Truly Operatic/Operettic:
Carlotta and Piangi, the Italian opera singers in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA; I
personally have never understood why Christine isn't sung more
operatically - she's supposed to unseat the reigning diva, after all -
hardly believable if the Christine sings like Sarah Brightman!
Jenny Lind in BARNUM!
all the characters except Pangloss/Voltaire in Bernstein's CANDIDE
Elizabeth, in Ron Grainer's ROBERT AND ELIZABETH (written for Australian
coloratura June Bronhill)
all the characters in Noel Coward's BITTER SWEET
Melanie in Coward's CONVERSATION PIECE
all the non-buffo characters in KISMET
all the characters in Wright/Forrest SONG OF NORWAY
all female characters in Ivor Novello musicals
"Legit" Musical Roles created by opera singers:
Cosette in LES MISERABLES (role created by Canadian operatic soprano
Rebecca Caine)
Stephen Kumalo, Leader, and Irina in Kurt Weill's LOST IN THE STARS
(created by Todd Duncan, Frank Roane, and Inez Matthews)
Ruth and Phil in Jerry Herman's MILK AND HONEY (originally sung by Met
stars Mimi Benzell and Robert Weede)
Tony in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA (created by Robert Weede, revived by Giorgio
Tozzi)
Emile de Becque in SOUTH PACIFIC (created by Ezio Pinza, and revived at
Lincoln Center and sung in the movie by Giorgio Tozzi)
Domina in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (created by
operatic mezzo Ruth Kobart, who also sang one of the working girls in the
original production of PIPE DREAM)
The Padre in MAN OF LA MANCHA (created by Robert Rounseville)
Suzy in Rodgers & Hammerstein's PIPE DREAM (created by Helen Traubel -
however, this isn't really a recommendation, as Rodgers himself considered
Traubel the probable cause for the show's failure)
Cesar in Harold Rome's FANNY (created by Ezio Pinza)
"Legit" Musical Roles sung by opera "crossover" singers:
Mother Superior in THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Joe in SHOW BOAT (role taken over from Robeson by Todd Duncan on
Broadway, and later revived by William Warfield)
Tevye in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (toured extensively with Jan Peerce and
Robert Merrill in the role)
Anna in THE KING AND I (sung in New York revival by Rise Stevens after she
left the Met)
Roles opera singers can do well:
Any of the roles created by Barbara Cook (e.g., Marian the Librarian, THE
MUSIC MAN)
Any of the roles created by Julie Andrews (e.g., Guinevere, CAMELOT; Eliza
Doolittle, MY FAIR LADY)
Any of the roles created by Alfred Drake (e.g., Curly, OKLAHOMA!; Fred in
KISS ME KATE; Honore in GIGI; Hadjj in KISMET)
Any of the roles created by John Raitt (e.g., Billy Bigelow in CAROUSEL);
Any of the roles created by Robert Rounseville (Candide, Padre in MAN OF
LA MANCHA, Mr. Snow in CAROUSEL)
the female leads in CAROUSEL
Any of the roles created by Richard Kiley (e.g., Caliph in KISMET;
Cervantes/Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA)
Maria and Tony in WEST SIDE STORY
Julie, Magnolia, and Gaylord in SHOW BOAT
Count Palafi and in Rodgers & Hammerstein's I MARRIED AN ANGEL
Roles created by/for Gertrude Lawrence (Anna in THE KING AND I; Liza
Elliott in Kurt Weill's LADY IN THE DARK, also performed by Rise Stevens)
Roles created by/for Audra McDonald (Sarah in RAGTIME; Marie Christine in
John LaChiusa's operatic musical of that name)
Also worth noting:
Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is being performed increasingly by
operetta and opera companies, as are SWEENEY TODD and PACIFIC OVERTURES.
In Europe, opera singers have crossed over more often, for example singing
the role of Frank in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, and all the roles in PHANTOM OF
THE OPERA (which is performed much more operatically in Germany and
Austria and, interestingly, Japan, than it is in the English-speaking
world).
KM
=====
My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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Es en balde, majo mio, que sigas hablando
porque hay cosas que contesto yo
siempre cantando:
Tra la la...
Por mas que preguntes tanto:
tra la la...
En mi no causas quebranto
ni yo he de salir de mi canto:
tra la la...
- Fernando Periquet
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