1776 Previews Tonight — Page 6

Molasses to Rum has several high sustained G-flats (or is it Gs)? It's been to long for me. But yes, it sits in the upper register, particularly when the auction starts and then the ending. I was sort of a bari-tenor back then, so it suited my voice well, but a true baritone would struggle with the song key as written, and it's usually played by a tenor, albeit a tenor with a rich lower range.

Also, it's a very difficult role vocally, because of the construction of the entire show. As Rutledge, I essentially sat and listened and waited with an occasional line or two of dialogue, and a little to sing for Cool, Considerate Men (not much). Then comes your big scene with a five-and-a-half minute tour-de-force at full volume and power. No matter how much I warmed up before the show or how comfortable it sat in my "belt' range, I still struggled from vocal fatigue throughout the run. I spoke with Mary Bracken Phillips, who came to see our production. She had replaced Betty Buckley as Martha on Broadway, and when I explained how I was doing every trick I could think of to keep from growing hoarse, she said they ran through Rutledges a lot on Broadway for that very reason. Everybody who played it (back then) struggled with vocal fatigue.

I played Henrik in A Little Night Music the year before, and despite the far more demanding vocal range (not to mention sitting and playing the cello while hurling out an exasperated high B), I had no vocal trouble with the role or the run.

It's all about that long, silent waiting period before you suddenly turn into Sweeney Todd at the auction block.

I always thought of it as being lower- maybe because of John Cullum in the movie.