Low male voice repertoire in contemporary musical theatre: a studio and performance guide of selected songs 1996-2020 by

Classical Voice 
Musical Theatre Voice 
The Fach system or other voice categorization 
methods are prominent in casting considerations or 
market expectations 
Men sing in alto, tenor, baritone, bass range. 
Prior to 1930 acting was gesture based, emphasis 
was to place beauty of tone over emotion 
Singing is on the vowel, diction crisp and in 
multiple languages 
Physical “typing” is prominent in casting 
considerations or market expectations. 
Men sing in the tenor or baritone range*. 
Acting must be superb 
Singing is text driven, conversational, in the 
vernacular (typically English) 
Voices are electronically amplified 
7
Ibid., 19-22. 
8
Jeannette LoVetri, “The Necessity of Using Functional Training in the Independent Studio,” Journal of 
Singing 70, (September/October 2013): 80-81. 

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11 
Voices are unamplified, expected to project 
acoustically 
Styles vary due to compositional time period, 
composer choice, or can vary by country 
Art-song is transposed as needed, Opera and 
Oratorio works stay within the written key unless 
there is a historically informed performance 
precedent 
Balance of timbral depth and brilliance which is 
durable and sustainable 
Use of sustained breath support and consistent 
vibrato 
Styles change frequently (and within shows) 
Songs are transposed as needed 
Dance skills needed 
Musical values vary 
Vibrato is not always used or appropriate 
Use of falsetto, belt or other nonclassical sounds in 
the high range (Contemporary) 
*Men have also been featured prominently singing in the 
countertenor and even soprano range in shows such as Motown: 
The Musical, Tootsie, and others 
 
Sources: Data adapted from Kenneth W. Bozeman, Practical Vocal Acoustics (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 
2013); Matthew Hoch, ed., So You Want to Sing CCM (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), 25-28; Karen Hall, 
So You Want to Sing Musical Theatre (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014), 66-74. 
Table 2.2. Pedagogical Characteristics of Classical and Musical Theatre Voice