I am going to audition for the role of Babe in the Pajama Game for my summer stage company...the piece I have to sing is The Once Was a Man...any advice for the character, how to sing it etc...would be very appreciated
Babe is a strong independant woman. On the surface, she says that she doesn't need a man; a man would make her weak. But I think deep down, all Babe wants is a storybook romance. "There Once was a Man" comes when Babe has just given up her front. She has finally admitted to herself that she loves Sid, and she is just head over heals.
The way Kelli O'Hara sings the role is different than any other, but to me it perfectly characterizes Babe. Her strong brassy belt is what you hear at first, but then she lets that soprano sweetness creep in there as a perfect answer to what she is feeling inside.
