#76
Posted: 11/25/06 at 10:55pm
Just so you know, if I were to say Solilquy 1/2 of the people would not know what I was talking about.
Most Difficult Broadway Song To Sing? — Page 4
#77
Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:00pm
I agree with best12 - "Later" is a bitch.
I also agree that "Solilioquy" from Carousel requires tremendous focus and dedication as well as a big voice, one of the most difficult out there.
I also agree that "Solilioquy" from Carousel requires tremendous focus and dedication as well as a big voice, one of the most difficult out there.
#78
Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:03pm
Glitter and be Gay is fairly simple for any woman who has studied as a coleratura Soprano.
Everybody Says Dont is one of the hardest songs to sing in the world. It is wordy, rythmically difficult and the accompaniment gives the singer absolutley NOTHING.
Alot of Bernstein is difficult to sing, as most of West Side Story is buit on tritones.
Everybody Says Dont is one of the hardest songs to sing in the world. It is wordy, rythmically difficult and the accompaniment gives the singer absolutley NOTHING.
Alot of Bernstein is difficult to sing, as most of West Side Story is buit on tritones.
"The only way we live beyond our lives is to connect and carve ourselves into the souls of those we love." -Little Fish
#79
Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:12pm
Hmm, I guess it really does depend on the person because someone mentioned "I Know Things Now" from Into the Woods, but I personally never found that song all that difficult to sing...go figure!
#80
Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:12pm
I have a friend who sings an INCREDIBLE "Everybody Says Don't" and he always astounds me. That song is a complete b*tch.
"We don't value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life's bounty is in it's flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it's been sung, the dance when it's been danced? It's only we humans who want to own the future too."
- Tom Stoppard, Shipwreck
#81
Posted: 11/26/06 at 11:45am
I would think "Trouble" from The Music Man would be pretty difficult to sing, along with "Kiss Me", seeing that both are sung particularly fast. I've tried to keep up with both but sadly I can't.
With the Jukebox side of Broadway, I would think almost any song in "Jersey Boys" that requires the falsetto, but then again it all depends on what you're range is.
With the Jukebox side of Broadway, I would think almost any song in "Jersey Boys" that requires the falsetto, but then again it all depends on what you're range is.
#82
Posted: 11/26/06 at 1:47pm
What about Putting It Together from Sunday In The Park With George????
#83
Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:26pm
I don't think "Getting Married Today" is that hard. Once you learn the lyric (which is not that hard, because it tells a very specific story), all of the rhythms falls right into place. It sounds ALOT harder to sing than it actually is.
LATER is hard. I had to play (and learn) Cello when I did it.
The hardest song I can think of is "Never Will I Marry" from GREENWILLOW. Very difficult jumps and a very difficult melody. John Lloyd Young sang it beautifully recently at the Broadway Unplugged concert.
LATER is hard. I had to play (and learn) Cello when I did it.
The hardest song I can think of is "Never Will I Marry" from GREENWILLOW. Very difficult jumps and a very difficult melody. John Lloyd Young sang it beautifully recently at the Broadway Unplugged concert.
"It's not so much do what you like, as it is that you like what you do." SS
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
#84
Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:36pm
"Ya Got Trouble" from "The Music Man". Not vocally challenging but it really takes a certain type to pull it off. There is no wiggle room whatsoever for the slightest mistake.
It's made a lot of performers sleep with the lights on.
It's made a lot of performers sleep with the lights on.
#85
Posted: 11/26/06 at 3:32pm
I dunno about the MOST difficult, but Johanna's part in "Kiss Me" from Sweeney Todd is haaaard. Not the range, really, but the words...
Honestly, "Glitter and be gay" isn't that difficult if you're an operatically-trained coloratura soprano. It's about on par with Rossini, Offenbach, or Delibes. The range isn't bad if you have the tessitura (which a lot of sopranos do) and a secure Eb6.
The hardest LitP song for me is "The Joy You Feel" because it's hard to follow, but I haven't actually studied it (not like it's in the vocal sections book anyway.
) I think JRB songs can be quite difficult--I remember that one of my voice teacher's students wanted to learn stuff from The Last Five Years, and she wouldn't let her because the girl just didn't have the knowledge yet--and ALW songs just because he seems to think that all females have a 6 octave range or something.
Honestly, "Glitter and be gay" isn't that difficult if you're an operatically-trained coloratura soprano. It's about on par with Rossini, Offenbach, or Delibes. The range isn't bad if you have the tessitura (which a lot of sopranos do) and a secure Eb6.
The hardest LitP song for me is "The Joy You Feel" because it's hard to follow, but I haven't actually studied it (not like it's in the vocal sections book anyway.
) I think JRB songs can be quite difficult--I remember that one of my voice teacher's students wanted to learn stuff from The Last Five Years, and she wouldn't let her because the girl just didn't have the knowledge yet--and ALW songs just because he seems to think that all females have a 6 octave range or something.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#86
Posted: 11/26/06 at 4:53pm
Personally, I think it depends on a person's voice, style and singing experience. I mean, a song could be incredibly hard for one person, but then somebody else could sing it with ease.
However I have to say Sondheim has definitely got some of the more difficult music around.
However I have to say Sondheim has definitely got some of the more difficult music around.
Bow before the cuteness of my cousin!!! ;]
#87
Posted: 11/26/06 at 6:39pm
if i had to pick one i would say it would have 2 be....
"And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" - Dreamgirls
"And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" - Dreamgirls
#88
Posted: 11/26/06 at 6:42pm
oh and
"Funny" - City Of Angels
"Funny" - City Of Angels
#89
Posted: 11/26/06 at 7:23pm
I think getting the harmony right for "Two's Company" from The Magic Show can be a task. Alice and Emily sing it gorgeously!
...What happened next, was stranger still, a woman breathless and afraid, appeared out of the night, completely dressed in white. She had a secret she would tell, of one who had mistreated her. Her face and frightened gaze, my mind cannot erase...But then she ran from view. She looked so much like you...
#90
Posted: 11/26/06 at 7:51pm
Nobody thinks "The Beauty Is" from Piazza is at all hard? I find it difficult.
"I'm thinking about how if you took the W in
answer, and the H in ghost, and the extra A in aardvark, and the T in listen, you could keep saying WHAT but no one would ever hear you because the whole word would be silent."
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#91
Posted: 11/26/06 at 8:01pm
Personally, the hardest song I've ever had to perform is "That Dirty Old Man" from Forum, because of the quick transitions and the fact that I was working with a middle/high school student orchestra.
I would definitely agree with "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "I Am What I Am." Not that I'm disagreeing with anyone else, but I'm familiar enough with those to cast my vote.
I would definitely agree with "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "I Am What I Am." Not that I'm disagreeing with anyone else, but I'm familiar enough with those to cast my vote.
"It's not for sissies, contrary to popular belief." - Tommy Tune, on musical theatre.
My avatar: Yummy, no?
My avatar: Yummy, no?
#92
Posted: 11/26/06 at 8:36pm
Perpetual anticipation from A little night music.
Its one of those songs where if one person screws up, the other 2 are screwed too because the orchestra is giving you nothing, plus its fast and high.
Quite possibly the hardest 45 seconds of music I've ever sung.
Its one of those songs where if one person screws up, the other 2 are screwed too because the orchestra is giving you nothing, plus its fast and high.
Quite possibly the hardest 45 seconds of music I've ever sung.
#93
Posted: 11/27/06 at 2:18am
I'm sorry NEVERANDY I have to disagree with you. Chris is an extremly challenging part to sing vocally, one of the hardest I have ever come upon. I'm a high tenor with a belt almost to high c, and a falsetto even higher, and I find that song very challenging. It has octive jumps randomly, the notes are always at the top of your voice...and you never really get room to just rest your voice in the song. It's a challenging piece of musical theater.
If its so easy for you, I'd LOVE to hear you do it.
If its so easy for you, I'd LOVE to hear you do it.
Now all I see are cute boys with short haircuts in a maze of their own...
#94
Posted: 11/28/06 at 2:12pm
^bump
Now all I see are cute boys with short haircuts in a maze of their own...
#95
Posted: 11/28/06 at 2:31pm
Not exactly full songs, but the two most difficult pieces of music in SWEENEY TODD are the search for Tobias ("Toby, where are you, luv?") and the confrontation before the oven waltz at the end ("No, not lied at all/No I never lied"). Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney are both singing in different time signatures and Mrs. Lovett has a breathless rush of tricky rhythms to spit out, while Sweeney has to count awkward rests and emote at the same time. I've done the show twice, and a disproportionately large chunk of music rehearsal time had to go to those two twelve-measure bits, because it's fiendishly difficult for the two singers to end at the same time.
I'm going to offer a couple of unexpected choices--Sister Amnesia's puppet number, "So You Want to be a Nun" in NUNSENSE--she has to switch from a low, hoarse character-belt voice for the puppet to a crystalline operatic tone for herself in a fraction of a second.
Also, the entire score of FOREVER PLAID. Twewnty-seven songs all done in four-part harmony. It's all completely exposed; no one can go off-pitch or stick out of the blend once without being noticed, and everyone has at least a few harmonies that are absolute bitches--no one is always on melody, which is all some tenors (and sopranos) know how to sing.
I'm going to offer a couple of unexpected choices--Sister Amnesia's puppet number, "So You Want to be a Nun" in NUNSENSE--she has to switch from a low, hoarse character-belt voice for the puppet to a crystalline operatic tone for herself in a fraction of a second.
Also, the entire score of FOREVER PLAID. Twewnty-seven songs all done in four-part harmony. It's all completely exposed; no one can go off-pitch or stick out of the blend once without being noticed, and everyone has at least a few harmonies that are absolute bitches--no one is always on melody, which is all some tenors (and sopranos) know how to sing.
I ask in all honesty/What would life be?/Without a song and a dance, what are we?/So I say "Thank you for the music/For giving it to me."
#96
Posted: 11/28/06 at 2:47pm
I definitely agree with "I Am What I Am". I never heard Gary Beach sing it, so I can't comment on his performance, but I wasn't really enthused with Engel's performance. The only performance that I thought did this song complete justice was George Hearn. That is, any that I've seen...
Another difficult song (maybe not the most challenging, but certainly difficult), I would say, is "Petrified" from Taboo. The original key had the man holding a high B for about eight seconds, throwing in a grace note (high c), and doing about a 3 second trill afterwards. For most men, I would say that's pretty challenging. Even if you change the key (which I do for this song) the emotions required to sell the song are extremely challenging...
Another difficult song (maybe not the most challenging, but certainly difficult), I would say, is "Petrified" from Taboo. The original key had the man holding a high B for about eight seconds, throwing in a grace note (high c), and doing about a 3 second trill afterwards. For most men, I would say that's pretty challenging. Even if you change the key (which I do for this song) the emotions required to sell the song are extremely challenging...
I hold a degree in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University. It is useless. Now I'm funny for money. Oh, and I sing.
#97
Posted: 12/17/15 at 2:13pm
"Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"-Jesus Christ Superstar
"The Revolutionary Costume for Today"-Grey Gardens
"Dance of the Robe"-Aida
"No Good Deed"-Wicked
"A New Argentina"-Evita
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"-Dreamgirls
"Satisfied"-Hamilton
"I Am What I Am"-La Cage aux Folles
"Veronique"-On the Twentieth Century
"Fabulous, Baby!"- Sister Act
"Boy Falls from the Sky"-Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
"The Final Scene"-Sunset Boulevard
"Un Hombre Así/I Have a Love"-West Side Story
"The Life of the Party"-The Wild Party
"Home"-The Wiz
#98
Posted: 12/17/15 at 2:17pm
If performed the way in was in the original & not the recent horrendous revival:
Confrontation - Jekyll & Hyde
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#99
Posted: 12/18/15 at 1:26am
A singer I once worked with finally just dropped "West End Avenue" altogether from her repertoire because she couldn't reliably nail all the time signature changes.
#100
Posted: 12/18/15 at 1:39am
Contact from RENT.
I still have nightmares from singing that song.
"Charlotte, we're Jewish"
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