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.
Tag Archives: Kristin Chenoweth
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?).
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)!”
When you hear no…
The great Kelli O’Hara went to the same school as Kristin Chenoweth, and studied with same voice teacher, force of nature Florence Birdwell. Obviously, Ms. Birdwell knew her stuff (she was still alive last I heard, so I should say, “knows” her stuff), since both of them are Tony-award winning artists. Kristin Chenoweth is knownContinue reading “When you hear no…”
A New Brain – A New Voice
This Friday, May 29 (5pm), I will host the final listening party (for the time being). We will be listening to William Finn’s A New Brain, which is a semi-autobiographical story about the composer’s personal experience with a genetic vascular disorder in his brain. WHAT? Another weird musical? Yes. Y’all can listen to Oklahoma orContinue reading “A New Brain – A New Voice”
What the Actual…
The word fach sounds like a bad word. It is a German word meaning “compartment” and is used in opera to describe particular voice types, often in incredibly specific detail. There’s: soubrette lyric soprano light lyric soprano full lyric soprano lyric coloratura soprano lyrico-spinto soprano dramatic soprano drammatico-spinto soprano helden soprano heldensoubrette (okay, that one wasContinue reading “What the Actual…”