Toughest roles to sing

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:13pm

Please excuse me if there have already been threads on this. The search feature is not being nice to me today.

I was having a conversation on this with a friend and I completely went blank. For the women, I wanna say "Eva" in Evita. For the men? I can't even think.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:14pm

The Phantom is a pretty vocally demanding role.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:27pm

Tommy In "Tommy" is pretty difficult.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:28pm

Elphaba requires a lot of vocal energy.

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:31pm

Diana and Dan both sing throughout a lot of n2n

[broadwaybound0632]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:33pm

Evita is one of the most vocally demanding roles

[overthemoonboy]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:35pm

Cunegonde is ridiculous. But every role has challenges.

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:39pm

Drew in Rock Of Ages

[rorschach37]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:44pm

Roger in RENT. Especially when he belts "MIMI" at the end.

[doombuggy25]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:00pm

If Mimi, Maureen and Collins go balls to the wall, those are pretty vocally demanding

[Jewtopia]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:01pm

Valjean

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:06pm

As far as I know, the rock opera "The Fork" by Andy Simpson was written, but never staged, due in part to the role of Adolf Hitler (appearing in one scene, one song only) being not just vocally demanding, but physically vocally devastating. Singing somewhere between very high rock tenor and castrati, the part is written to fall NOWHERE in falsetto and simply be howled and screamed out.

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:13pm

Henry Higgins. 'nuff said.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:14pm

Elle Woods sings about 80% of the show. Maybe more.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:18pm

Christine Daae in Phantom. Actually most sopranos that played the role weren't able to hit the notes that Sarah Brightman hit in the show.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:18pm

I agree that although they may not be as difficult as Eva in EVITA, roles like Roger and Elphaba can be very difficult if not done correctly.

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:41pm

Chris- Miss Saigon
Freddy- Chess
Valjean- Les Mis
Tony- WSS
Fredrick- Pirates of Penzance

[rougeduck]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:55pm

sweeney, sweeney, sweeney, SWEEEEEEEENEY! (and pirelli even though he has very little stage time)

and Brooklyn.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 4:17pm

Bobby Strong in Urinetown could be difficult for some as well.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 4:55pm

What about all the traveling salesmen in The Music Man's opening number? And for that matter Harold Hill? I mean, "Ya Got Trouble" can be very frustrating to get just right.

[orlandog]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 5:15pm

Effie in Dreamgirls
Caroline in Caroline, or Change
Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime
Marie Christine in Marie Christine
Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray
Man 1 in Songs of the New World
Aida in Aida
Franki Valli in Jersey Boys
Abuela in In The Heights
Don Quiote in Man of La Mancha
Lucy/Dr Jekyll in Jekyll and Hyde
Kim in Miss Saigon
The Witch Into the Woods
Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd
Claude in HAIR
Adrian, Victor, BJ in Smokey Joe's Cafe
Clara, Mother, Fabrizio in Light in the Piazza
Celie in The Color Purple
Fanny Brice in Funny Girl
Violet in Violet

just to name a few!
Updated On: 8/14/10 at 05:15 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 5:48pm

I would agree with Victor and Adrian in Smokey Joe's Cafe- for Victor, I Who Have Nothing alone is a struggle to sing.

I would add Rose in Gypsy. That is one tough score.

[bluebubbles]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 6:15pm

Franki Valli

[trentsketch]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 7:54pm

If you actually go by the score, not how it was altered for the Broadway cast, Mayor Matilda in All Shook Up is ridiculous. She's expected to pop out High G's like Pez in a bi-polar flamenco/rockabilly comedy number. It's absurd. Thank goodness the character only has one song if that's the vision of how she should sing.

Actually, the entire vocal arrangement of that show is ridiculous. All the female characters are written for high belters (3 have to slide into High F/Gs), and the male characters are either high tenors or full on schticky voice (or both, poor Dennis). All that effort for something that, on a good day, is best described as just ok. Don't even get me started on the choral numbers; I'll have nightmares again.

Edgar/Bat Boy in Bat Boy is very vocally demanding. Wide vocal and style range, plus all the primal screaming at the beginning and rock screaming at the end.

It's been years since I've looked at the show, but I seem to recall The Wind in the Willows having some hard vocal parts (Mole, maybe? Very wandering wide-rang melodies. Evil Weasel has a shrieking high tenor number in Act I). Then again, who even knows that McGough/Perry show, anyway?

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 11:04pm

Othello in in Verdi's Othello
Brunhilde in the Ring Cycle
Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth
Almost any Wagnerian tenor role
Wozzeck
Lulu

So many opera roles where they have to sing without a microphone over a full orchestra.

Broadway is simple compared to most opera roles.