I don't think anyone who actually knows Wayne and Russi can deny the love and care they put into their performances. They don't come upon their characterizations -- or their responsibilties to such important characters -- lightly. It's more than a job. A lot of thought and varied attempts go into their work.
Of course, I cannot be at every session and indeed there are very likely to be some directors and scripts that are better than others. And I also think that any creative professional would be the first to admit that some projects turn out better than others, in fact creative people are quite often their own worst critics. But the roles Wayne and Russi play are not mere voices to them -- they really "get it" and feel strongly about Disney, the way so many of you reading this also do.
I was with Wayne in the studio when he worked on the "Mickey's Magical Workshop" film that was in The Walt Disney Story theater for the WDW 25th anniversary. He worked on each line over and over, added nuances and humor, and all the while Russi was there to add her many many years of experience to make suggestions. I couldn't believe how many times I found myself laughing at what he had added simply with inflections and timing. I've worked with them since then, too, and the experience is always like that. These are not treated as assembly line jobs by these professional, sincerely committed actors.
By the way, if you go to the NFFC Convention in mid-July (www.nffc.org), you can see both of them on a voice actor panel. You can also watch their interview with Leonard Maltin on the Walt Disney Treasures DVD, "Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Volume Two."
While Disney Character Voices always tries to match the replacement actors as closely as possible, whenever a new actor takes on a character they bring a somewhat different fell to it. It can't be helped and sometimes even adds a dimension never there before.
As for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, it follows the very popular format of children's show like Dora the Explorer but it worlds beyond it in execution. The most important thing about it, to me anyway, it that someone finally realized that Mickey's gentle, nice-guy personality was ideally suited to preschoolers, rather than trying in vain to make him hip and edgy to imitate other cable networks. Now generations can grow up with Mickey as a daily TV pal like we did with the Mickey Mouse Club (and let's face it, how much did we see Mickey actually DO on the Mickey Mouse Club?) Whether you like the show or not, at least kids can now see Mickey as more than a corporate symbol or a piece of merchandise in their young years. That's pretty powerful childhood stuff.
Oh, and if you haven't already, you can see Walt doing Mickey in a VO session on an Easter egg hidden on the Mickey Mouse in Color Vol. 2 DVD:
http://www.hiddendvdeastereggs.com/films/33044.html
Whatever the opinion of Wayne and Russi's interpretations, I don't believe they could bring themselves to "phone in" their work. Walt WAS Mickey and a hard act to follow -- just look at his entire company without him! Jimmy McDonald's Mickey was warm and sweet but always struck me as Mister Moose-like. And I love Mister Moose.
Please don't start a thread called, "Is anyone else sick of Mister Moose?"
