inspectorkaramazova:

i recently heard the lea michele version of “on my own” on glee. i quit after thirty seconds.

Why all the Lea Michele hate? I mean, I’m not a huge fan of her, but she has a decent voice.

I think it mostly comes down to two things: 1.) Glee backlash and 2.) dislike of her performance style. Glee has been one of the most popular television series in the past few years. If you’re a fan of theatre, you can’t get very far without someone eventually mentioning Glee, and with fans comes anti-fans. An association with Glee can be a huge turn-off to many people. While I’m sure the show has brought new fans into the community, I don’t think it has impacted the world of musical theatre (negatively or otherwise) as much as people say it has.

Number two is much more straightforward and self-explanatory. It’s also the reason I’m not a fan of Michele. Based on bootlegs audience capture and what little I’ve seen of Glee (I have no interest in watching that show), I can say that I dislike her acting. She has a decent voice, but it’s not enough to make up for her other (perceived) weaknesses.

ETA: I just listened to the Glee “On My Own” for the first time. I have to say I’m not a fan. I remember seeing the Hollywood Bowl version a while back and I recall not being impressed by that either.