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

 
 
1
Sherie Rene Scott, “Island,” track 8 on Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Original 
Broadway Cast Recording), Ghostlight Records, 2011, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B076YHFLZ8?trackAsin=B076YN5JFP&ref=dm_sh_d5b4-290a-dmcp-5c70-
80ef7&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER. 
2
Ibid. 
3
Brian Stokes Mitchell, “Microphone,” track 9 on Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown 
(Original Broadway Cast Recording), Ghostlight Records, 2011, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B076YHFLZ8?trackAsin=B076YJQYVK&ref=dm_sh_f79f-3a87-dmcp-6222-
a339b&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER. 

---

72 
Musical Content 
This piece is written in the style of the sensuous rhumba, featuring steady but syncopated bass 
lines, and quick-passing flourishes in the right hand of the piano. There is a rhythmic intricacy as the 
piano reduction seems to feature two separate octaves and “voices” in treble-clef throughout the verse.
There are frequent uses of extended harmonies (6ths added to triads, seventh chords, and tritone 
substitutions) which help set a similar “exotic” atmosphere as the preceding musical number. Passing 
chords are also included to embellish a slow moving and repetitive harmony. The AABA’ form includes 
four sixteen-measure sections, modified in the recording to include an elongated final section and an 
internal dance break imposed prior to the B section. 
Table 8.2. Compositional Sections in “Microphone”, Ivan excerpt, mm. 80-111 
Measures Tonal 
Center/Key 
Compositional Notes 
Lyric 
Subtext 
Form 
mm. 80-87 Ambiguous 
emphasis on 
E
♭ 
Use of non-diatonic altered dominant 
brings specific attention to the 
beginning of the bridge. Quick 
resolution uses A
♭7 as a lower passing 
chord to move back to the dominant of 
D major. Melody with chromaticism 
is created using the scales that make 
up the underscored chords, causing 
notes to change by half step between 
measures while retaining similar 
melodic contour. 
To extol 
B 
mm. 88-95 D major 
Second half of bridge section features 
melody from A section and vocal 
accompaniment from Carlos which 
features scalar motion and 
arpeggiation of 
♭VI chord. 
To comfort 
B continued 
mm. 96-
111 
D major 
Modified final verse features a six-
measure (mm. 100-105) harmonic 
pause on variations of a dominant 
(A7) chord prior to moving to the 
ending tag. Mm. 100-111 is the 
longest section in the piece where 
Ivan’s melody contains only diatonic 
notes. 
To seduce 
A’ continued 
and tag 

---

73 
 
Sources: Data adapted from David Yazbek, “Microphone” in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 
(Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard, 2012): 61-70.