Struggles Of A Teenage Baritone

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 1:08am

Hi there, I am a 14 year old baritone who usually plays character roles such as Charlemagne in Pippin and Carnes in Oklahoma for example. I usually play older characters. I have a wide range of songs I usually use for auditions but they are mostly for older characters. I am trying to find a good song and character for a 14 year old baritone character. This is a struggle due to most young teenage boy character roles being tenors. My range is mid baritone to (VERY) low tenor. Plz help me.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 2:30am

Woot woot Mr. Teenage baritone you are a dying breed. So much modern MT writing really ignores lower voice types, especially in young and lead roles.

Wish I could help you out!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 6:48am

I doubt the existence of many....teenage boys are going to be written as tenors, to show their youth (just like the vast majority of teen girls are sopranos).

 

You might find something in Hair, The Me Nobody Knows (especially if you're ethnic, but not only), Spelling Bee or 13.  (I don't know that score at all, but thought with multiple male teens, you might get lucky.

 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 8:07am

Most MT material requires a solid high F -- as it was written. However, you're allowed to sing in whatever key you wish. Websites like MusicNotes will transpose on demand, just make sure to check with a trusted musician/pianist before buying that transposition, because sometimes the results are comically bad (lots of double sharps or double flats/ enharmonic notations, etc. 

[cknick]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 8:22am

Matt in The Fantasticks! is a solid baritone role and very comfortable to sing (spoken from lowly baritone experience ).  

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 12:02pm

dramamama611 said: "I doubt the existence of many....teenage boys are going to be written as tenors, to show their youth (just like the vast majority of teen girls are sopranos).

 

You might find something in Hair, The Me Nobody Knows (especially if you're ethnic, but not only), Spelling Bee or 13.  (I don't know that score at all, but thought with multiple male teens, you might get lucky.
 

Yeah, I am white which makes it especially hard lol. Archie in 13 is actually pretty good except for the high note at the end of his song.
 

 

"

 

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 1:28pm

What are some other good roles?

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 8:41pm

I'm not sure there are even that many roles written for teenagers. But your director should be open to classic musicals. I think there are a couple of romantic lead roles written in a baritone range. And schools do Into the Woods all the time. I'm not great with male voices but maybe investigate some actors who you know sing in your range. Look at the roles they've played. Brian Stokes Mitchell, Howard Keel, and Marc Kudisch might be a good place to start. 

Speaking of Marc... is Bye Bye Birdie written for a baritone? And maybe check out Paint Your Wagon if you just want audition songs.

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/3/17 at 9:14pm

What are some specific guy roles though that are around 14   On stage that are baritone. One I thought of was Cousin Kevin from tommy.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 6/4/17 at 2:29am

Try Ten Minutes Ago from Cinderella, Sorry-Grateful from Company, and transpose any high song that you like into a lower key.