Most Difficult Broadway Song To Sing?- Page 2

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:13pm

A LOT of Last 5 Years. There are so many lyrics and not a lot of places to breathe in those songs. Also, JRB's songs tell a story so you have to sing them a certain way to make it as if you were telling a story.
Updated On: 11/22/06 at 07:13 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:22pm

For me two of the hardest were "Later" from A Little Night Music (while playing the cello), and "Molases To Rum" from 1776 for sheer stamina.

I would also add (not from experience):

Glitter and Be Gay
And I'm Tellin' You I'm Not Goin'

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:35pm

I think we are dealing with two different classes of songs
Some of these are hard but not crazy. I would think that most trained singers, or people would be able to sing them. A fair percentage of "Broadway singers", would be able to do this stuff. I am talking about the L5y, SFANW, Wicked Stuff, Etc.
Stuff like Pity the child, Rainbow high, I would say that maybe 1% have the chops for that stuff. TO compare the difficulty of shiksa goddess to Pity the child is a true apples to oranges comparison.

Updated On: 11/22/06 at 07:35 PM

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:37pm

Sorry let me clarify. I think that Shiksa Goddess is hard, but it isn't "The most difficult Broadway song" as per the title of this thread

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:37pm

Glitter and Be Gay
Your Daddy's Son
Flying Home
The I Love You Song

Although, obviously training varies.

[fetzles1490]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 7:41pm

I DEFINITELY agree with your daddy's son. that song is HARD. vocally and especially emotionally.

and flying home is definitely challenging too.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 8:08pm

One Song Glory

[elvisitis1302]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 8:08pm

"Your Name" from Marie Christine is SO HARD.
From LaChiusa's Wild Party, "Gin" is also very difficult.
And, of course I agree with Not Getting Married Today.

And anyone who says Defying Gravity is the hardest song is high.
Along with Think of Me.

I guess that's just my opinion, but I think it's pretty right...

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 8:17pm

Glory should not be on this list! We are talking about Superlatives here. "MOST DIFFICULT BROADWAY SONG TO SING" people!
I could do my favorite thing-Swinging a dead cat on West 45th st, and hit 10 guys who could sing it.
New argentina and Pity the Child-I would be lucky to hit one person who could do those.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 8:21pm

"I Read" from Passion is very difficult as the accompment offers no help melodically and the tempo frequently changes. Also very difficult to nail acting wise. If the actor isn't fully committed to the character, Fosca doesn't work, and the whole show is ruined and that's her intro. Donna Murphy mastered it.

I'd imagine Sunday pretty difficult to sing as well. Of course, Sondheim is seldom easy.

I can't seem to think of any songs that seem horribly difficult range wise.

[Hank]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 9:26pm

"GLITTER AND BE GAY"

Wow! That's a tough one to beat!

[Boq101]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 9:38pm

"Glitter and be Gay" unless you're barbara cook or cheno
"And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going"self explanatory
"Women Are We" candide concert, not sung often
"Not Getting Married Today" long,fast
"Giants in the Sky"hardest sondheim i ever did,lol
"A Little Bit of Good" for a guy anyway...
Updated On: 11/22/06 at 09:38 PM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 9:49pm

the title song from THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

[Boq101]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 11:23pm

lol, SO TRUE!

I think that "I Am What I Am" could be constituted as a hard song to sing because of the feeling and power behind it. Many singers oculd sing it but it would kind of vacant to me. I mean I've only heard three men do that song justice: Hearn, Engel, and Beach.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 11:32pm

I sang Giants in the Sky and I LOVE the song but like you said: NO AIR!! lol

I Am What I Am is extremly hard to sing!

[thepopularone]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 11:36pm

I also think that "And I Am Telling You" from DG is extremely hard. Not that no one can hit the notes. But to be able to belt it (without killing ur voice) and really blow the audience away with compassion and debth is pretty challenging.

[Boq101]

Posted: 11/22/06 at 11:37pm

this is one of the few times i've seen three people on this board agree on something, kind of scary (in a nice way)

[kelzama]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 12:10am

speaking of patter songs: The Miller's Son.

[canirollerskate]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 12:32am

The tirade section of the Octet from The Light in the Piazza is extremely difficult to sing; the intervals, the syntax, the tessitura. That takes some surefire power of placement... all while emotionally breaking down.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 1:12am

Actually I think Giants in the Sky ends on an F#, but I've sung it and if you are really careful of where you breathe I don't think it's too difficult. Also, in my opinion Shiksa Goddess is easier to sing than a lot of other songs in TL5Y, especially since it's at the beginning of the show before you're worn out.

I agree with Pity The Child, and maybe Lost In The Wilderness from Children of Eden.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 1:28am

You didn't actually play the cello, did you, best12bars? When Eddie Korbich played Henrik at Equity Library Theatre in the '80s he played the cello. I wonder how many other Henriks have done it. It seemed pretty tough. Surprising that John Doyle hasn't done ALNM yet, at least not here.

But playing Henrik must be a bitch no matter: what, going up to that B in "Later" while at least miming playing the cello and then a couple of minutes later in the trio having to hit a low G, though you don't have to sustain it or be especially loud. And I know that what's in the score there isn't always done. Lots of Henriks, including I think Mark Lambert, sing something different.

[DramaLady2010]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 2:21am

I would disagree with Glitter and Be Gay-it all sits in the same range, and if you've got those notes, it's really not THAT hard to sing once you get all the rhythms and pitches settled...

To belt "Once Upon A Time" at the end there is fairly difficult...

"The Worst Pies in London" can be hard to switch from chesty/mix to head or to keep it in a mix...

in general I think songs that switch registers regularly can be difficult to master...

I don't know...I feel like if you work on anything for a while, it's going to sound just fine (assuming you've got talent and training and all that)...so I don't really know how to categorize what's "difficult"...what is? how much time you spend on it? haha.
hm.


Updated On: 11/23/06 at 02:21 AM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 2:56am

Well, I suppose "Glitter and Be Gay" isn't too difficult to sing if you're a high soprano with a range of more than two octaves (which, admittedly, most high sopranos have) and a genuine facility with coloratura.

But not all that many people can sound good from a C-sharp to a high E-flat. (Well, it's true that Cunegonde doesn't actually have to sound too good on that C-sharp, which can be done as sort of a wail. She only has to sound good from E-flat to E-flat. Just two octaves.) And I would think that a lot of otherwise good sopranos would come to grief with the coloratura. I don't think all those Ha-ha-ha's are easy to do correctly. They might not be that tough to sort of approximate, but I don't think it's easy to do them correctly.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 2:59am

Many people have already hit on the obvious super difficult songs (and I'm telling you.., Glitter and be Gay), but there are other songs that are deceptively difficult. "I Cain't Say No" constantly switches over what normally constitues the "break" in the female voice, making it very tricky to manuver. Also, I've always thought "Ya Got Trouble" to be very difficult out of stamina issues, and "Your Fault" due to wildly tricky rhythms. I've also found "Say it Somehow" to be really tough - the harmony is tricky. Lots of stuff in "The Light in the Piazza" is a bitch - "Aiutami" comes to mind.

Ensemble singing can also be difficult when there are tricky rhythms and harmonies. "Atlantic City" from Ragtime is deceptively difficult, as is the title song to "Company", "Hymn to Dionysus", and other Sondheim stuff.

Really, this is a tough question to answer. A lot of things can make a song difficult, and sometimes, you don't realize how difficult it is until you're actually singing it alone. I think certain songs may be difficult for some, but not for others, so this is a very subjective topic.

[broadjay]

Posted: 11/23/06 at 4:36am

I totaly agree with all those who say, "Giants in the sky" theres no wear for air and you nedd excellent diction.
I also think "Buddies blues" from 'follies' if done as the solo arrangement doing all parts by yourself, it's flat out incrediable and taxing as hell, it takes a certain kinda performer to pull that song of remotely well.
"Glitter and be gay", of course, but it's also in a league of it's own.
"The millers son" rythm are extremly difficult, and theres alot of demanding sounds to make in that song, to nail it!
I'm sure this debate could go one for ages and I do think as (someone said earlier- forgive me forgetting who said) that some songs like "flying home" are a case of either you got the chops for it or you don't and that is one hell of a diffucult song!