only tenors for lead roles now?

[teth]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 3:10am

As I was looking at the audition info on the more recent musicals, it seems like all the male lead roles are written for tenors. Is that necessarily the case nowadays? (or for all musicals)

[BroadwayBound06]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 9:15am

Well generally if the leads are young like teenagers/young adults, their tenors or baritenors, but when their older like in Sweeney and La Cage they're more baritones. But then again most of the leads in the "Golden Age of Broadway" are baritones. I guess people just like men singing high.

[Aphexis]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 9:17am

Teth...that is not always the case. "They" say the ideal situation is to be a bari-tenor to cross all ranges, however there are many lead tenor roles and many lead baritone/bass roles (South Pacific, Man of La Mancha, Ragtime, the Most Happy Fella, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney..., La Cage..., etc.) . It depends on the show and the person. I personally am a tenor, but I have played a multitude of vocally diverse parts because I'm a performer not a singer. I don't think it's a good idea to ever pigeon hole ones self and I'm not sure what casting calls you've been looking at, but I see a lot more than just tenors.

[timote316]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 11:11am

Basses of the world unite! lol

Actually, my range has shifted, so I am now a baritone, so I'm all set. But yes, I have noticed the tendency to lean towards baritones/tenors for roles recently.

[Marcomeatball]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 11:16am

THis is true for certain plays, I'm a tenor myself and I've played really close attention to this :p, a high baritone can sing Phantom because it's a G, I was Tevye in a school play and sang the low C's same with The beast right now (doing that in high schol) those are all low c's,d's, and e's lower register (persay) the song Glory from Pippin is intended for a tenor as for the main character (which I'm assuming is Pippin). Often times tenors get some really cool songs, sometimes showstoppers, but I've noticed more bari's and high bari's get the showstopping holy crap that's awesome Standing O songs.

[teth]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:11pm

Wait, so just to be clear, what should the range of a bari-tenor be then?? (While we're on this, what about a tenor and a baritone?)

I guess I see that there are a lot of shows with baritone leads too, but it just seems like the musicals that are written recently require tenors as leads (or I guess bari-tenors also then).

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:22pm

I can sing Bass 2. But my highest note is a F Sharp (on a good day). So technically what am I? Because, there are times when I consider myelf a bass, and others a Tenor 2. So am I just a Barritone?

[Marcomeatball]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:29pm

high baritone ljay :)

Good tenors can hit a c below middle c and the c above middle c, a good baritone/high baritone can sing up to a G above middle c and i think a G below middle C. I've sung soprano parts and I'm a tenor! Score..tghat's the falsetto. A tenor 2 is higher isn't it? So that technically is called a counter-tenor which can go up to about an F that's alto land right there..and damn high.

[sweeedboy]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:33pm

the baritone range has been shifted quite a bit in the rhelm of musical theater... recently it seems that the new thing is baritones that can hit a bflat... this is crazy high for a baritone but most recent musicals are written for a baritone tone with a bflat money note...think raul esparza, norbert leo butz, and brian d'arcy james whom i consider all baritones if totally categorized due mostly to their tone and comfortability in the lower range

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:40pm

Most modern musicals are now written with pop music, which tends to be high in general. Tenors are definitely "in" right now as far as pop music goes--the women of our generation seem to favor tenor boyishness (i.e. Justin Timberlake) to baritone manliness (Frank Sinatra), so when people are writing a musical, they tend to adhere to this and write the romantic lead as a tenor. Modern women are more likely to be attracted to a Link Larkin than an Emile DeBeque, and our music reflects that. It's hard to explain, but I just woke up and that's the best I can do...

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:51pm

Marcomeatball---Just to let you know, "Glory" is written for the character of the Leading Player. However, I would say Pippin and Leading Player are both tenors.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:52pm

By the way sweeedboy, what are you talking about? Raul Esparza, Brian Darcy James and Norbert Leo Butz are all definitely tenors. And no baritone will ever be asked to hit a B flat full voice. The highest a baritone (and I mean a baritone, not a tenor with no high notes) should have to sing is a G. Updated On: 1/17/05 at 12:52 PM

[Marcomeatball]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:23pm

Like Gerald Butler in Phantom, sorry for the mistake about pippin. Also a b flat above MIDDLE C? That's the end of the tenor range usually.

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:37pm

Just out of curiosity, are directors strict on people having a very specific voice for a character? For example, I want to audition for Maureen in a few years if RENT is still going but if I want a shot does that mean i HAVE To have a rock and roll voice?

[bbroadwaybb]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:49pm

The Distinctive Baritone, what sweeedboy is talking about is that the quality of Raul etc. voices is that of a baritone. It has a heaviness, a thickness that tenors aren't supposed to have, yet they need to be able to sing in a tenor range. You could call them "dramatic tenors." But sweedboy isn't talking about range, he's talking about quality of voice, as categorized in opera. Which is what everyone here is talking about, how opera categorizes voices. Musical theatre doesn't really do that. Pretty much for a modern musical you need to be able to sing baritone and tenor. You need to have all of the notes. Which is the way most musical theatre voice teachers teach now. Everyone has to be able to do everything.

[bbroadwaybb]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:53pm

And, yes, dreamcatcher, you need a rock/pop voice to play Maureen in Rent. The show is a pop/rock show. If you're young and studying singing, then you should make it a priority to learn a good pop mix belt. You need to be able to do both. Kerry Butler went from Belle in Beauty and The Beast to Penny in Hairspray. Very different sounds.

Updated On: 1/17/05 at 01:53 PM

[Marcomeatball]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:58pm

but since im a tenor i can only sing a full tenor scale..plus flasetto..is that bad?

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:59pm

Thanks bbroadwaybb. Yeah the reason I ask is because I'm going to start voice lessons soon and I was trying to decide what kind of training I should look into.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:07pm

Just out of curiosity--Can we clarify what the expected ranges are for basses, baritones, and tenors?

[bbroadwaybb]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:09pm

Marco, It is not bad to sing only a tenor range, it's better then only singing baritone these days, but it would be helpful to develop your lower register. It balances it out. And in a very rangy songs, you'll be asked to sing low notes as well.

Dreamcatcher, I don't know how old you are or where you live or what teachers are available to you. The current sound on broadway is that of Sutton Foster, high mix belt. It is not full voice Merman anymore. All the girls do pretty much the same technique. It is a mix that sounds like a very convincing belt. ex: Suttin Foster, Kerry Butler, Kristen Chenoweth (when she belts), Idina is mixing those high notes in defying gravity. The trick though is that they don't sound like they're mixing. If you're young and don't live in a big city, I would say that you should find a teacher who will encourge you, not get you paranoid about your voice, not get you too stiff or heady with technique. You want an easy free open sound. If your question is about whether to study classical or not, I say it depends how old you are, if you have time to study classically, that's a great base, but if you're about to move to NY or audition for schools, I would find someone who does more of a broadway thing.

[bbroadwaybb]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:10pm

Billy -

Baritone - up to an F#/G
Tenor - up to an A/Bb

For ex: CHESS:
Anthem - Baritone
Pity The Child - Tenor (although this exceeds the range I'm posting)

Updated On: 1/17/05 at 02:10 PM

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:12pm

Wow thanks for the info. It really helps!

[bbroadwaybb]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:18pm

Sure thing. How old are you, by the way, and where do you live?

Updated On: 1/17/05 at 02:18 PM

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:23pm

I'm almost 16 and I live in southern California. I live really close to Hollywood so there are alot of options as far as voice teachers go but I dont want to spend tons and tons of money on a celebrity trainer etc.

[teth]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 2:24pm

Thanks for everyone's input!

I guess I was wondering because I'm a baritone and my absolute highest note is a G. And it seems like whenever I'm singing in lessons, my voice teacher has to lower the key down slightly for me. It just seemed as though there are no real leading roles for the newer musicals for my type of voice.

Is it possible for one to expand beyond the range? Could I ever hit higher than a G if I work on it?