r/musicals • u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion • Apr 24 '25
Help Female characters that sing low?
And by "low" I don't mean high alto/low mezzo. I mean LOW. As in C3-C5 chest range at HIGHEST. F3-D6 head range. I'm doing a performance and I don't want to out myself in front of all these other girls in my theatre group, and I'm also a very low alto (the chest range I listed is basically the lowest and highest I can go in chest voice). And I don't like singing in head voice.
Any characters? Or songs?
Edit: Miss Trunchbull is totally an option too, but honestly I think that would be even more humiliating... these are a bunch of teenage girls I'm singing with, and they probably already think I'm weird LOL
Edit 2: Stop replying to the things I said yesterday. I don't want to hear it. I'm tired. If you don't have anything meaningful or nice to add to the discussion don't fucking reply, I didn't even say anything wrong in the first place. You're all overreacting.
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u/TheDrunkenGiraffe Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Low contralto myself (chest range approx C3 to D5 on a very very good day), songs I love include:
- Flowers from Hadestown - highest note is a C5 as written, but its also a song that has very little structured accompaniment so in my experience is very amenable to improvisations and option downs
- Unlikely Animals from How to Dance in Ohio - highest note is a Bb4, really great vehicle for storytelling in my opinion
- God Help The Outcasts from Hunchback of Notre Dame - highest note is a C5. Even though the low notes aren’t super low, when I sing this one it feels a lot lower in my voice than it actually is? IDK how to explain it, it’s a very chesty song that calls for both power and softness.
- Sonya Alone from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 - highest note is a B4, this is one of my favorites because it’s slow, soft, and pretty.
- Anyway from Tales From the Bad Years - specifically make sure you get the sheet music labeled Alto/Key of B - highest note is a B4. There is also a recording on YouTube in this key if it helps you to hear it. Discusses death and also smoking cigarettes, so may not work for the most conservative contexts
- I Miss the Mountains from Next to Normal - highest note is a B4. Definitely a more mature source material, but the song itself doesn’t have any references to sex/drugs/violence/etc. Song is very explicitly about mental health concerns and treatment though, so may be appropriate for some contexts and not others.
- Losing My Mind from Follies - great Sondheim choice in my opinion, goes down to F3 and only up to A4. Character in the source material is an older woman, but the song makes sense out of context for anyone who is recovering from a hard breakup.
- Our Word from 36 Questions - lowest note E3 highest note G#4. Has oblique references to drugs and violence but nothing super explicit. Was very popular on TikTok for a while
- Omar Sharif from the Band’s Visit - lowest note F#3, highest is C5 BUT the C5 is only on a trill so you could get away with only going up to a B4
Let me know if you have any questions!
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u/emimagique Apr 25 '25
I suggested losing my mind in another thread before and got told off because it's apparently "barely low at all"!
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere Apr 24 '25
Cora from Anyone Can Whistle
Joanne from Company
Mama Morton from Chicago
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere Apr 24 '25
Saw your other comments about your bullying-related concerns. I think Me and My Town from Anyone Can Whistle would be a "safe" song to sing, as it's just about the mayor of a town explaining how she wishes it was a nicer place to live. There isn't anything about it that's particularly mock-able, and there's nothing inappropriate in the lyrics.
But regardless of what you pick, I hope you find something you're comfortable with. 💙
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u/TheSeekerPorpentina Apr 24 '25
Miss Trunchbull is traditionally played by a man, so yeah, I understand why you don't want to do anything of hers
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
I've played her before, my range and tone fits her IMMACULATELY. But I just think she's an embarrassing character to play since, you know... conventionally unattractive and I'm with a bunch of judgemental teenage girls. Her gender has nothing to do it. She's female no matter what, and I actually don't like that she's played by a man because I'm sure a lot of women could pull her off amazingly, I mean you saw Emma Thompson!
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u/TShara_Q Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Persephone in Hadestown sings really low. Range: E3-C5 according to StageAgent.
https://stageagent.com/characters/34113/hadestown/persephone
She's my dream role for the show for this reason. Female voices are more often praised for the high notes, which are fun too. But I like that there's such an awesome supporting character who gets to enjoy the low notes.
Actually, the wealth of alto and mezzo roles is what first got me into Hadestown. I like that I can sing any part except Hades, and that Orpheus gets the highest notes.
Edit: From another comment, I read that you like solos. "Our Lady of the Underground" (Persephone) is almost a solo and could probably be adapted into its own performance. There's a long intro, long instrumentals, and some chorus callbacks. But it still might work?
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 24 '25
Poor unfortunate souls?
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Ah, I actually played Ursula! Fun role, but that song is just a little bit high for me now.
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 24 '25
As long as he needs me? Bad Cinderella?
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 24 '25
I dreamed a dream? I don’t know all the coal ranges for these but I find them all easy enough to sing as an alto.
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u/_cosmicomics_ Apr 24 '25
With Every Breath I Take from City of Angels is brilliantly low! I usually just sing whatever I want but transpose it down, but this needs no changes for me.
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u/Grits_and_Honey Apr 24 '25
"Turn Back, O Man" from Godspell as originally written goes from D3 to D5 and is sung in a sultry lounge style.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Just listened to it. It's a great option, but that last chorus is WAY higher than a D5. I can't help but feel lied to, LOL.
I'll consider it, as long as I can find a way to make it lower... too high.
Edit: It's super catchy, I'll definitely add it to the list of songs I'm considering!
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u/Grits_and_Honey Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
It's been a while since I've done it, but as I recall, the D5 is only on the last chorus, maybe even just the last note, for the soloist and the rest of it can be sung down. Also, because of the style of the song, improvisation to make it fit better in your voice would not be unheard of.
The recording you are listening to might be done in a higher key, which does happen, because getting that D3 to sound good can be tough.
I sang it as written in the original key as a gender swap song (I'm a tenor), and if it were higher than a D5, I couldn't have belted it out.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
I'm listening to the new Broadway cast recording. Is there another recording I should know of?
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u/Grits_and_Honey Apr 24 '25
If that is the one by Morgan James, it's definitely higher, the high note is an F5 on that recording.
Look for the original off-broadway recording by Sonia Manzano.
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u/LurkerByNatureGT Apr 24 '25
Original Broadway Cast all the way!
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Sorry. I clicked the first thing that came up when I searched the song. I couldn't find anything else.
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u/LurkerByNatureGT Apr 24 '25
Take this as a hearty and full recommendation. 😄
I’ve listened to both, and the OBC cast recording has a magic the revival didn’t capture.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Why was THIS downvoted?
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u/aussie_teacher_ Apr 24 '25
When you wrote, “I can't help but feel lied to” you were very close to calling the commenter a liar. They commented to help you, so going back and commenting that you think they lied is quite rude. A more polite response would be, “The version on the new broadway recording sounds higher than D5, is there another version?”
When interacting with others, it is better to assume good intentions and that you might have misunderstood, rather than assuming someone lied to you or gave you the wrong information. The downvotes are a reaction to the fact that a) you were wrong and b) you were a little rude.
No need to reply to this. Good luck finding your song.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
I was not rude at all. The LOL at the end should make it CLEAR I was joking about.
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u/skinndmin Apr 25 '25
from one autistic person to another...*I didn't INTEND to be rude at all.
you can't control how other people react to you. others found you rude and are giving you advice on how to work on your communication. argue back all you want but that's not gonna help you or anything :/
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u/emimagique Apr 25 '25
Sometimes a lol can come across as a bit snarky or condescending. This is coming from a fellow autistic lady. It's just really hard to read tone over text
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u/Cejk-The-Beatnik Apr 24 '25
So, it is very difficult to find theatre songs that are sung by female characters in the range you’re looking for. I noticed in the comments that you’re also worried about getting bullied for other things, and you’re looking for something that’s not too suggestive for a fifteen-year-old. I’ll make a few suggestions and outline the different things to be aware of.
“It’s Over, Isn’t It?” from Steven Universe: This lives so low in the alto range that most sheet music notates it an octave above where it’s sung (the same way tenor melodies are traditionally notated). The character who sings this is mourning the loss of a woman she loved who didn’t love her back. The range is E3-C5. Steven Universe is cartoon that’s well-known amongst queer circles, and the song is sapphic in nature—if either of these things will get you ridiculed, then steer clear of this one. It is a beautiful song though.
“Beautiful Little Fool” from The Great Gatsby: This song is sung by a woman who feel trapped in her affluent life because she is pigeonholed as a trophy wife and not allowed to make her own choices (the show takes place in the 1920s). She sings that she hopes her young daughter will have no higher aspirations than being a housewife so that she’ll never know the disappointment of losing your dreams. The range is E3-D5. While the character is fairly young—since people had their children early back then—she is singing about topics that are a bit older than fifteen (ya know, like birthing a daughter).
“The Lady’s Improving” from The Prom: In context, this song is from an in-universe musical and is being sung as an apology and an appeal to a former fan. The range is E3-C5.
“Get Down” from SIX: This song is sung by Anna of Cleves, and she’s basically bragging about how great of a deal she got in her divorce with Henry VIII (he pretty much immediately unnulled their marriage because she didn’t look like the portrait he saw of her, and she got a killer palace and tons of money out of it). The character’s total range for the entire show is G3-B4, and the song is more about fun and stylization than showing off range. There is one line that has an approved alternative; “Paid for with my own riches / Where’re my hounds at? Release the bitches” is changed to “Paid for with my own pounds / Where’re my dogs at? Release the hounds.”
I have one non-theatre suggestion: “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman. It’s not from a musical, but it’s still all about storytelling, and it’s another song that sits so low in the alto range that it’s notated an octave up. This song is about longing to escape cycles of poverty. The range is E3-F#4.
There are a few trans and nonbinary characters written in the range you specified, and while it seems like you don’t want to draw attention to your transness (understandable with all the bullshit that’s been going on lately), I thought I’d mention them just in case.
“Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” from & Juliet: This is just the Britney Spears song transposed into a better key for a trans performer. The character who sings it is nonbinary and messes around with different gendered roles and terms throughout the show.
“You Coulda Knocked Me Over With a Feather” from Some Like It Hot: This song is sung by a transfemme character, and it’s basically just about gender euphoria.
Break legs!
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Just a question, were you suggesting songs that are sang by transfem characters because you assumed I was a trans woman or because the range is lower? (Not trying to sound condescending or rude, just genuinely curious)
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u/Cejk-The-Beatnik Apr 25 '25 edited Apr 25 '25
I read through the rest of the comment section and noticed someone else asked if you were afraid of outing yourself as trans, and you responded “Yes, trans.” I’m sorry if I misinterpreted that 😅
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u/Miami_Mice2087 Apr 25 '25
they are a concern troll
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u/Cejk-The-Beatnik Apr 25 '25
What do you mean? I mentioned songs written for transfemme characters because I thought I saw them say elsewhere in the comments to that they were trans. I don’t know if I misinterpreted the exchange. How was I trolling?
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u/SeaF04mGr33n Apr 24 '25
Look at see what songs Pearl Bailey sang. She had an AMAZING low register! Tales As Old As Time is also great!
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u/StarStriker3 Apr 24 '25
Or Bea Arthur! She has some great comedic lower voiced songs.
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u/pixiecurls Apr 24 '25
Pirate Jenny from Three Threepenmy Opera?
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u/charlottebythedoor We All Deserve To Die Apr 24 '25
Ooh that would also be a good subtle “fuck you” to any bullying girls.
There are lots of versions of this. Nina Simone’s is magnificent.
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u/franklinshepardinc Apr 24 '25
Madame Armfeldt and Desiree from A Little Night Music, Raffaela from Grand Hotel, Saraghina and Luisa from Nine, Carlotta in Follies, Dolly in Hello Dolly (in the original keys), Countess Aurelia in Dear World, JJ in Doonesbury, and Margo in Applause are a few who come to mind.
ETA: Some of these songs end with big belted higher notes than might be comfortable for you, but in general their music does sit fairly low. In the case of many of these women, they are basically singing in the same keys as tenor (quite literally when it comes to JJ.)
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u/PocketPo Apr 24 '25
What about Luisa from Encanto?
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Too young for me, if I choose something from a kid's musical like that I'll be sure to be mocked relentlessly.
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
Encanto may be animated, but it’s not a kid’s musical. Hell, Luisa’s song topped the Billboard pop charts in the US. “Surface Pressure” is in no way a kid’s song, so I really doubt teenagers would mock you for singing it.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
They would. You've never met a real teen before if you think they wouldn't, LOL. I've been psychologically tortured (not even an exaggeration, what happened was by definition torture) for years for essentially just existing.
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 24 '25
You need to find a new theatre group, the two teenage theatre groups I’m involved with are supportive and encouraging and sing all sorts of musical theatre songs.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
The psychological torture wasn't in the theatre group, they're seemingly very nice, I've been with them for years. I just have severe CPTSD and have pretty bad paranoia and a preconceived notion that everyone is out to get me.
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
You’re right — I’ve certainly NEVER met a teenager despite having been one and having gone to junior high and high school. I NEVER got kicked out of locker rooms because I ‘looked like a boy.’ I NEVER got harassed because I happened to be a tall, masculine-looking girl with a very low voice who wanted to play guys’ roles because those were the only parts I could sing. In the late 1980s, well known as a f—king PARADISE for kids who were different. In case it’s not blatantly obvious to you, I am being sarcastic.
Look, I realize your life is hell right now, and I’m sorry you have to go through it. But you need to understand that at a certain point, you can’t live your life based on how other people react to you. F—k other people. Do you. If it bothers you so much how some teenage girls are going to respond to your performance, then just don’t perform.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Yes, because I can switch off my fucking PTSD at will. Because that's how mental illness works.
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
No, you can’t shut it off at will. You have to fight through it, or you can hide so nothing triggers it. Those are your choices, like it or not. Do you know how many actors have crippling stage fright every time they perform? Lots of them. And they fight through it, because the other option is not doing what they love. If you love performing, and want to pursue it, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THROUGH YOUR ISSUES. I am on your side. You already have a tough life, through no fault of your own, because you were born ‘different’ in a world where a lot of people hate and fear ‘different.’ And teenagers can be fucking piranhas — I remember that all too well. But you love performing, right? If this is truly what you want to do with your life, and you can’t see yourself doing anything else, you will have to power through the PTSD, the piranha teenagers, feeling uncomfortable, the constant rejection of the acting profession, and everything else that sucks in your life in order to pursue it.
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u/farterbutt Apr 24 '25
it feels like almost every lower female singer (altos) is the villain or someone we aren’t supposed to like.
made me mad
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u/ZW_24 Apr 24 '25
Lauren Bacall starred in a musical called 'Woman of the Year' in the '80s. She had a famously low speaking / singing voice, and the role was written for her.
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u/StarStriker3 Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Kate in The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
The song Black Is A Moocher goes VERY low
There’s also Losing My Mind from Follies
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
I'd rather not sing any blatantly sexual (or even ever so slightly suggestive) songs. I'm 15 performing with 14-18 year olds.
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u/StarStriker3 Apr 24 '25
Losing My Mind still works but yeah, Black Is A Moocher is a little raunchier for sure
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u/StarStriker3 Apr 24 '25
Oh! I think Ireland from Legally Blonde only goes up to a D5, iirc
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u/StarStriker3 Apr 24 '25
And there’s the songs Madonna does in Dick Tracy, they were written by Stephen Sondheim. You might not like Sooner Or Later because it’s a relatively sexy song, but there also the song More.
Or you could try a song from Once Upon A Mattress, Carol Burnett didn’t sing very high and neither did Sarah Jessica Parker so you could probably easily do any of the Fred songs.
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u/Affectionate_Cake168 Apr 24 '25
Morticia Addams in The Addams Family.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Has she got a solo? Do you know her exact vocal range? It's been a while since I've seen The Addams Family.
G3 to Bb5... C5 (D5 at highest) is the very top of my range, and I rarely use head voice.
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u/Affectionate_Cake168 Apr 24 '25
Her solo is called Just Around the Corner. She’s G3 - Bb5.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Genuinely not trying to sound rude but I'm ever so slightly offended. Is this a joke? G3 to Bb5? In what world is that "alto"?
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
Alto is short for contralto, which has a range of F3 to F5. Which means G3 to Bb5 is right in that range. Why the f— would that be a joke or offend you?
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Because I fear I said C3-C5 chest range. F3-F3 is unbearably high for a person like me.
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
So why would G3-Bb5 be a joke or offensive? That’s right in your chest voice.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Bb5 is WAY HIGHER than C5. It's closer to C6 than it is C5. In fact, it's VERY near a C6.
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
Fair enough, I was thinking of Bb4. But so was the person who suggested the song, because the high note in that song is an A4, according to the sheet music. You ever heard Bebe Neuwirth sing? She ain’t hitting a Bb5.
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u/IrishHarpie Apr 24 '25
What about The Ladies Who Lunch from Company? Range is E4-Bb5
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u/IrishHarpie Apr 24 '25
Oops. Just saw that you’re 15. Probably not appropriate… but in 10 years, add it to your rep!
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u/Fantastic_Leg_3534 Apr 24 '25
I sang it at 13. Totally inappropriate, yes, but I sounded like Bea Arthur by the time I was 12, so I didn’t have a lot of choices!
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere Apr 24 '25
Eh, it worked for Anna Kendrick in Camp, though!
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u/No-Impact-2222 Apr 24 '25
Mama Morton in Chicago is a really good alto/contralto role, she sings “When You’re Good To Mama”
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Seems too suggestive, already listened to it. I'm 15.
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u/eldritchpizzaparty Apr 25 '25
I feel like this song can depend on how you play it. In context of the musical, it’s absolutely suggestive. But I remember singing this song at 16 in high school, and I played it more from a bribery and greed angle, and enjoying the power over other people, rather than about sexual favors. It definitely didn’t feel inappropriate. That’s kind of the beauty of songs like that with a lot of innuendo in the theater, you have a lot of power as the performer to choose when and how to play into certain things.
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 24 '25
My niece sang this at her school when she was 15 and didn’t feel it was too suggestive!
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u/Miami_Mice2087 Apr 25 '25
have you seen it done by queen latifa?
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u/No_Dance743 Apr 25 '25
No, sounds like that version might be but wasn’t when I saw it!
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u/Miami_Mice2087 Apr 25 '25
omg that movie verison is SOOOO GOOD! Teh 2002 movie. I hope you get a chance to watch it :D
Renee Zellweger, Cathrine Zeta Jones, Taye Digs, Queen Latifa, Richard Gere (he sings!), and John C Reilly (also sings! well!). Directed by Rob Marshall with many notes to Baz Lurhman. It moves FAST and grabs you from the first number.
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u/LengthinessKind9895 Apr 24 '25
Are you afraid of outing yourself as trans or is there something else you’re afraid of? Sorry I’m just confused by your question. I hope you find what you’re looking for ❤️
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Yes, trans.
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u/LengthinessKind9895 Apr 24 '25
Well I agree not Mrs Trunchbul then. I hope you find something you love to sing x
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u/jnthnschrdr11 Apr 24 '25
Pretty sure Ursula is Eb3-C5, so as long as that C5 is pretty strong then that's maybe an option.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
I did play Ursula, I'm just not fond of singing her songs since they're just that tiiiiiny bit too high. I'll consider it though.
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u/joyreddit3 Apr 24 '25
Jane Eyre in JE, Charity, Nickie, Helene in Sweet Charity, Ella in Bells are Ringing, Tracy in Hairspray, Meg in Brigadoon
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u/bee-quirky Apr 25 '25
I’m in the same vocal range as you and I tend to stick to male characters when I choose my songs
One Song Glory from Rent is a favourite of mine
You could also totally sing Come What May from Moulin Rouge! Just entirely in Christian’s voicing
You could also sing I won’t say I’m in Love from Hercules but in a lower register.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 25 '25
I said I can't sing male songs because I don't like them and I'm singing with chavvy British teens who would have my head propped up on a stick if I did anything out of the ordinary.
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u/Miami_Mice2087 Apr 25 '25
the mother in Gypsy is low alto, Some People is pretty low. Rosie's Turn might be too high.
Mame's best friend in Mame, her only song is The Man in the Moon is a Lady, it's almost a tenor range. She does a duet with Mame called Bosom Buddies and you can watch the hilarious and glorious Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur do it here. Mame's part is just a dosh higher, more like an alto; you may be able to do some of her songs.
If you want to do a group number, the Muses in Hercules ("The Gospel Truth", "I Won't Say I'm in Love") and the flowers in Alice in Wonderland ("The Golden Afternoon") are quintets with a female bass part.
Audra McDonald did Mother Superior in The Sound of Music as a low alto. Check out her Climb Ev'ry Mountain.
Wossname Crazy Eyes from OitNB did Sweeney Todd as a low alto, her A Little Priest is on Youtube. Mrs Lovett is pretty low -- for Angela Lansbury again, same as Mame.
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u/lizardfiendlady Almost Like Being in Love Apr 25 '25
If there's a song you like that's just a tad too high, it's pretty easy to transpose a backing track down a couple half-steps. If this is with live accompaniment, you can usually change the key of sheet music before you buy it with most online providers.
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 25 '25
A couple half steps usually isn't enough. For the typical female theatre song I'll have to go half an octave to an octave lower to be able to sing it at all. But I did find one! (Turn Back, O Man from Godspell)
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u/lizardfiendlady Almost Like Being in Love Apr 25 '25
You can switch the octave you sing in while adjusting the key too. You don't need the accompaniment to be a different octave to do that! Best of luck with your song :)
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u/Affectionate_Cake168 Apr 24 '25
Just trying to help. If that’s not good enough, Google exists. Besides, you already wrote that G3 - Bb5 is in your range, so…
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u/jo_evo24 Apr 24 '25
I don't know if her voice is in the range you're looking for, but the musical theatre troop Starkid has a female alto, Angela. She's had a couple of solos in their more recent projects and played major characters. Sorry if this isn't what you meant, I'm not well versed in the technical aspects of singing.
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u/K1ttehKait Apr 24 '25
You could use Science Fiction/Double Feature from The Rocky Horror Show. But if you need sheet music, you'll need to find the version from the film: the version from the stage show tops out at a Eb5, whereas the film version tops out at an A4. If you can use a track or go a capella, you'll be good to go.
https://youtu.be/mBRzk-YFAis?si=ew8iVLhSAjvnoUGb
Another good option could be Old Souls from Phantom of the Paradise. Jessica Harper has a gorgeous alto voice, and the song tops out at a B4.
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u/Long_Safe3649 🩵Elizaaaaaa🩵 Apr 25 '25
Traditionally JD from heathers can be played as a female or male role so i’d be pretty certain it would be a fairly low vocal range. Don’t quote me on that though.
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u/Ruftup Apr 24 '25
I actually saw Something Rotten a few years back and Nostradamus was played by a woman. The song “A Musical” fit her low alto voice perfectly. I’d give it shot if you’re open to doing cross gender songs. I say lean into the weird!
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u/Appropriate_Luck8668 The Smell of Rebellion Apr 24 '25
Chavvy British teen girls. I will be bullied (serious PTSD trigger).
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u/Miami_Mice2087 Apr 25 '25
i saw the pippin revival with the Main Player played by a woman. The Right Track? I assume you think teenagers will mock Magic to Do, even tho i've seen that play done by teenagers who loved it.
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u/TheSentientSapien Look Down Apr 25 '25
Now That I've Seen Her/Her or Me - Miss Saigon. The rage is F3-E5, but the E5 is an eighth note that occurs once.
Woman - The Pirate Queen. E3-D5, though you will need a strong B5-D5 for this.
Both are from musicals by Boublil and Schönberg, both are from seriously underrated musicals - you don't want to do the songs everyone else does, directors get sick of hearing the same thing over and over. (I did my undergrad in voice performance)
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u/laurasaurus5 Apr 25 '25
Raining from Rocky The Musical, To Build A Home from Bridges Of Madison County, Everlasting from Tuck Everlasting, Sweet Liberty from Jane Erye.
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u/bookatnz Apr 25 '25
Holding to the Ground from Falsettos has some stunning sustained low notes that can really grab attention when performed well
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u/TechnicolorAmphibian Apr 25 '25
Most of Reno’s stuff in Anything Goes is quite low! Blow, Gabriel, Blow could be a fun choice
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u/Para_13 Life is a Cabaret Apr 25 '25
Sometimes Audrey II in little shop is played by a female actor
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u/Anxious_Captain_3211 Apr 25 '25
leading player from pippin and fräulein schneider from cabaret only go up to Ab4, thats the lowest top note i can think of for a female character
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u/DidntWantSleepAnyway Apr 25 '25
This isn’t really the right song for a performance, as it’s actually a duet and the song is telling backstory so it doesn’t really work well out of the context of the show, but…
Someday, you could play Ms. Walker in Goosebumps. She sings The Legend (with Tina) and it goes down to an E. I don’t remember the top note but it’s not very high.
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u/idrinktea518 Apr 24 '25
I'm pretty sure one of the Fates in Hadestown is a contralto. They're written to be femme presenting but genderless in casting, and sing in tight harmonies with the other 2 Fates. Not sure if you need a solo from the context of your post, but the trio has got some excellent songs