If opera has biddies, boys, and bitches (or witches, bitches, and britches), then musical theater has momgenues, battleaxes, and dowagers. The difference is that in opera, it’s about voice parts (the mezzo), and in musical theater, it’s about type.
Author Archives: Mezzoid Voice Studio
Concerns, Care and Consistency For the Mature Voice
Today’s blogpost comes from a workshop I did this morning on concerns, care and consistency for the mature voice. Growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop singing, but there are things you need to take into account to allow it to keep being a rewarding experience for you, your colleagues, and your audience.
From Ingenue to Grande Dame: Role Models
In the theater world, “role” has an alternative definition – that of a character in a play, movie, or film. When a singer is developing their audition book, they are looking at what roles they could convincingly portray on a vocal and physical basis.
Stephen Sondheim’s Women of a Certain Age
The musicals of Stephen Sondheim often feature mature women as supporting and leading characters. Many writers have speculated that the composer, having had a tumultuous relationship with his own mother, worked out some of these issues in his musicals. His female characters of a certain age are often flawed characters – the degree of the flaw depends on the story.
Not Enough Sopranos
In musical theater, particularly in post-Golden Age musical theater, there aren’t a lot of roles for sopranos. There aren’t that many roles for women, for that matter. A major problem for many of the high schools at which I have had students is that they choose musicals that are largely male-dominant, and then don’t have enough boys come out for auditions (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, anyone?).
Jerry’s Women (or Hello, Jerry!)
While the majority of leading ladies in American musical theater are cast as ingenues, there is one composer who found success writing many of his early shows for women over 40, some of which were in titular roles. This was Jerry Herman (1931-2019). In this post, I discuss these shows and their impact on American musical theater.
Growing Older – The Journey Continues
In my last blogpost about growing older, I described my journey from a wannabe musical theater performer to reluctant classroom music teacher to journeyman classical/opera singer in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. The journey continues, with a few pivots on the way – to Milwaukee, to teaching, back to Baltimore, and beyond.
Growing Older – My Musical Journey (Part 1)
The book that I’m writing is about musical theater roles/repertoire for women of a certain age. Women who are growing older. And as much as that pains me, I count myself among that demographic. But I spent most of my adult life studying classical repertoire – how did I get here? When I was startingContinue reading “Growing Older – My Musical Journey (Part 1)”
Let’s go to the movies (or turn on the TV)!
The focus of my upcoming book (I’m so excited saying those three words – my upcoming book) is on musical theatre repertoire for women of a certain age. So, obviously, I’ve been doing a lot of research about theatrical productions. But I came to the realization that I’m overlooking a few other excellent sources ofContinue reading “Let’s go to the movies (or turn on the TV)!”
Why I NATS
I’ve told you why I sing – I’ve told you why I teach – but today I’d like to tell you why I NATS (belong to the National Association of Teachers of Singing) and all the things I’ve gained from this journey! And tell you how you can be part of it, too!