The fastest patter song?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:50pm

Is it 'Getting Married Today'?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:51pm

No.

[tazber]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:51pm

that one from Drood is really fast. "Two Sides Of The Coin" it's called I think.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:54pm

Why do you kids constantly need to know the most trivial things? Do you have Biggest Geek contests at your schools or something?

[tazber]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:55pm

Bitch!
But that's what I love about you.

Updated On: 2/2/08 at 10:55 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:56pm

Hey, I've been holding that one in for months. I'm not made of stone!

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:57pm

When do I ask trivial things? I barely even get to post here, too busy with College. Why don't you take this out on the the 12 year olds asking for bootlegs. Updated On: 2/2/08 at 10:57 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 10:58pm

I said "you kids", not "ljay".

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 11:00pm

Sure. I was just curious if there was a faster patter song than 'Getting Married Today.' I didn't ask what Raul Esparza's nose hairs look like, or what Idina Menzel's breath smells like.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 11:03pm

Well, he/she wasn't talking to me... :/

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/2/08 at 11:03pm

Tschaikowsky from Lady in the Dark, maybe?

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 4:48am

It depends on the conductor/ performer.

[moulin724rouge]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:08am

modern major general or matter from pirates of penzance

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:23am

ljay, in order, the answers are that his nose hairs are rather stringy (which is actually a little scary in person), and her breath smells like fish sticks and Hawaiian Punch.

[Craig]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:26am

All for the Best is up there - as is the song "FAST from Zanna Don't

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 1:28pm

and so is The Museum Song

[george95]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 1:31pm

Whats a patter song?

[Mythus]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 2:15pm

The patter song is a staple of comic opera, but it has also been used in musicals and other situations. It is characterized by a moderately fast to very fast tempo with a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns in which each syllable of text corresponds to one note (there are few or no melismatic passages). The lyric of a patter song generally features tongue-twisting rhyming text, with alliterative words and other consonant or vowel sounds that are intended to be entertaining to listen to at rapid speed, and the musical accompaniment is lightly orchestrated and fairly simple, to emphasize the text. The song is often intended as a showpiece for a comic character, usually a bass or baritone (with or without choral interjection).

From Wikipedia.

The speed of a patter song really depends on who is performing it. I've seen patter songs sung waaay too slowly.

Another example (that probably no one knows about) is "Wahrheit" from the German show Tanz der Vampire. The melody/patter is repeated in the second act the of the show in "Buecher, Buecher!" and its reprise as well. In the English version, Dance of the Vampires, those songs were slowed down. Rumor has it Michael Crawford didn't want to be upstaged by a supporting character.

[Rypm25]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 2:33pm

I doubt its the fastest, but "Words, words, words" from The Witches of Eastwick is pretty fast.

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 2:45pm

"The Speed Test" in Thoroughly Modern Millie gets pretty fast...

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 7:42pm

"Franklin Shepard, Inc" is another good one.

[BrianS]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 10:45pm

I'd second the speed test in millie.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 10:51pm

But the Speed Test basically is Modern Major General.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 10:58pm

Shhhh, don't tell anyone!!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/3/08 at 11:00pm

Wonderful Wizard is right. "Tchikowsky" (I know I spelled that wrong) is the fastest. 29 seconds, all names of Russian composers.

It's a bitch.