Deepest/Lowest Broadway Singing?

The thread on the highest notes had me thinking in the other direction, and realizing that while, after having listened to about 300 different cast recordings in the last couple months in the throes of my newfound obsession with this medium, I heard quite a lot of high notes, but not too much in the extreme lows. The only one that can directly come to mind as SUPER deep was "Ol' Man River" from Show Boat.

Are Bass singers really that rare? Or are they just very under-used in Broadway? If so, is there a real reason for this? I just find it odd that the highest ranges seem rather common, but not the lowest - is not considered as impressive or appealing to hit a very low note? In any case, I intended this to hopefully spark a discussion on this, as well as a general curiosity - what are the other most notable Bass roles in Broadway, and what are the lowest notes you can think of that are required in musical theatre?

The Workman at the beginning of "On the Town." "I feel like I'm not out of bed, yet..."

Ol Man River

We bass-baritones are an underused bunch in musical theatre. I guess high notes are more exciting than low notes. That said, there are some roles that go down to an F2 or so, such as Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, Czolgosz in Assassins (thanks, Sondheim), Audrey II in Little Shop...that's kinda it, actually. Javert goes down to around an F2 as well at the beginning of "The Confrontation," but it's otherwise a high baritone role...and there's Don Basilio or whatever his name is in Phantom, although he's a character in an opera. And he's onstage for like five minutes.

There's also Frollo in Hunchback but although it's a low tessa tura I don't think it has any real low notes.

Patrick Paige in Hadestown also comes to mind.

I always think of the E3 at the end of "I'm Not That Girl" and how the first time I saw Wicked on tour the Elphaba barely croaked it out. I feel like I read somewhere that it's optional. Is that true?

What was the last show to have a principle role who was a bass?

I much prefer Low voiced leading men. But they haven't been minting those since what, 1964?? It's a pity.

Patrick Page in Hadestown definitely sings a G1.

He describes this in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuUsRyRKIKY around 9:20

And the actual sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1VDxMe54Og 53 seconds in on the "why"

Updated On: 11/22/19 at 10:34 PM

Melvin Franklin in Ain't Too Proud

With the rise of pop music and the decrease in classical background, composers have been eliminating bass parts because the music becomes about what sounds most pleasant/consonant for the listener rather than what is more interesting/logical for the story with the music. True bass parts really only exist from classical-background composers (with the exception of Anais Mitchell) which I think is such a shame, they do a lot for the story.

Speaking of which, look what was just posted in the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/theater/broadway-pop-musicals.html

Voice type has also been characterized into role type, to a certain extent. Ingenue-Soprano, Young Male Lead-Tenor, Mother/Older Woman-Alto, Father/Villain-Bass, with contraltos and baritones spread among the categories. I'm not saying it's always like this or that it's quite this simple, but that's a fair characterization of many of the classic musicals in terms of voice casting. A bass voice in a lead role is typically something like Tevye in Fidder or Tony in The Most Happy Fella. With altos or contraltos I think it's been different because many of the great female stars have had deeper voices, i.e., Merman, Channing, Lansbury, Rivera.