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

Context
 
The sixth number in the show on the cast recording includes Tommy’s dialogue; he recalls the 
image of his deceased wife, Donna, as he looks poolside to the spot where she used to tan. This song 
helps introduce the audience to Tommy’s romantic sensibilities, vocal dramaticism, and goes into loving 
detail about his wife’s favorite pastime.
16
Musical Content 
This piece is written in a modified 32-bar song form (AABA) preceded by a notable opening 
verse. In this piece, the introduction sets up both the style of text delivery and the primary functions of 
the accompaniment, whose rhythmic drive is typically secondary to the singer, but whose harmonies 
create the emotional setting, with translucent hues of a smoky jazz club and the dissonance of heartbreak.
The melodic line in the introduction is filled with straight-eighths and scalar motion; performance practice 
and the original recording, however, indicate that these noted rhythms function more like guidelines. As 
the piece moves forward into the verse, the melody becomes peppered with wide leaps, particularly to and 
from extended chord tones. The ability for the singer to be pitch-accurate in areas such as this will be 
discussed later in vocal consideration analysis. These leaps coincide with the pining and longing subtext 
that accompany the singer’s lyrics. The lament and intensity of the song’s story hits its first climax as the 
piece moves into the bridge; similar leaps to the previous section occur, but now solidly within the high 
range of the low male-voice. The shift back to the final verse also includes sustained dissonant melodies 
on the 9
th
and flat 9
th
of the accompanying chord. The final verse includes terraced approaches to 
15
“’Honeymoon in Vegas’ Casting Call,” Rich Entertainment Group, et al. Backstage, accessed January 12, 
2020. https://www.backstage.com/casting/honeymoon-in-vegas-38866. 
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Tony Danza, “Out of the Sun,” track 6 on Honeymoon In Vegas: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast 
Recording), Universal Music Enterprises, 2014, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00PC6UCEG?trackAsin=B00PC6UNZE&ref=dm_sh_345b-dc1b-dmcp-5803-
7526a&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER. 

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56 
sustained notes within the middle and upper range of a low male voice, “fool” (F
3
), “deaf” (A
♭
3
), “F” 
(D
♭
3
), “gone” (E
♭
4
), “past” (E
♭
4
); this compositional tool aids the growth of intensity and encourages 
dynamic shifts towards the emotional arrival in m.62 of “done” on an F
4
.
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Additional summation, 
analysis, and character subtext can be found in Table 6.4. 
Table 6.4. Compositional Sections of “Out of the Sun”