Raising/Lowering Keys- Page 3

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 3:54pm

Am I correct in remembering that Marin Mazzie had some songs lowered for her run in Next to Normal?

Yes, a good chunk of the score was lowered (some significantly, some places it was less obvious). I mostly didn't mind it, and it suited her range. If it had been in the original keys I'm sure she could have sung it but it probably would have been mostly in her head voice, which is not appropriate for the style.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 9:01pm

newintown, et al., I wasn't implying that keys aren't changed anymore. I just think we're a long way from the day when songs were casually dropped into or snatched out of shows and many composers are more then mere "songwriters". I can imagine that composers who come from the rock world are exceptions.

And any composer has to ask himself from time to time, is the key of this song really so important we want to limit our casting choices? (In fact, the same thing happens to lyricists: you can write the most brilliant line ever written for musical theater and end up with the key words sitting on unfortunate notes. So you "kill your darlings" and move on.)

[csmithmusictheater]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 11:53pm

I have the privilege to accompany lessons for a retired Tony nominee/Oliver winner. She does coachings with many equity actors when they are in town. In helping them prepare audition videos for certain roles, she is adamant that they only sing something in a key they can do 8 times a week, rain or shine, allergies, sick or what ever. Just because they ask if you can sing something, only show them what you are able to sing best. She had to request Queenie's main song in Showboat be lowered 1/2 step. Back in the day that cost a lot of $. But she never missed a performance. Professional singers know what their voice can do and good directors/MDs listen to them.


Updated On: 10/9/14 at 11:53 PM

[sorano916]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 1:14am

In "Natasha, Pierre", Anatole sings that very high C at his exit. Lucas once said that Dave Malloy wrote that note as a joke because he thought no one would hit it.

For understudies, do they usually stick to the lead's keys or do they sometimes change the key as well?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 9:47am

It is rare that they will adjust keys for the understudies. You would be most likely to find that happening if it's a solo number and the orchestra parts already exist because they have already adjusted the key for a replacement. Otherwise it's a fairly large expense that a producer won't likely be willing to shell out for an understudy.

[Amalia3]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 10:24pm

If a show has been running for a while, and they have charts for a different key (from previous casting--star or otherwise), they can offer an understudy that key if it works for them. Most of the time, however, they try to cast an understudy who really has the chops to step into the role.

There have also been options where if there is an extremely vocally challenging role, you might have a lower key so that if your actor is slightly compromised, there is an easier route to take. (Also, sometimes the composer will give an alternate note to sing on a "bad night," but that is very rare.)

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 8:09am

Good point, newintown, about composers who come from a guitar background. I had my first experience writing a lyric for such a song and realized I was writing words for the "twang" sound when the player took his fingers OFF the strings. (Doh!)

Very different indeed.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 2:26pm

In regards to the Betsy Joslyn Johanna: Yes, Green Finch is transposed up a full step. I would actually peg Chris Groenendaal as the reason for this, because "Johanna" is also transposed, and I would imagine that the entire scene was shifted up a step so that it would work musically. ("Green Finch", "Ah Miss" and "Johanna" flow into each other continuously, for those who don't know the score)