What's a Charm Song?

[another sloe eyed vamp]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 6:52pm

I recently ran into the term in a book about Sondheim, and now I just heard it in a song on Maximum Broadway Radio, but have no idea what one is. Any help?

[James2]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 6:54pm

I think what it is is a song that is light in tone and it's only real purpose is to entertain. There is a song about charm songs in A Class Act.

[BertCCRI2]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 7:01pm

This is a term coined by noted conductor and musical theatre mavin Lehman Engels. That is the character who sings the number in "A Class Act."

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 7:03pm

Also referred to by some as the 'Ryhthmn Tune', it is very early on in the show so that the character can charm the audience with his/her own pizazz so he/she'll have them on their side throughout the show.

I.E. - "Charity's Soliloquy" - SWEET CHARITY

[musicnmath]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 7:22pm

"here I am", to take a very very recent example?

[dry2olives]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 7:35pm

An uptempo song that doesn't contain the humor necessary to be called a comedy song.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 7:54pm

Good example, musicnmath!

[another sloe eyed vamp]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 9:03pm

Thanks, everyone.

[musicnmath]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 9:09pm

thank YOU! I'd never heard of it either :)

[magruder]

Posted: 7/12/05 at 9:14pm

I believe that Lehman Engel's term of "charm song" describes a song that is there merely to charm an audience, and is not necessarily plot or character driven. "Here I Am" introduces a major character late in Act One in a big way, so I think it is much more than a charm song.

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 3:18pm

I am currently reading "Song of Spider-Man" by Glen Berger. In it, he discusses how he gave Bono a sixty song compilation of Broadway music.

"So David had the office burn a four-CD compilation. Sixty songs from the last sixty years of musical theatre, divided into the strictest of categories. There were exposition songs, eleven o'clock numbers, Act One closers, charm songs, anti-charm songs, show-stoppers, character-driven songs, torch songs -- a fantastic mix..."

From this thread, I gathered what a charm song was, though I am not thinking of any recent examples off the top of my head. But what is an "anti-charm" song? Or, at least, what's an example of one?

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 3:29pm

If a charm song is an entertaining piece that moves audience sympathy towards a character, an anti-charm song would be the opposite: an entertaining song that, even if not an outright "villain song" actively moves our sympathies against the character without revealing anything new or deep about their personality or situation.

Tim Minchin fills "Matilda" with anti-charm songs: "Loud," "The Hammer" and "Telly" are prime examples.

Updated On: 8/30/20 at 03:29 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 4:16pm

I actually think of "Barnum" as the 'charm song' musical. A full three quarters of that score are charm songs.

 

Updated On: 8/30/20 at 04:16 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 7:09pm

TheSassySam said: "I am currently reading "Song of Spider-Man" by Glen Berger. In it, he discusses how he gave Bono a sixty song compilation of Broadway music.

"So David had the office burn a four-CD compilation. Sixty songs from the last sixty years of musical theatre, divided into the strictest of categories. There were exposition songs, eleven o'clock numbers, Act One closers, charm songs, anti-charm songs, show-stoppers, character-driven songs, torch songs -- a fantastic mix..."

From this thread, I gathered what a charm song was, though I am not thinking of any recent examples off the top of my head. But what is an "anti-charm" song? Or, at least, what's an example of one?"

Commercially driven shows since about the 1970's often seem to want to clobber the audience--everything is Really Big and Really Expensive and Really Loud. Not much room for smaller moments or gentle feelings. So there's not much of a place for charm. And the works aiming for complex, deeper meaning since about that same time tend (under the influence of Sondheim--whose work I love) to look on the dark side of experience and human nature, so again, not much room for charm. This is not really "current" but I'd call "Those Magic Changes" in Grease a charm song. "Everything's Alright" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" might possibly be called charm songs. One might call "Dentist" from Little Shop an anti-charm song. The most recent example I can think of is "I Love Play Rehearsal" from Be More Chill. 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 7:37pm

To me, Popular would be a good example of a charm song.

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 9:21pm

It seems like Cats would mostly consist of charm songs since they just function as entertainments that don't advance any plot.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 10:14pm

joevitus said: "TheSassySam said: "I am currently reading "Song of Spider-Man" by Glen Berger. In it, he discusses how he gave Bono a sixty song compilation of Broadway music.

"So David had the office burn a four-CD compilation. Sixty songs from the last sixty years of musical theatre, divided into the strictest of categories. There were exposition songs, eleven o'clock numbers, Act One closers, charm songs, anti-charm songs, show-stoppers, character-driven songs, torch songs -- a fantastic mix..."

From this thread, I gathered what a charm song was, though I am not thinking of any recent examples off the top of my head. But what is an "anti-charm" song? Or, at least, what's an example of one?"

Commercially drivenshows since about the 1970's often seem to want to clobber the audience--everything is Really Big and Really Expensive and Really Loud. Not much room for smaller moments or gentle feelings. So there's not much of a place for charm. And the works aiming for complex, deeper meaning since about that same timetend(under the influence of Sondheim--whose work I love) to look on the dark side of experience and human nature, so again, not much room for charm. This is not really "current" but I'd call "Those Magic Changes" in Grease a charm song. "Everything's Alright" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" might possibly be called charm songs.One might call "Dentist" from Little Shop an anti-charm song. The most recent example I can think of is "I Love Play Rehearsal" from Be More Chill."

I would argue "Dentist" and "I Love Play Rehearsal" are charm songs as the original BMI Lehman Engel definition stressed that the charm song was universal, it applied to the characters of said musical at the moment but in a non-specific-to-character way.  "Put On A Happy Face" is a charm song (that turns into a dance number).  "Another Suitcase" is much to somber to be a charm song which tend to also usually be robust and optimistic (though not exclusively).

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 8:37am

joevitus said: "The most recent example I can think of is "I Love Play Rehearsal" from Be More Chill."

I understand your reasoning, but for me, that was the least charming song in the Be More Chill score. It didn't endear the character to me; it compelled me to dismiss her as incredibly annoying.

 

[tmdonahue]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 10:24am

I think one needs care in identifying charm songs.  I googled the definition of a charm song and a site offered as an example "Wouldn't it be Loverly" from My Fair Lady.  That song is certainly charming but it's an "I want" song, a functional song.  After all the lyrics begin "All I want is a room somewhere..." It even references chocolates which will come up later in the show.  Eliza gets everything she wants except "someone's head resting on my knee/Warm and tender as he can be..." Higgins isn't that someone so she has to leave.

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 10:38am

Lot666 said: "joevitus said: "The most recent example I can think of is "I Love Play Rehearsal" from Be More Chill."

I understand your reasoning, but for me, that was the least charming song in the Be More Chillscore. It didn't endear the character to me; it compelled me to dismiss her as incredibly annoying.

"

To each their own. I loved the concept of dream-girl-as-spaz. Lot's of geek boy characters in musical theater, nice to see a geek girl.

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 10:43am

Owen22 said: "

I would argue "Dentist" and "I Love Play Rehearsal" are charm songs as the original BMI Lehman Engel definition stressed that the charm song was universal, it applied to the characters of said musical at the moment but in a non-specific-to-character way. "Put On A Happy Face" is a charm song (that turns into a dance number). "Another Suitcase" is much to somber to be a charm song which tend to also usually be robust and optimistic (though not exclusively).

"

Have to agree with you about "Another Suitcase in Another Hall." I guess I was thinking that it was a moment where we had a song from a character we're just supposed to love a feel tenderly towards--nothing to do with plot development or setting a scene. Just this poor little kid living a terrible life. But you're right about the somberness of it going against a basic element of the charm song.

And "Put on a Happy Face": Yes!

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 10:45am

tmdonahue said: "I think one needs care in identifying charm songs. I googled the definition of a charm song and a site offered as an example "Wouldn't it be Loverly" from My Fair Lady. That song is certainly charming but it's an "I want" song, a functional song. After all the lyrics begin "All I want is a room somewhere..." It even references chocolates which will come up later in the show. Eliza gets everything she wants except "someone's head resting on my knee/Warm and tender as he can be..." Higgins isn't that someone so she has to leave."

And then she comes back. 

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 10:57am

"Can't help loving that man" from Showboat?
"Zip" from Pal Joey?
"I wanna be like you" from Jungle Book film?
"Corner Man" from Funny Girl?
"Broadway Baby" from Follies?
"Art of the Possible" from Evita (kidding!!)

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 11:13am

I would call “Dentist” from Little Shop an anti-Charm song. It doesn’t necessarily move the plot, but it does cement the show’s off-beat sense of humor.

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 11:19am

joevitus said: "Lot666 said: "joevitus said: "The most recent example I can think of is "I Love Play Rehearsal" from Be More Chill."

I understand your reasoning, but for me, that was the least charming song in the Be More Chill score. It didn't endear the character to me; it compelled me to dismiss her as incredibly annoying."

To each their own. I loved the concept of dream-girl-as-spaz. Lot's of geek boy characters in musical theater, nice to see a geek girl."

Please don't misunderstand; I was fine with having the sought-after girl be a theatre nerd. My objection was specifically with the song, which I found incredibly annoying. That song put a serious dent in her likability for me.  

Updated On: 8/31/20 at 11:19 AM