Performers You Used to Dislike, but Now... not so much

[ReggieonBway]

Thought I would make an opposing thread, one that's a little more positive :)

Mine is Jeremy Jordan. The first time I saw Jeremy was at the Paper Mill in Newsies, and aside from his incredible belt I wasn't too enthralled with his voice. Then I caught him in an audition for a revival and discovered that his classical side is incredible. I've also grown to love his pop voice outside of Newsies.

[AC126748]

Kelli O'Hara struck me as not much more than a bland ingenue for a long time, but she's proven herself a bit more eclectic and interesting recently.

[PurpleFanta]

There was always something about Celia Keenan-Bolger that just irked me, and I never really cared for her. But after seeing her in Merrily We Roll Along and Peter and the Starcatcher, I have totally changed my mind. And now I'm really excited to see her in The Glass Menagerie.

[Idiot]

Digging waaaay back to the seventies, Liza Minelli bothered me to no end. Once I got used to her presentation, I started to appreciate her. Now I find her more of a deserving legend than camp. That woman COMMITS.

[broadwaybabe1234]

I didn't love Laura Osnes for a while but now i think she is a very talented soprano.

[qolbinau]

I thought Sutton Foster was boring in WHISTLE, and one of the more insightful comments on the forum "(Luckiest chorus girl in the world)" really rings true for me. But I enjoyed her a lot in ANYTHING GOES.

[little_sally]

I've had a change of heart on Celia as well after seeing her in Peter. Same goes for Christian Borle.

[BroomstickBoy]

Jeremy Jordan has a classical side?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Chad Douglas, maybe?

[FindingNamo]

I had no rational reason for disliking Christian Borle but I have loved him since going on the Angels in America journey with him.

[GlindatheGood22]

Patti. I became a fan after I heard, "He supports you..."

[BroomstickBoy]

I never had a dislike for him, just didn't pay much attention to his work or whatever, but since the Evita revival I cannot get enough of Max Von Essen.

I think I'm in love.

[eatlasagna]

Matt Bogart... I find his voice to be quite intriguing now... before it just used to bother me

[newintown]

I didn't like Jessie Mueller much in Clear Day or Into The Woods, but liked her much in Edwin Drood. Go figure.

[SonofRobbieJ]

I disliked THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE to such an intense degree, that I it bled over into an intense dislike for Sutton Foster. But, I've grown to love her. A lot.

[doodlenyc]

Laura Benanti. I disliked her so much in Nine, and hated her interpretation of my favorite song that I just didnt get why she'd been nominated for Tony awards. She was out of Into the Woods when I saw it.

I was upset she was cast in Gypsy. Then I saw it at City Center....twice.

[ReggieonBway]

"Jeremy Jordan has a classical side?"

Haha, yep :) There's a recording of him duetting with Laura Osnes on her Cafe Carlyle CD on Anything You Can Do. He has this fabulous rich vibrato-filled voice that I didn't realize he was capable of.

[castlestreet]

I had soured on LuPone for the longest time, but after seeing her in Gypsy and then twice at 54 Below I can't help but love her!

[OKBroadwayFan]

Bernadette Peters---when I first saw her on TV and movies in the early 80's. Felt she was really mousy.
NOW----I adore her. Loved her in Follies and in A Little Night Music.

[Bettyboy72]

Used to abhor Patti-Gypsy and WOTV brought me around."Invisible" from WOTV is a master class in telling a story through song.

I sometimes forget how gorgeous Laura Benanti's singing voice is because she is so sexy and funny. But damn, she's got pipes!

I used to hate Constantine until oddly enough I saw him in ROA. He has dymanic stage presence and can sings his nuts off. He's quite the performer.

[ajh]

JULIA MURNEY! She is such an unconventional, idiosyncratic, one-off talent (and look). Am not sure at which point the scales fell from my eyes and the plugs fell from my ears, but now I embrace the fact that she is not some cookie-cutter diva, and I love her enthralling voice, fearless acting and off-beat beauty. It is such a joy to be proved wrong (sometimes).

Although I wouldn't say that I disliked him as such, my attitude to Justin Johnston changed drastically after seeing him as Roger in the recent off-B'way RENT. Having enjoyed his (somewhat generic but thoroughly committed) Angel in the final B'way cast, I thought it was madness for him to be going into the new version as Roger. Again, a delight to be proved wrong: he was a tortured sensation, redefining the role for me and eclipsing all the previous Rogers I'd seen (including Adam Pascal).

[Nettik]

Kristin Chenoweth. I've never been a fan of the bubbly blonde personality, and thought she was a one-trick pony when my only exposures to her were YAGMCB and Wicked.

Then I heard her classically-trained work ("Glitter and Be Gay" comes to mind) and I was instantly a fan.

[mamaleh]

It took me a full minute to realize that YAGMCB means YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN. Just "Charlie Brown" would have been clearer.

[Auggie27]

David Hyde Pierce. I think he'll do great work into his old age.

[aaronb]

Anyone who kind of sucks but redeemed themselves with a knowing cameo on EXTRAS.

[Mattbrain]

Said it on the other one but I'll say it again...Sutton Foster. Right when I thought she was getting completely overrated, (maybe because I find those Millie and Little Women overrated) she went and did Drowsy Chaperone and I became a believer.

Also really came around with Laura Osnes. She's really come a long way since her Grease days!