The "one-song glory" character- Page 2

[NoName3]

Posted: 1/23/20 at 8:39pm

Bonnie in Applause also leads the Gypsies singing and dancing She's No Longer a Gypsy in Act II. It's a supporting role with two songs, not one.

Updated On: 1/23/20 at 08:39 PM

[carnzee]

Posted: 1/23/20 at 8:53pm

I feel like "Memory" from Cats quasi fits the bill. I know Grizabella sings a little bit before with Jemima? or Victoria but all anyone remembers is "Memory." But I'm not the biggest Cats fan so maybe this is all wrong.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 1:55am

Surprised that no one has yet mentioned King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. He only has one song in the second act and his total stage time is the length of that song.

Bobby in Memphis has Big Love. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the show, but I don’t recall him having much singing elsewhere in the score.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 6:46am

“You Oughta Know” - Jagged Little Pill

[rpvee]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 8:43am

Surprised no one has mentioned “Answer Me” by Telephone Guy in The Band’s Visit.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 9:40am

Dan6 said: "JDonaghy4 said: "i appreciate the point of this thread but One Song Glory seems like an odd way to kick it off- it isnt a showstopper by a minor/supporting character but is sung by the show's tortured protagonist..."

Pretty sure the OP wasn't suggesting that Roger is a minor/supporting character, but rather was cleverly using a recognized Broadway title to ask a question about musical characters who achieve "glory" through "one song."

One example that comes to mind for me is King George in Hamilton - he has only one song (though he sings abbreviated reprises of it twice) and is on stage for only nine minutes, yet its a show-stealing role that got Jonathan Groff a Tony nomination.

"

Thank you, Dan! You get me. That is exactly what I was going for when I titled this thread, not literally that Roger would be included in the topic (he definitely isn't).

Petra from A Little Night Music and King George are excellent examples!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 9:49am

ggersten said: "Doesn't Fiorello only get one song in Fiorello!?

(And kudos to carnzee for the reference to Applause!)"

TV Tropes calls it "One Scene Wonder," so Fiorello wouldn't exactly fit into what this conversation is. 

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/OneSceneWonder/Theatre

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 10:37am

Just my opinion but Aaron Tveit singing "I'm Alive" in "Next To Normal".

[GF21]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 10:52am

I'd add another one from Waitress - "Never Getting Rid of Me" by Ogie. There's also "Shipoopi" by Marcellus in The Music Man. Tying these together, I think Christopher Fitzgerald would do a great job as Marcellus.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 1:41pm

Gladys in Pal Joey (Zip)
Bonnie in Anything Goes (Buddy Beware) - sung by Reno in the original production
And, as already stated, Petra in A Little Night Music - The Miller's son
Fraulein Kost in Cabaret - great part but solos only in Tomorrow  Belongs to Me
Sebastian in Coco - Fiasco
Herman in Sweet Charity - I Love to Cry at Weddings
Joey in The Most Happy Fella - Joey
Freddy in My Fair Lady - On the Street Where You Live

too many to go on mentioning

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 2:04pm

Michael in the Bathroom--Be More Chill

On the Street Where You Live--My Fair Lady

Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim--Aladdin

Kristoff's Lullaby reprise--Frozen tour (replaces True Love)

The Countess and the Common Man--Anastasia

What's Gonna Happen--Tootsie

Updated On: 1/24/20 at 02:04 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 2:08pm

yankeefan7 said: "Just my opinion but Aaron Tveit singing "I'mAlive" in "Next To Normal"."

Its not a one-song role, is it?

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 2:34pm

Lillian Hayman had a showstopper to top all showstoppers in Hallelujah Baby.  She won a Tony for her performance.  Unlike some of these characters, she had a decently sized role, but that was her her only number.

Along with Carlotta in Follies, I would think that Hattie's Broadway Baby and Stella's song (while a production number (she is the lead and the focus of Who's That Woman) fit the bill.

Also, I think Glinda's solo in the Wiz, Believe, qualifies.  I haven't seen it in 45 years (OMG!), but I remember her coming out at the virtual end of the show and stopping the show cold.  Dee Dee Bridgewater also won a Tony for this number.

I do agree re the suggestion re Marge McDougall in Promises! Promises!, but with reservations.  I think Mercer won the Tony for her comic performance...the song wasn't and isn't much.  I don't know why Finneran won a Tony, as she was so over-the-top for my taste.

I don't agree re Bobby in Memphis or in the captain in CFA.  Bobby had multiple songs.  The captain may have had only one solo, but she played a role in a bunch of the CFA ensemble songs.   I also don't agree re Fraulein Kost.  She sings a few bars in one song.  The role only won a Tony in the original production because there was ZERO competition.  Three of the four best musical nominees had no supporting females in the cast.  (I Do! I Do!, The Apple Tree, and Walking Happy, which was also a bad musical).

I did not see it, but I seem to recall that Tessie O'Shea won a Tony for one number in The Girl Who Came to Dinner, despite that show's being a mega-flop.

 

 

[jagman1062]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 3:25pm

In the spirit of Stella leading the ensemble number, "Who's That Woman?" in Follies mentioned in the previous post, I would like to add Daddy Brubeck leading the Rhythm of Life Church Congregation in the ensemble piece, "Rhythm of Life," in Sweet Charity.

[copathetiic]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 3:31pm

rpvee said: "Surprised no one has mentioned “Answer Me” by Telephone Guy in The Band’s Visit."

I was just gonna add this. That song was what set off the tears for me. 
 

Also Martha in Heathers with “Kindergarten Boyfriend.”

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 3:33pm

henrikegerman said: "Gladys in Pal Joey (Zip)
Bonnie in Anything Goes (Buddy Beware) - sung by Reno in the original production
And, as already stated, Petra in A Little Night Music - The Miller's son
Fraulein Kost in Cabaret - great part but solos only in Tomorrow Belongs to Me
Sebastian in Coco - Fiasco
Herman in Sweet Charity - I Love to Cry at Weddings
Joey in The Most Happy Fella - Joey
Freddy in My Fair Lady - On the Street Where You Live

too many to go on mentioning"

While essentially the same role, Bonnie was renamed Erma in the version of Anything Goes where the character sings that song.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 3:45pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I feel like Fantine and Eponine are good examples of this."

 

Eponine is part of the trio in "A Heart Full of Love", has a solo part in "One Day More", and gets a death duet with "A Little Fall of Rain" in addition to "On My Own".

 

[broadwayindie]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 4:22pm

Simon Zelotes - Jesus Christ Superstar

Mama Will Provide, Human Heart - Once On This Island

Change - A New Brain

Bui Doi - Miss Saigon

Mister Cellophane, Little Bit of Good - Chicago

And then you have musicals like Nine, Allegro, Godspell, Company and Hello Again where it's kind of by design.

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/24/20 at 7:29pm

"yankeefan7 said: "Just my opinion but Aaron Tveit singing "I'mAlive" in "Next To Normal"."

Its not a one-song role, is it?"

Your are right, my bad -lol

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/25/20 at 10:00am

Now Bonnie Franklin winning a Tony Award for merely singing the first chorus of the title song of APPLAUSE is the example the OP wants.

Bonnie Franklin was nominated.  She did not win the Tony Award.  And as mentioned above, she sings quite a bit in “She’s No Longer a Gypsy” so she had 2 numbers in APPLAUSE.  

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 9:20am

Bumping, but I was listening to my iPad last night and HOW did we all forget "King Herod's Song" in Jesus Christ Superstar?!

[ellbellthomps]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 9:30am

My first thought was Sandy from Tootsie. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 11:06am

Molasses to Rum from 1776. Momma Look Sharp and He Plays the Violin are runner-ups, but each is eventually joined by additional cast members.

Updated On: 2/6/20 at 11:06 AM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 11:09am

After seeing Come From Away last night, would “Me and the Sky” qualify?

[cfbrrr]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 11:34am

“Too Darn Hot” from “Kiss Me, Kate.”