Male Rose's Turn

Hey all,

What song do you all think is the MALE version of Rose's Turn?

I'm trying to think of a power-house of a number like that for a male, but I'm coming up short, but I guess there's gotta be something.

Maybe...Once Before I Go? Any other ideas.

Thanks all

I think only Jackman's performance makes "Once Before I Go" into such a powerhouse number.

But to answer your question...I just don't know if there's a real "Rose's Turn" for men. Let's face it, there have always been more compelling and spectaular parts for women than for men in Broadway theater.

If I had to choose I would say:

"Soliloquoy" - Carousel
"Epiphany" - Sweeney Todd

And...uh...yeah, that about covers it. Though I have a soft spot for "Hedwig's Lament" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, too, you could argue if that's really a male solo. :)

Make Them Hear You, Ragtime
Petrified, Taboo

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what about The Fountain from Sweet Smell of Success? (which everyone hated except me)

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THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM is probably the closest thing you'll find to a male equivilant of ROSE'S TURN. It really is one of the great songs in musical theatre.

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I definitely don't think "Make Them Hear You" is a male "Rose's Turn" at all; it's not a powerhouse number, although it is an important turning point.

Although "The Impossible Dream" is a wonderful song, I think that the closest you can get to a male "Rose's Turn" is "Soliliquoy" from Carousel; it has its solemn, sweet, tender moments and it's loud, brassy, determined moments and is really an internal emotional turning point, similar to Rose's Turn.

Rod's Turn sung by Broadway's cutest red head Rod!
Listen to Tartaglia's concert. I would have loved to have seen it live.

Hmmmmm......tough one. Rose's turn is really a character having a major breakdown.

With that in "Mind" I would have to say the Ben's finale in Follies where he really snaps...and his wife comes on takes him home. "Live, Laugh, Love."

i sort of agree with "i cant make this movie" from nine, it goes with the whole mental breakdown thing, its an 11:00 number and its the major charactors big moment- but i also have to agree that there is no male rose's turn.

I AM WHAT I AM !!!

being alive - company
i am what i am- la cage
this is the moment - jekell and hyde

"There's a number in DO RE MI that is really a male version of "Rose's Turn"."

It's called "All of My Life"--it's not a very good song, as if Jule Styne was trying to follow a formula Sondheim invented for Gypsy, only no one pointed out that "Rose's Turn" was sui generis.

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I think Rose's Turn is just one of the kinds of musicalized nervous breakdowns that have happened before. The other two are Betrayed (The Producers) and Epiphany (Sweeney Todd), both sung by men. They've also been mentioned by others earlier in the thread, but here are some reasons why I think they are...

Betrayed- This one takes the comic route with great success, but their is still something legitimate happening on stage with the character. Like Rose, Max recounts major plot points in the musical (although with just a bit more depth and in a very, very funny way). If done right the number helps you understand Max a little better, which can be just as important as the laughs.

Epiphany- I just saw the LA Tour DVD of Sweeney Todd, so I'm still putting together the pieces of my brain after seeing Lansbury and Hearn's mindblowing performances. The song, Epiphany, is very different from Rose's Turn and Betrayed, because it's not an 11 o'clock number, but the emotional explosion that happens on stage is still very similar to them. Also, like the other two numbers, it has that audience participation factor.

The main thing the songs all have in commmon is that they really only work well on stage. Whether it's Sweeney screaming at you, Max making funny stage/theater based jokes, or Mama Rose taking those final bows, something really hits that makes you realize how great and unique the theater really is.

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Updated On: 5/9/04 at 04:03 AM