Oh What A Circus - Colm Wilkinson

Colm Wilkinson played Che in the original recording of Evita. Here he sings Oh What A Circus as the opening number in his PBS special.

[@alGonjad]

He may not have the accent of Banderas, but he certainly has the voice for the role! Amazing, my favourite tenor

[@jaynemcfadden3361]

My favourite singer in the world

[@MyAngel278]

The way he sings "ever" in "how can we ever get by without her," oh my God, I love this man.

[@jaynemcfadden4258]

seen colm sing live and he took my breath away xx

[@jaynemcfadden3361]

I love Colm Wilkinson. My favourite ever performer x

[@GoldAndSilver988]

I remember watching this PBS special when it first aired. I wish the entire show was available on KZbin.

[@Martin-es8mb]

Right after the tenth anniversary concert of Les Miserables.

[@JCKAMK]

Colm was the original Che' (in the studio). David Essex was first on the London stage, then Mandy Patinkin on Broadway. If you haven't heard the concept album w/ Colm & Julie Covington, do it! it's the best IMO. Lots of energy

[@batekush8135]

And patti was the first Broadway Eva!

[@finlaynixon2531]

Yes the original concept album is so much better than any stage show version it's like a different thing entirely. Unbelievable, musically is sommuch more complex and unbelievable

[@byzantineladybug9471]

@@finlaynixon2531 I agree! I grew up listening to the Evita 1976 concept album and it is my favorite version. Other versions are very good but I inevitably compare them back to the concept album. Colm & Julie Covington are, to me, the best in a field of really excellent performers. When I started watching Homeland and saw Mandy Patinkin playing Saul, I immediately burst out saying “hey, he played Che in Evita!”

[@MarthalieThurstonSachemPiper]

Colm Wilkinson is always the top drawer.

[@MsPgyl]

two of my favorite, colm wilkinson + what a circus!!

[@jocelyneskennedy]

Wow... Amazing!

[@atlaslamb6876]

My uncle rules! He did everything for years!

[@Jen-Yueh_Hu]

The arrangement is the issue. It is a shortened version and because it is the opening number, they turned it into a super cheery song, which takes away the severity of the situation that Che was warning about, that is the whole nation got enthralled by politicians.

[@multimakeupdoll]

I love him

[@martinpatrick1746]

Veljean in Les Miserables,the Phantom in the original Broadway production..and the priest in the film version of Les Miserables he gave Hugh Jackman as Veljean his blessings.

[@martinpatrick1746]

I saw COLM live in a production of Broadway songs mostly from ALW,and I think he did a couple of songs from Evita.

[@sep425]

Oh my god..."Casa Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrosada, crying Eva Peron!" I thought I was going to die!!! :D *fan's self in fangirl frenzy*

[@deanrooney5631]

The Original...The Best !

[@GothicaBeauty]

David Essex all the way.

[@kathrinanorthcott4880]

My god his voice is unreal my late dad dick Hamilton introduced me to him best thing he ever done in my life he is unreal

[@tsubaki4106]

Valjean makes a fine Che, that’s for sure.

[@BubblesKat]

No, Colm was on the original concept recording. Mandy Patinkin played him originally on the stage though.

[@miketwinny]

Mandy on Broadway, David Essex in the West end

[@sjmcbrearty]

love it! Although by the way he's moving and sounding, Colm might have partaken in some reefer madness before going on stage!

[@terry1157]

Inferior to David Essex

[@bethanybakely5488]

Colm was great. Background singers were not

[@NewtonFinn]

I fucking love you Colm, but you're too damn White and Irish for this song! Haha!

[@zoeloveridge1]

I agree, Colm is brilliant in every way, but listening to this I have found the one song he sings where his version isn't my favourite....I'm an Antonio Banderas girl through and through when it comes to Che

[@showeyes]

The Original!

[@marnistone6153]

It's funny how Colm Wilkinson played Ché, because Philip Quast (Javert from the "Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert) went on to play Juan Peron :)

[@EVITANDY]

Marni Stone why is that funny? Phillip Quast is a classy actor, and Colm Wilkinson is a one-trick-pony! Obvious to me

[@adamdrummer1991]

The only thing wrong...it doesn’t go Regina Perron at the beginning, it’s just salve salve Regina

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

Why did they leave out the middle part of the song?

[@djcena123]

:)

[@mimihoneycutt891]

What's he smoking? He sings the heck out of it, but he sounds like an ex-pat in Spain enjoying himself too much 😀

[@martinpatrick1746]

Played Judas in the original Dublin production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

[@WillowLackett]

I love him. so. much. but he just cannot hit that right spanish-argentinian flare needed to make this perfect.

[@VonBraunsky]

Yeah I love Antonio Banderas in that role

[@justess797]

It's not like Mandy Patinkin had it...

[@jsybaz100]

I think that Colm is a fantastic musical theatre performer, but this is a concert for TV, which usually means a time restriction and as such, parts of songs will be omitted and there will be a faster tempo. OWAC isn't a song that lends itself to that treatment, so (and I hate to say it) it is probably the worst I've heard him sing any song. It will be better to form an opinion using the version on the concept album. Edit: Just listened to the concept album version - as I suspected, it's much better.

[@annieb105]

The David Essex version is far better than this. David Essex played Che in the original West End production of Evita.

[@MadameChristie]

Annie B Nah, Mandy Pantinkin knocks him out of the water

[@bubbsmaster1222]

Marti pellow by a country mile

[@jaynemcfadden3361]

We all have our favourites. Xx. Colm is my idol. I did like the David Essex version though x

[@Ben-yj8ye]

I like both Essex and Wilkinson. Spoiled me for any other renditions

[@ingriddubbel8468]

Wow! Mandy Patinkin has no competition at all. The disco intro was just sad. Mandy Patinkin has a beautiful voice This guy is pedestrian.

[@gabs_ara]

IS HE YOUR UNCLE?!

[@bam4511]

Dies Ires Disco Remix. Bless you, Colm, but...really?

[@ilsaruthen5478]

Colm Wilkinson is wonderful, but not in this video. It isn't him - his voice sounds great - it's the arrangement that turns "Circus" into a pop song. As others have said, Michael Ball does it much better in his "Both Sides Now" concert.

[@DSdude3]

Mandy Patinkin was actually the original Che. The sound really similar though haha

[@Ben-yj8ye]

Michael Bradley no it’s Colm. Then David Essex.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Actually, Colm was the first Che in the Concept Album with Julie Covington. The original stage Che was David Essex, though.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

He makes a far better Che than Phantom, but not as good as his Valjean.

[@VonBraunsky]

Antonio Banderas did a better male voice

[@piahansen4179]

Michael ball sings it better and antonio banderas

[@user-uk7pp8ic7u]

True Michael ball IT'S the best even better than David Essex.

[@TheSmithDorian]

I guess most people's initial reaction as they listen to this is along the lines of - 'Oh no, the backing singers are going to ruin this'. Then Wilkinson starts to do his bit and all of a sudden you're thinking that the backing singers are not the worst singers on the stage after all. It's not that Wikinson is bad - it's that he's so bad that you feel violated on some level just from having heard him. He looks like Joe Cocker,wearing someone else's clothes, he moves like Tom Jones recovering from a stroke and he sings like a backing singer from a third rate Cabaret show. This is even worse that his recording on the Evita concept album ..... and who'd have thought they'd ever hear somebody say that?

[@ChristopherGarcia77]

You seem to be in the minority on this one. Colm Wilkinson is one of the greatest theater singers of the past 30 years.

[@mikebuckley87]

Amen to that... The guy is amazing!

[@TheSmithDorian]

Christopher Garcia Well, we're both in the ,minority - the majority of people have never heard of him. However, whether he is, as you claim "one of the greatest theater singers of the past 30 years." or not isn't the point. The issue is how well does he perform this song here in this video. I would say - not very well. If you didn't already know about his history with Les Mis, The Phantom etc. and you just heard this performance on its own, I don't think you would think this was anything more than ordinary at best. Particularly when you hear bits like 2:07 - 2:20.

[@TheSmithDorian]

***** Absolutely. Oh What A Circus - David Essex Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington.

[@Ben-yj8ye]

This isn’t his best performance but he’s a far better singer than any of us. His worst singing is better than your best singing.

[@rosiesummer2711]

This is rather sad it is like a 70s country ballad. Not something serious and sombre. :/

[@Ben-yj8ye]

Rosie Summer yeah, it sounded pretty karaoke. They modified it accordingly for the movie.

[@pringwalt]

you may be the only person in the world who thinks Colm Wilkinson has no depth to his voice....a very lonely position, indeed.

[@terry1157]

Inferior to David Essex

[@bluehorizon9613]

Hahahahaha ! He's rotten ! Banderas is A LOT BETTER... None come CLOSE thought to David Essex !

[@imisstoronto3121]

Mandy Pantinkin, even David Essex was better as Che than this guy. I don't think there's anything particularly interesting or novel about his performance.

[@EVITANDY]

I’ve always found him to be totally overrated. “Emperor’s new clothes” syndrome. He is heralded as wonderful because he is publicly seen as wonderful amongst the theatre know-it-alls. In my opinion he is a one-trick pony, who made good in Les Mis and is therefore seen as brilliant. He really isn’t ! I will obviously be shouted down for having an opinion, but please prove me wrong. This particular performance isn’t a good example as to why I’m wrong 😂

[@liamconnolly9233]

hardly a one trick pony but I agree he murders this song

[@martinhagerty]

No depth to this guy's voice. Michael Ball's version mucho mejor.

[@fish1648]

bull shit what do you have wax in you ears

[@terry1157]

Rubbish , David Essex miles better

[@PAUL2078]

give paul j a try much better than this rubbish

[@pamelabosworth1577]

Love him Xx