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

 
Vocal Considerations 
Musical Style. This piece is an homage to both the rise of Latin Jazz (from the decade prior to 
when the musical is set) and popular baritone crooners like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. This allows 
the piece to function as a star vehicle for the low-voiced actor, singing a flowing, lyrical melody with a 
half-beat pulse over a meticulous underscore which broadcasts “tropical getaway” to any one of Ivan’s 
numerous women. Quarter-triplets can be stretched in time behind the beat, alluding to Ivan’s 
noncommittal attitude about relationships. There are also several unexpected melodic choices and 
chromaticism which serve as a way to place Ivan on a pedestal for his musical prowess. 
Range. (E
♭
2
– F#
4
) This entire piece has an exceedingly wide range for the low voice, with 
gibberish syllables such as “blah” down between Eb
2
and G
2
for Ivan, and ends with a flourish on a F#
4
in 
harmony with the backing tenor. A 32-measure cut option from the bridge through the ending of the 
piece features a baritone range with significant character, melodic and harmonic interest, as well as final 
note with the potential for a huge payoff in the audition circuit. In the video of the Lincoln Center 
production, Brian Stokes Mitchell delays his arrival to the final F#
4
by singing a D
4
for a measure before 
proceeding to the climactic note.
4
Vocalism. This is an interesting selection in relation to other 21
st
century repertoire as the 
original vocalist uses such a warm, deep sound to portray his sensuous character, while harmonic and 
scalar choices of the score indicate a sophisticated jazz palette from the era after the crooners and low 
baritones reigned supreme. A sufficiently advanced classically or legit trained vocalist could work 
extensively on uniform timbre throughout their range, and the intricacies of tuning within their passaggio.
4
LincolnCenterTheater, “’Microphone’ from Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” February 8, 
2011, video, 2:17, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxUDQnJOKRM. 

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74 
Table 8.3. “Sanctuary”