Broadway Reverse

So, my sister goes to a Musical Theatre Society in her University (and all of the credit for this blog post goes to Liverpool Hope University Musical Theatre Society) and for their next showcase, they've had an ingenious idea. They're calling it Broadway Reverse! Let me explain, the concept is that you sing a musical theatre song of the opposite gender. So, the girls could sing Hello from The Book of Mormon, whilst the boys could do Cell Block Tango from Chicago. So, this got me thinking. If I could sing any male musical theatre song, what would it be? And believe me, it's a long list. And so, dear readers, I have narrowed it down to my top 10. So, here it is; my list of the Top 10 Male Musical Theatre Songs I Wish I Could Sing. Enjoy!

10) Something Coming from West Side Story

Okay yes, I admit, Tony does have other songs than this, most notably Maria. However, this song is so beautifully Sondheim it hurts. The build up of pace in the music clearly correlates with the build up of Tony's thoughts and feelings and as his first solo number its a piece that perfectly encapsulates him as a character. I would love to be a male in this musical just because they get the grittier storyline, the better songs and their dances are just phenomenal. To be fair, I would rather be Riff than Tony, but this is a great song and I would love to be able to perform it.

9) Bless Your Beautiful Hide from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

As you have seen before on this blog, I adore Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It's a beautiful musical. The show and the film version however, has much more depth in both songs and characters for the male performers (I'm beginning to notice a pattern here). Therefore, if I was a male musical theatre performer, and a baritone at that, Adam would be one of my dream roles. Howard Keel's smooth vocals of Bless Your Beautiful Hide (whilst a tad sexist) is a song that not only sets up the world of the musical but will have you whistling along with the harmonica in the background. Oh, and you can't forget Lonesome Polecat as a male ensemble number. Jesus, Seven Brides are full of amazing male numbers that I would love to be a part of.

8) Nothing's Gonna Harm You from Sweeney Todd

I mean come on, who doesn't want to sing this song. It's a gorgeous, heartfelt ballad sung by a poor innocent boy who you know something terrible is going to happen to. There's also a sense of childish naivety to this song and it resonates with me as when someone offends your parents you will do anything to prove that you'll do anything for them. That's what this song does, it tugs on all of heartstrings and perfectly epitomises the clear difference between good and evil in Sweeney Todd. But either way, there is no way you can listen to this song and not want to join in or cry (they're usually my two options depending on what mood I'm in). And it's a ballad, written by Sondheim, who wouldn't want to sing it?

7) Dancing Through Life: Wicked

THIS SHOW! I love Wicked, it was the first show I ever saw on the West End and cemented my love for musical theatre forever. And even though both of the women are unbelievably strong characters in their own right and have some of the best female songs in musical theatre history, there is something about this song. I absolutely adore the character of Fyero and this song completely encaptulates his carefree attitude to life and work, that by the end of the musical, Elphaba will have turned on her head. I heard Lee Mead sing this in the West End as he was my first Fyero and no one has ever come close to that performance since, so why not give it a go.

6) I Believe: Book Of Mormon

Ever since the first time I heard this performed on the Olivier Awards, it is a song I have longed to perform and bring the comic, at times offensive, belting lyrics to life. It's such an I want song and has become the main audition song for many of my male musical theatre counterparts. And you can see why. The song shows not only comic timing but a good sense of vocal range and technique that not many contemporary musical songs do. It's been on my list for a long time and I sometimes wish I was brave enough to throw caution to the wind and perform it. Who knows, it may be in the not so distant future.

5) Wait For It: Hamilton

If you're new to my blog, then you will not know about my overflowing love for this musical. I have learnt the cast album back to front, watched every performance available on YouTube and even entered the Hamilton lottery everyday since the London show has opened. And as a very male orientated musical, there were many of the numbers I could've picked. But I've gone with the beautiful piece that is Wait For It, sung by my favourite character in the show, Aaron Burr. Now, many of you may be shouting at me that he's supposed to be the villain, but I cannot help but feel sorry for the man as all he wants to do is succeed and Hamilton is constantly in his way. There isn't another song in the show that sums up what a character wants or his reasons for the way he is (maybe Burn by Eliza) than this song. Even Lin Manuel Miranda himself said this is the best song he had written for the show and that is a testament to the man himself that he didn't save the best number for himself but rather gave it to the brilliant Leslie Odom Jr. God, I love that man, I love his voice, I love this show, I love this song.

4) Waving Through A Window: Dear Evan Hansen

Oh the geniuses that are Pasek and Paul with the gorgeous Ben Platt. There was no way that this wasn't going to be an instant hit. I mean, personally I hate the storyline but there is no way anyone can hate this song. Every open mic night I went to for weeks after the cast album was released, this song would feature in someway or another. I have sung this song so many times in my bedroom, in the shower, you name it, its one catchy tune. And Ben Platt's transition from belt to falsetto is just beautiful. This is another song where the performer can not only explore the story behind the piece but the range of their voice as well as the technique required. Wow. It's just a brilliant song but it's a hard one to get perfect and I do love a challenge.

3) Mama Says: Footloose

This was the first show I ever performed in and it has had a big impact on my musical theatre training. First of all, this is a great musical with a story that especially resonates today with the religious debate that is happening in America as we speak. Secondly, the songs and the dance numbers are just pure perfection to behold and this number out of all of them just is a brilliant piece of musical theatre doing what it does best. Entertaining. Sadly, as I was a girl, I was never able to perform this number. That didn't stop a majority of the girls in the company learning the number anyway. Again, its comic genius, with that American country boy charm that cannot be ignored. Its a great ensemble number plus really epitomises the character of Wilbur, Ren's loveable sidekick.

2) Run Away With Me: Unauthorised Biography of Samantha Brown

Kerrigan and Lowdermilk are lyrical geniuses and this musical is so underappreciated it hurts. This song is absolutely beautifully sung by many of musical theatre's best male performers including; Michael Arden, Jeremy Jordan and Aaron Tviet. Its a confession song if ever you heard one and it is one of the songs I revisit to sing by myself all the time. Because of its original key, it is quite hard to sing as a female but in the key that Jeremy Jordan sings it, its just about reachable. Its a regular audition song; not only because of its lyricism and technical demand but because of this songs beautiful narrative. Its a driving piece that by the end still has you asking the question of whether the two of them will ever run away together. And for gods sake, somebody please give this show some money so it can finally make its Broadway debut. It is severely needed!

1) Sante Fe: Newsies

Can you tell I love Jeremy Jordan, because I do. This is not only one of my favourite musical theatre songs of all time but one of my favourite musicals of all time. With a score by Alan Menken and Jeremy Jordan in the main role, you can't really go wrong. And this song! The first time I heard this song, I was blown away by that note (if you've heard this song you'll know what I'm on about, if not why haven't you?) and Jeremy Jordan's raw passion. On continual listens you begin to pick up on not only the desperation of Jordan's character Jack but the way the song ties in with the whole narrative of the show. As essentially, Sante Fe is a reprise of the second song in the show. It has belt, passion and a gorgeous melodic tone that feeds into the build up of the score and the desperation. This show needs to be revived and I would desperately love to be in it, maybe one day eh.

So, there we go. That was my Top 10 Male Musical Theatre Songs I Wish I Could Sing. Let me know in the comments if there are any you think I've missed out or any songs you wish you could sing of the opposite gender. I know there's a few more that didn't make my list.

#Musicals #top10 #westend #broadway