Best Note on Broadway Ever- Page 2

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:02pm

Well, yeah the Enjolras note is high, but I meant it's not one of the freakishly high notes like "2460-WAAAAAAAAAN!" (another good one), or the earsplitting notes that Tituss Burgess hits in "Under the Sea" on 'hot Crustacean band,' the last phrase, and other places in there.

Now, is 'riiiise' higher or lower than when he sings "They will come when we CAAAAAALL?" Because I'm not a very good judge of these things (obviously), and I've noticed a lot of Enjolri crack on that note.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:04pm

Awwww. Poor Distinctive Baritone. But if Patrick Wilson can sing an A, so can you! Besides, up until the last couple of notes, if a baritone and a tenor sing the same note, all you can hear is the baritone. I'm sure you're doing just fine!
Updated On: 9/13/08 at 07:04 PM

[Actor2]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:04pm

It's not annoying - thanks for the correction...still high though.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:07pm

that weird low note at the end of "Buenos Aires" is amazing...and I don't think she sang it live.

one of my favorites, although I don't know what note it is, is the way Rebecca Luker sings "child" in the "come sweet child" at the very end of her part of "Come to My Garden - Lift Me Up" on The Secret Garden OBC. it's just so...perfectly shaped.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:07pm

The Note (i believe its an A)Brent Barrett sings on the word "I" during the phrase "And I know" in "Love Can't Happen" from Grand Hotel.

[Broadwaynerd101]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:10pm

Laura Bell Bundy's note in So Much Better. Especially after MTV. (Note sarcasam)

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:19pm

You know, the whole cast of "The Secret Garden" just sang so well. But that's a very nice example of a diphthong vowel, and Rebecca had so negotiate a "t" going into a "ch" before she could get to it. "Come, sweet child." Good call.

And I seem to recall that the end of "Bring Him Home" is a pretty impressive note. It kind of duels with the end of "Music of the Night" in the category of "longest falsetto note by a leading man in a British popera." Of course, "night" has a diphthong!!!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:24pm

well, and the thing about the shaping and pitch of "child" is that it'd be so easy to over modify and still...sound right. like, you'd know she was singing "child" even if she sang it as "chahld". but Rebecca does get the dipthong perfect. she puts that i vowel in there at just the right moment. it's honestly breath takingly beautiful.

[heathurr2]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:41pm

First of all, this is my favourite thread maybe ever.
I keep reading it and gasping, reliving these notes. It is actually making my heart swell thinking of the beauty of some of these notes you are posting about.

I'm gonna let this one sit with me for a bit and come back and post some of my own ideas.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:55pm

I agree with heathurr!

Also, re: the last note in "Bring Him Home." YES. That last note is so soft and gently sung, it's not like one of those big high belting notes, and it's just beautiful to listen to.

Usually.

When I saw LM at Wolf Trap, Valjean was played by Rob Evan, who was, for the most part, really good. But "Bring Him Home" was out of his range, and on the last note, the oddest thing happened. He just sort of went, "Bring him... hooo*gurglegargleraspngggggghhhhh*oooooome!" The whole audience just sat there for a moment, then feebly clapped for a few seconds. It was the most awkward I've ever felt in a theatre.

[The White Half-Mask]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:11pm

Some others I forgot:

-"Waaaaiiit" sung by Raul Esparza at the end of "Someone is Waiting" in Company
-the ending of Bring Him Home
-"See how I DIIIEEE!!!" sung by Steve Balsamo in "Gethsemane" in JCS. Seriously, he holds that note forever. I didn't know it was possible for a human being to do that, LOL.

[logan0215]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:18pm

A Chorus Line - At The Ballet - Mara Davi

Good God almighty.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:23pm

the most underrated vocalist, Tituss Burgess, singing the most RIDICULOUS backup riff/note towards the end of "Oh, What A Night" in Jersey Boys.

he does it in the background... with less than a minute left in the song.

is it a high D or E??? I don't even know. he swoops up to it and then just blasts it behind Daniel Reichard, on the recording. Check it out.

amazing stuff!!!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:25pm

Personally, I loathe Mara Davi's "note" in AT THE BALLET. It isn't so much hit as beat into submission.

One of my favorites is Stephanie Mills hitting the last "real" in HOME from "The Wiz."

ETA:
Most of the notes hit by Laura Michelle Kelly in WONDER from "Lord of the Rings" are phenomenal.

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 08:25 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:44pm

I also don't like Mara Davi's high note; I prefer Kay Cole's.

and, another note I'd like to add is Mark Lambert's "God" when he sings "for God's sake" in "Now/Later/Soon".

and I wish I knew what these actual notes were, instead of just throwing out phrases.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:51pm

I believe Mark Lambert's note in "Later" is a high B flat.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:00pm

Ohhhh, I love Tituss Burgess. He is the king of brilliant notes-- practically every note out of his mouth could belong to this thread. Even on that [TOS] vlog where Hunter and Jeff had all sorts of different Broadway star guests singing "I Am Playing Me," Tituss stood out.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:06pm

What is that note that Kate Shindle belts so powerfully at the end of LEGALLY BLONDE?
I've heard understudies hit it but no one sounds like SHindle.
She's awesome!

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:10pm

I love this thread... completely agree with so many of these.

ESPECIALLY, Heather Headley's last note in "Dance of the Robe", and Marin Mazzie's last "back" in "Back to Before". Talk about BREATHTAKING.

I'd also add Side Show. Ok, so many. The crazy notes towards the end of the slowed down section of "Tunnel of Love" Daisy's "So DiviIIIIIIIIIINE!!!" simultaneously with Violets "WHERE is miINE!!!". Ridiculous.

And the last "I AM" in "Who Will Love Me As I Am" and the last few "I will never"s in "I Will Never Leave You". I adore that show. Amazing singing.

I wish I new music better to be able to give you the notes.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:32pm

Thanks for liking the thread, guys! :) I'm a reviewer for the BWW Chicago page and so I don't thread much, especially on the Broadway page. But my friends all thought I should put this up. Glad I did!

Titus is pretty fantastic. "Side Show," yes, that is like pre-Wicked grrl power.

I was wondering if someone was going to mention "Gethsemane."

And I saw Robert Evan in "Jekyll and Hyde" and thought he was great. Sorry about that Wolf Trap note, though! lol

Heather's "life" is pretty overwhelming, isn't it? Ditto Frances Ruffelle's "known." However, in the theater, I think they punched the reverb button a little too eagerly at these moments. I think they would both have been fine if the mic levels stayed the same, don't you think?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:42pm

Uh, oh, a Chicago reviewer! I won't tell you who I am, but I'll assume you've loved everything I've ever done

Rob Evan was probably just vocally tired at the end of "Bring Him Home." He's a real tenor, so I doubt the song was out of his range. Falsetto/mixed voice can be weird--sometimes if you don't place it right or have too much phlem in your throat it can sound like you're gargling, LOL.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 10:46pm

Not to break my own rule, but one note that was not sung on Broadway per se will blow your socks off if you are not prepared for it.

When John Raitt sang "Soliloquy" from "Carousel" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the 1950s, he sang a high B flat at the end, instead of the written F! Remember that he sang all the big baritone roles when he was younger, but starting with "The Pajama Game" he was a tenor. Well, let me tell you, he certainly was a tenor that night! WOW
Updated On: 9/13/08 at 10:46 PM

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 11:01pm

If you go to this link you can see the clip of John Raitt singing Soliloquoy. Damn. He has such technique! I'm so glad you brought this to my attention, Paul, he is quite an impressive vocalist!
John Raitt - Soliloquoy

[BNN]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 11:11pm

If I recall correctly, the ending of Soliloquoy was written for John Raitt by R&H after they heard him warming up with Figaro's legendary aria (Largo al factotum). All of this is in Broadway: The Golden Age.

Also, John Raitt doesn't count because there is no way he is human.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 11:47pm

John Raitt never fails to bring me to tears with "Soliloquy" until now....I don't like that note, it sounds less raw, less emotional. Still a good performance though.