what's the ultimate show-stopping song for a tenor?- Page 2

[La Vie Boheme]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 11:48pm

"She Cries" or "King of the World" from Songs for a New World will guarantee to blow people away.

[jesseeinstein]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 11:51pm

damn! beat me to it boheme! King of the World ALL THE WAY

[sipos]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 11:53pm

I hope you choose one that fits your personna. Too many people pick songs that are wrong for them as who they are on a stage, not what they can emulate vocally. I hate these offers of tunes without knowing the person. It's really pointless. Maybe 1/8 of these are good audition songs.

(Yes, I know everything)


:) Updated On: 2/27/05 at 11:53 PM

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:32am

I don't think there was any mention of auditioning. Did I read incorrectly? Yeah but I'll have to agree with other posters. Mostof the songs suggested aren't really tenor songs. She cries is a baritone song with an A thrown in. King of the World would be good I think, but it's generally sort of got Apartheid overtones. Of course you could do it differently. It's a little concerning that your choosing songs to impress people with your high range. I'm not saying this is wrong but you should be careful. If your intention is to impress people beware of your own ego getting in the way of the work. Actually what makes a song and an audience moved is the way you act the peice. King of the World is one of those pieces that combines both, just make sure your doing the song justice and not vocally masterbating. That can actually annoy an audience. You could actually do wonders with a song like Franklin Shepard Inc. or something that's heavy acting. You don't need to work hard to show people you can sing.

PS Sipos, I think he's just looking for suggestions. He just needs to sift through diff. songs to see what fits his persona.


I hope this is helpful or at the very least doesn't offend people. LOL

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:34am

OMG, no one mentioned "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar? Not the way it is written in the song books (Because not too many men can hit those high notes) but the version that is on ALL of the JCS recordings. That my friends is a song that seperates the real tenors from the baritones. OH YEAH!!!!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:35am

As of right now i'm singing "What is it About her?" from Wild Party (Lippa). It goes up to a A flat. Look into some songs from The Fully Monty, those are some good belt songs.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:38am

Ps Guys don't generally belt. It's just loud singing, which is different.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:40am

Well, a lot of girls that "Belt" are only doing "Loud Singing" too. Again, JCS is a great male belter musical, especially the role of Judas.

[sipos]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:47am

"I hope this is helpful or at the very least doesn't offend people."

Me too, Jazzysuite. I thought it was for an audition. I see that I looked hot headed, and meant the acting of a song as well.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 1:11am

no really spider Guys don't belt generally. Girls belting isn't just loud singing it's something totally different physically. Rock singing isn't belting. Most of the time for me anyway it's a kind of mix but it's def not belting. JCS is a rock show with high rock singing which is not always belting. Esp when you're talking about a guy.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:16pm

Being Alive

[catstagestud]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:35pm

I'd say "She Cried" or "King of the World" are risky choices being that JRB music is a b***h to play and unless an accompanist is really familiar with the show you might find one that asks you for something else. If you want a good RJB ballad that isn't really rough for the accompanist look at "Nobody Needs to Know" from L5Y...goes to and A flat.

[TheOneAndOnly]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 12:37pm

Very good point, catstagestud. As Seth Rudetsky said when Michael Arden sang King of the World at a benefit, "that's a Jason Robert Brown knuckle-buster!" haha

[B.B. Wolf]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 1:57pm

Never do JRB at auditions. Just don't.
She Cries only goes up to a G#. Sad, too. Because Man 2 has to go up to a Bb in On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship. But, as several people have said already, you will rarely find BIG numbers that go up higher than G or Ab.
I went to an audition a couple months ago that was for a tenor role. High tenor. Two guys sang Love Can't Happen back to back. I'm not sure if that means it's overdone...but I quickly took it out of my book.
What do I need with Love? Great song with a wonderfully easy, brassy belty high G in the end. That's why everybody does it. EVERYBODY.
Another pop tenor song that is incredibly overdone is "Lost in the Wilderness" from Children of Eden. Granted precious few people interpolate the high C like Darius does. But it's got lots of poppy high A's that people think are impressive and a long suspended G in the end, just like What do I Need..?.
Lonely House is one of those songs that people think isn't done at a lot of auditions simply because it's difficult with a lot of held notes and extensions into the passagio. Trust me, at EVERY call for a "legit tenor" at least three or four people will do Lonely House.
Okay, done with the warnings.
Check your PM's for my suggestions.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 2:52pm

i think MARIA is the most beautiful tenor number i can think of right off the bat. always brings me to tears...

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 12:06am

Hey what is this for anyway? Is it for an audition or a recital? That would make a difference.

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 12:36am

"One Song Glory" is probably too low, yes?
Err.. um.. I forget if it had to be a Broadway song or no... if not, "Sing Me to Heaven" and "O Danny Boy" are both wondrous...

[b'waybound]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 7:56pm

"Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables
"There you go, but before I" from Brigadoon
"Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera
"C'est Moi" from Camelot
"If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot
"Your Eyes" from Rent
"One Song Glory" from Rent

Break a leg, and crack a note!

[thenextfiyero]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:11pm

is it weird that i can sing defying gravity no sweat??

but yea i struggle too finding a tenor song that will blow people away!

[DestinyBeckoned]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:41pm

If its for a concert or whatever, I'll agree with the people who said "king of the world." that song makes my heart race just listening to the cd, I can just imagine what it would do live. But if its an audition, I can't help you.

[charliebrownkid]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 10:18pm

how about lost in the wilderness?

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 10:22pm

Oooh, YEAH! "Your Eyes" would be an excellent choice, I do believe...