Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Highest Note Required in a Musical?
theawakefallen
Swing Joined: 11/25/15
#1Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 9:26am
These are what I can remember from off the top of my head.
F#6 in “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” from Footloose sung by Rusty
F6 in “Aiutami” from The Light in the Piazza sung by Franca Naccarelli
E6 in “The Phantom of the Opera” from The Phantom of the Opera sung by Christine Daaé
E6 in “Notes #1” from The Phantom of the Opera sung by Carlotta Giudicelli
Eb6 in “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide sung by Cunégonde
Eb6 in “Inside Out” from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder sung by Phoebe D’Ysquith
Eb6 in “Poor Wandering One” from The Pirates of Penzance sung by Mabel
D6 in “One More Kiss” from Follies sung by Heidi Schiller
D6 in “Conversation Piece” from Wonderful Town sung by Eileen Sherwood
Db6 in “Veronique” from On the Twentieth Century sung by Lily Garland
C6 in “The Golden Ram” from Two by Two sung by Goldie
C6 in “Every Day” from Les Misérables sung by Cosette
C6 in “The Role of the Queen” from The Pirate Queen sung by Queen Elizabeth I
C6 in “Falling in Love (Quartet)” from Thoroughly Modern Millie sung by Dorothy Brown
C6 in “It’s a Privilege to Pee” from Urinetown sung by Penelope Pennywise
C6 in “Tonight (Quintet)” from West Side Story sung by Maria
C6 in “Thank Goodness” from Wicked sung by Glinda Upland
B5 in “I Heard Someone Crying” from The Secret Garden sung by Lily Craven
B5 in “No Way to Stop It” from The Sound of Music sung by Maria Rainer
Bb5 in “The Finer Things” from Jane Eyre sung by Blanche Ingram
Bb5 in “Vanilla Ice Cream” from She Loves Me sung by Amalia Balash
Bb5 in “Kiss Me, Kate” from Kiss Me, Kate sung by Lilli Vanessi
Bb5 in “Case Close (Trio)” from Zombie Prom sung by Delilah Strict
#3Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 10:27am
Something from Evita? There are some wacky notes in A New Argentina.
#4Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 10:45am
In her recent memoir, Barbara Cook says she counted the high notes in "Glitter and Be Gay": "Four E-flats above high C, six D-flats above high C, sixteen B-flats, and twenty-one high Cs."
broadwayboy223
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/2/14
#5Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 12:36pm
Vanilla Ice Cream's high note is actually a High B not B flat.
#6Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 1:02pm
lol @ op asking and then promptly giving approximately 20 examples.
also, when has Maria ever sang in No Way to Stop It in SOM ?
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#7Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/10/16 at 3:58pm
vfd88 said: "Something from Evita? There are some wacky notes in A New Argentina."
Evita's notes are high in terms of belting (though there are higher) but most soprano roles have notes that go several notes above the top of what Eva sings, which I believe is a G during A New Argentina.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
beilis32
Understudy Joined: 7/12/14
#8Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/11/16 at 1:36pm
In my humble opinion, Glitter and Be Gay is the most insane soprano song of all time, at least in a musical, with Poor Wandering One as a close second.
#9Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 8:30am
I applaud the thoroughness, but that list is less than... accurate. As has been pointed out, Maria does not sing "no Way To Stop It;" I don't have the score in front of me, but I'm very sure that Pennywise's top note in "Privilege" is significantly lower than C6. I imagine there must be other errors, but I don't see the payoff in perusing each score to verify. And what's the point, anywho? I find it more interesting that the final note in the score for "Some People" in Gypsy is a C5, but the only person I've ever heard sing that is Patti Lupone. Everyone else goes down to the tonic (F4 in the published score). Or that the written note for "dies" (as in "everybody dies"
in "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company is an Eb4, but since Stritch went up to G4 on the recording, everyone now chooses to hit that wrong note, too.
#10Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 9:22am
The Circus Contraption cast recordings feature recurring character Pinky D'Ambrosia, who has some very high notes, particularly in the insane "Mendel the Magnificent" and "Pinky and Moonbeam."
IslandBoy27
Chorus Member Joined: 7/26/15
#11Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 1:54pm
Can we shift this to the men? What is the highest note written for a man? Not embellishments. I think there is an E flat written for the brother in MARIE CHRISTINE. I could be wrong.
#12Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 2:36pm
Annas sits at a high D frequently in "Jesus Christ Superstar," particularly in post-revision productions which emphasize his role and give him some of the Chief Priests' solos.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#13Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 2:43pm
This is fun!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMpLTldVVAA
#14Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 2:45pm
For men, Clopin hits a crazy high note at the end of The Bells of Notre Dame in Hunchback. I think it's a D above high C, but I'm not positive.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
#15Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 2:45pm
For men, Clopin hits a crazy high note at the end of The Bells of Notre Dame in Hunchback. I think it's a D above high C, but I'm not positive.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
#16Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 2:53pm
newintown, Pennywise does sing a high C at the end of Privelege to Pee. She first sings two an octave below that and then goes up the octave (all on an "ah" vowel).
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
SomethingPeculiar
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/15/14
#17Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 3:08pm
And remember it's not always about the note itself, but the dramatic and musical context behind it.
Glitter and Be Gay (and Queen of the Night) are both insane because they require repeated, staccato high notes. Privilege to Pee would be easy for a good soprano, but it's written to be belted (and it's thrilling when it's done well). Cosette's "Not a dream after aaaaalllll" wouldn't be so bad, either, if it could be sung at full-volume head voice -- but instead it needs to be floated delicately.
(I like this post topic though, and a lot of the research that the original poster has done!)
Hank
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/03
#18Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 5:55pm
When I first saw Jennifer Hope Wells in Wonderful Town I thought OMG, she would be a wonderful Christine, and sure enough she rewarded us with a four year run.
#19Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/12/16 at 6:51pm
gypsy101 said: "lol @ op asking and then promptly giving approximately 20 examples.
also, when has Maria ever sang in No Way to Stop It in SOM ?
"
Oh, she sings it. But only dogs can hear her.
ThatMezzoGirl
Chorus Member Joined: 12/6/13
#20Highest Note Required in a Musical?
Posted: 9/13/16 at 12:31pm
If the question were - "highest note on a cast album" I would say the E6 Lindsay Mendez sings in Bless the Lord in the Godspell revival. But actually in the revival score the highest note written is a high A so it's not required per the score, technically.
Yes The last note in Privilege to Pee is a C6. And the "high" notes in A new Argentina are G5s, only considered high because it's a belted note, and G5s are a BITCH to belt, lol.
