While the album is several years old, the timeless interpretation and timelessness of the selections make it an enjoyable listen now.

Dream With Me is a 1998 album from Intersound dedicated to lullabies, which should make it a listening experience solely for children, but many of the selections on the album are endearing classics and with O’Hara’s endearing renditions, it is irresistible. Most notable for Disney fans is her beautiful performance of "Beauty and the Beast" as well as her duet with Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid on "When You Wish Upon a Star." Besides these, she has a duet with Michael Piontek singing "Somewhere Out There" from the non-Disney An American Tale, "Tender Shepard" from the Broadway Peter Pan, and a medley that includes "’Til There Was You" and "Goodnight, My Someone" from The Music Man. The gentle lullaby orchestrations and O’Hara’s beautiful voice will keep any Disney fan unable to fall asleep.