Musicals with a bass lead
Musicals with a bass lead
Understudy Joined: 4/5/06
Musicals with a bass lead#0
Posted: 5/9/06 at 4:07pmWhat musicals have a bass as a lead? Thanks!
re: Musicals with a bass lead#1
Posted: 5/9/06 at 4:15pmSweeney Todd
--Aristotle
re: Musicals with a bass lead#2
Posted: 5/9/06 at 4:21pm
Baritone is the best I can think of:
Sweeney Todd
Shenandoah
Man of La Mancha
What does the lead in Most Happy Fella sing?
Though many of the voices are mature in these shows, the range is indeed baritone.
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
re: Musicals with a bass lead#3
Posted: 5/9/06 at 4:25pm
There are a ton of musicals with baritone leads.
But it's rare to find a musical with a real bass lead/principle character - a la The Judge in Sweeney.
re: Musicals with a bass lead#4
Posted: 5/9/06 at 4:40pm
I don't think I know of any either.
Baritones, sure, but not "Old Man River" basses. You have to go to supporting roles for those.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Musicals with a bass lead#5
Posted: 5/9/06 at 5:00pmSouth Pacific, The Sound of Music... maybe not true basses but pretty close.
re: Musicals with a bass lead#7
Posted: 5/9/06 at 5:05pm
I suppose Ezio Pinza counts. He was considered a baritone early in career and a bass in his later career.
He's the closest! But I see/hear Emile played by baritones more often than basses.
And I wouldn't call Capt. Von Trapp a bass.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Musicals with a bass lead#8
Posted: 5/9/06 at 6:16pmThere really aren't true basses in musical theatre generally. There are those few occations where low notes are needed. I must say though in Musical theatre, if you can sing it, you can do it. Ezio Pinza may have been a bass, but he sang baritone roles. Coalhouse is considered a baritone but that's got high A flats. Rachel York and Carolee Carmello are generally belting all over the place but both have done the soprano role of Kate/Lilli in Kiss Me Kate. Voice parts almost mean nothing here. It's more like "do you have these notes".
re: Musicals with a bass lead#9
Posted: 5/9/06 at 6:51pm
Judd in OKLAHOMA
Sykes in OLIVER
Lancelot in CAMELOT
Swann in MY FAVORITE YEAR
the star (forget his name) in DO RE MI
And a ton of older shows. Those were just the few at the top of my mind that weren't already listed.
Stand-by Joined: 5/3/06
re: Musicals with a bass lead#11
Posted: 5/9/06 at 6:55pmBea Arthur! I LOVE him!
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/27/05
re: Musicals with a bass lead#12
Posted: 5/9/06 at 7:05pm
From another recent thread:
Dear Bea. Every time, I read about her, I'm reminded of the comedian Jeffrey Ross' tribute to her at the Friars' Roast for Jerry Stiller. Someone cracked a gag from the dais and Ross retorted, "I wouldn't touch that joke with Bea Arthur's dick."
Dear Bea.
Updated On: 5/10/06 at 07:05 PM
Stand-by Joined: 5/3/06
re: Musicals with a bass lead#13
Posted: 5/9/06 at 7:09pm
HAHAHAHAHA!
Why does Bea Arthur humor never fail to amuse?
re: Musicals with a bass lead#14
Posted: 5/9/06 at 9:06pm
"Why does Bea Arthur humor never fail to amuse?"
Because, as Homer Simpson says, it's funny cuz it's true.
re: Musicals with a bass lead#15
Posted: 5/9/06 at 10:23pm"Tony" from the Most Happy Fella is a Baritone. Some of his stuff reaches into the world of tenor, but it's safe to put him as a baritone. A great challenging singing role for any male!
re: Musicals with a bass lead#17
Posted: 5/9/06 at 10:35pmMMMM Bea Arthur. He is the best!
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
re: Musicals with a bass lead#18
Posted: 5/9/06 at 10:41pm
The role of Cesar in FANNY is definitely a bass. It was Ezio Pinza's follow-up to SOUTH PACIFIC.
Hajj the Poet in KISMET is bass/baritone. Samuel Ramey recorded it.
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