Shows For Male Baritone Powerhouse?

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 5:10pm

Hello,
I am looking for a good musical starring a powerful baritone. Kind of like the male version of EVITA, with about the same rage. I am primarily looking for shows that serve as star vehicles, but any suggestions would be great.
I know many shows, but have been unable to find one. There are many for women, such as EVITA, ANYTHING GOES, SONG AND DANCE, FUNNY GIRL, HELLO, DOLLY!, MAME, and MACK AND MABEL (though that is a star vehicle for both leading characters). For example, SOUTH PACIFIC has a great baritone role, with powerful, beautiful songs, but you really cannot compare his role with EVA's role. The closest I can find is LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, for ALBIN, with his show-stopping songs, 'A LITTLE MORE MASCARA", "I AM WHAT I AM", and "THE BEST OF TIMES". Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 5:21pm

Sweeney Todd would fit the list. It's traditionally seen as a powerful bass role, but the range is much less low than the tambre often is, and Sweeney sits on a climactic G# in Epiphany. As far as powerhouse baritone roles that have much of the show on their shoulders, that's one of the biggest.

The Producers has two baritone leads that carry the show as well.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 5:32pm

Carousel, Billy Bigelow. A very powerful baritone is typically needed for the his part.

[OrchardAndRivington]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 5:59pm

Guido Contini in Nine is probably as close to Eva Peron in Evita for a male Baritone. But you still need a substantial amount of strong featured women. Sweeney, mentioned above. Bobby in Company, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. Stone in City of Angels.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 6:02pm

Man of La Mancha is the first show that came to mind for me.

Shenandoah also has a great leading man baritone role.

[After Eight]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 6:40pm

Kismet
Kean
Updated On: 1/30/14 at 06:40 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 7:06pm

Kiss Me Kate.

[chinto1984]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 7:11pm

Curly in Oklahoma is really a baritone.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/30/14 at 8:01pm

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Jill Santoriello that played Broadway in 2008. James Barbour's booming baritone on full display as Sydney Carton.

[Kbradstein]

Posted: 1/31/14 at 12:02pm

Bobby in company

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/31/14 at 2:43pm

True, there might not be anything quite like Evita but there are many shows with major rich baritone leads, many of which have been mentioned, also The Most Happy Fella, On A Clear Day, Pajama Game, Threepenny Opera, etc.

Kiss Me Kate and Kismet are very much powerhouse baritone showcases. Promises, Promises is very much a star vehicle for the right rich baritone.
City of Angels has two commanding baritone roles for its star slots.

Stop the World... may be very much what you are looking for.









Updated On: 1/31/14 at 02:43 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/31/14 at 4:00pm

Yes, Sweeney Todd, definitely (although the highest note in "Epiphany" is only an optional G natural, I believe, if you want to do "Nor a hundred can assuage me..." up the octave). Fred Graham/Petruchio, Don Quixote, Billy Bigelow, as previous posters have said...also John Adams in 1776...that's kind of it, unfortunately. And notice how none of these roles were written in the past couple of decades.

Bobby in Company is most definitely a tenor role. They lowered it for Boyd Gaines, but as written, it is pretty high.

I was about to write the title roles in Jekyll and Hyde, but in the licensed score, it's definitely tenor/lyric baritone territory.

Updated On: 1/31/14 at 04:00 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/31/14 at 4:06pm

These roles disappeared, because a specific kind of voice disappeared. The "stout voice" or "doughty voice," which not only caries a strong low resonance and a thick vibrato, but no suggestion of youth. A profoundly adult, middle-aged kind of voice.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/31/14 at 4:19pm

Well, the voice didn't disappear - I'm an old-school baritone, for example. But my hypothesis is that the public's desire to hear that kind of voice - instead of a lighter baritone or tenor sound - has waned, thanks to modern pop music.