The most demanding roles in musical theatre?- Page 2

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 3:24am

I've always said that Enjolras is probably the most difficult role in Les Misérables because it's the most unconventionally written.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 6:57pm

Elle Woods sings on nearly every song in Legally Blonde.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 7:33pm

I would have to agree with Elle Woods, the girl hardly ever leaves the stage and sings on most songs in the show as well as it been quite a dance role and comic acting role.

Also Frankie in Jersey Boys.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 3:14am

Frankie in Jersey Boys isn't too challenging. If you have that type of voice, which you'd have to play the role, it isn't that challenging for theatre. Not much movement etc...

Rose, Sweeney, Lovett, Sally in Follies is tricky, Mame, Reno, Harold from the Music Man, Valjean, Phantom, Elphaba, Norma Desmond, Eva Peron, Barnum, Charity Hope Valentine, Sally Bowles

I think any show that the musical centres on as the main driving plot that requires the character in most if not all scenes with strong story telling acting, complex score/vocal range and dance are demanding roles

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 3:58am

Also Sally in Follies, Velma in Chicago, Will Rogers in Will Rogers' Follies, Guido in Nine, Lily and Oscar in On the Twentieth Century, Fanny in Funny Girl, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Porgy and Bess, Mack & Mabel and Ruth in Wonderful Town. I think Annie deserves a shout-out.

Sally is very challenging because the score is hard but the acting is very difficult. It's hard to give a performance that doesn't divide people. Going through that journey nightly is very difficult for an actor too.

Updated On: 7/10/12 at 03:58 AM

[philitalia]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 4:05am

Don Quixote in Man Of La Mancha

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 4:36am

Yeah id forgotten about Elle in Legally Blonde. A big sing but also tough to get the acting and characterisation right, its a physical and comic role.

[06s091]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 5:56am

I'd forgotten one: Jekyll/Hyde

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 7:24am

I'm not sure I'd agree with Porgy and Bess...

[peggyb2]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 7:56am

Not in the same league as previous suggestions perhaps but Galileo in WWRY can't be an easy sing?

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 10:59pm

Porgy and Bess are defiantly more vocally challenging than the likes of Phantom and nothing is pre-recorded.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/11/12 at 3:13am

Yes but they're conventionally written, for proper trained singers they are no problem. Not to mention they're not as emotionally draining as the likes of Phantom.

[Bob30]

Posted: 7/11/12 at 2:32pm

Wouldn't Bess be a more emotionally draining role than the Phantom?
I mean the poor girl gets raped, is bitched about constantly, gets high, stalked and has to leave the love of her life!

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 7/11/12 at 5:26pm

Yes, Bess is more emotionally demanding. Bess is far more vocally demanding than Phantom. Audra couldn't handle Bess for 8 performances a week. She was often out and now she has an alternate. Bess has been known to have 3 performers share the part. Phantom isn't even in the same league.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/11/12 at 6:23pm

In which case we'll have to agree to disagree :)

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/11/12 at 7:19pm

Danny Devito in the Sunshine Boys.

[theatrepaul]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 10:19am

I have to agree with Clap Yo'Hands. I saw Sweeney Todd again last night and Mrs Lovett really is a TOUGH character to play, there are so many facets to her character which demand so much of the actor playing the part.

Imelda Staunton like Julia McKenzie and Angela Lansbury before her really has nailed the part brilliantly, capturing the varying sides of her complex character in superb style.

[Jack Maloney]

Posted: 3/1/16 at 5:29pm

Guido Contini in Nine

literally onstage the entire show and sings like 12 demanding songs not to mention the acting is more crucial than anything and is hard to pull off

Mama Rose in Gypsy

enough said.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 8:28pm

The Witch in Into The Woods I would say is a pretty demanding role. 

[Whileshesleeps]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 5:51am

I think there are a number of factors to consider:

* Vocal Challenge of the score

* Volume of songs

* Physical demands of the role (including dance)

* Emotional demands of the role

* Time on stage

For a male there aren't many musical leads I've seen over the years which are more demanding vocally or emotionally draining than Sweeny Todd. I think the same can be said for the Mrs Lovett part too. I think last years Harrington's Pie and Mash Shop intimate staging with Jeremy Secomb and Siobhan McCarthy demanded so much of the leads they must have been on their knees at the end of each performance. They both owned the roles.I would say better than the

Other shows I've seen that have blown me away with the performances of leads giving their everything to demanding roles were:

Elaine Paige - Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard played the role with vulnerability, utter madness and  manipulating power (Patti Lupone had great presence but left me cold, Betty Buckley was a lot better (but re-written part for better impact, Petula Clark just camped it up and played it for laughs)

Alice Ripley - Next To Normal - I think the most intense and demanding performance I've ever seen. 

KIki Dee - Blood Brothers - whilst not the most demanding of shows, her rendition of Tell Me Its Not True left her still visibly upset and drained during the applause for the show which followed the song.

Helen Sjoholm - Kristina in Kristina From Duvemala - despite seeing a show not sung in English she lived the role. Three hours and forty minutes of constant singing with only 3 scenes not on stage. Not only does the part expect technical excellence of having an enormous vocal range but requires brilliant acting too. Death, famine, starvation, life threatening illness, persecution, emigration, hard labour and more death. I can see why its been such a hard role to cast. 

[Jessetenny]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 4:36pm

I would say Celie in TCP is pretty demanding. Emotionally and vocally.

[luke-h***]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 6:53pm

Every Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers plays the old "still crying during the applause" card. It is a draining performance, but that's a parlour trick. Probably part of the contract by now.  

Hedwig. One man show. In drag, including big ol' stilettos. Lots of movement, and not the most conventionally written singing for a Musical Theatre performer. And of course, Madame Rose, Guido Contini, Evita, Phantom et. al.

[evic]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 5:06pm

Anna in The King And I -not only the singing but the costume changes.

Fanny in Funny Girl.- same as above

PT.Barnum in Barnum-singing and walking on a wire

Everybody in Dancin' and Fosse. ask all of the injured dancers why.

Everybody in Cats- see above