Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Laugh
January 20, 2010 8:06 AM Subscribe
SongFilter: What funny, contemporary (last 50 years) Broadway song can I break out for an upcoming cabaret?
The musical director in the show I'm currently doing wants me to sing two songs in an upcoming fundraiser cabaret for our group. He's suggested "Lost in the Wilderness" from Children of Eden as a "ballad," but also wants me to sing a funny and/or up-tempo number. That's where you come in.
If the choice of "Lost in the Wilderness" doesn't tell you enough, I'm a tenor, but I don't necessarily need to spend an entire song in my upper range. The rules for the cabaret are that the song has to have been written in the last 50 years, and my own personal rule is absolutely no Jason Robert Brown.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions. YouTube links are encouraged so I can find out if it's a song I might be able to handle.
The musical director in the show I'm currently doing wants me to sing two songs in an upcoming fundraiser cabaret for our group. He's suggested "Lost in the Wilderness" from Children of Eden as a "ballad," but also wants me to sing a funny and/or up-tempo number. That's where you come in.
If the choice of "Lost in the Wilderness" doesn't tell you enough, I'm a tenor, but I don't necessarily need to spend an entire song in my upper range. The rules for the cabaret are that the song has to have been written in the last 50 years, and my own personal rule is absolutely no Jason Robert Brown.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions. YouTube links are encouraged so I can find out if it's a song I might be able to handle.
Response by poster: roomthreeseventeen, there's actually a "Taylor's Response" that I had considered doing if I could convince a gal to sing "Taylor" earlier in the cabaret.
Good point about the "gay" song thing; the cabaret is being done in a (Catholic) church basement, so while I have no problem with gay themes, it might not fly. Suggestions for profanity-laden songs won't be much help for me, either, though I'll take links to them for a laugh.
posted by moviehawk at 8:23 AM on January 20, 2010
Good point about the "gay" song thing; the cabaret is being done in a (Catholic) church basement, so while I have no problem with gay themes, it might not fly. Suggestions for profanity-laden songs won't be much help for me, either, though I'll take links to them for a laugh.
posted by moviehawk at 8:23 AM on January 20, 2010
Ack! Wrong song from Little Shop Of Horrors "Somewhere that's green" would be a better bit - cause you are one person.
(coffee now)
posted by The Whelk at 8:30 AM on January 20, 2010
(coffee now)
posted by The Whelk at 8:30 AM on January 20, 2010
Or you could do Sunday from tick...tick...boom
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:32 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:32 AM on January 20, 2010
Something from Elegies- A Song Cycle? Or A New Brain? Or Falsettos? So much of William Finn's stuff is funny, and not so well known that people roll their eyes when they hear it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:44 AM on January 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:44 AM on January 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hand me Down That Can of Beans from Paint Your Wagon
or
The Parson's Song (I don't know what it's called) from the same show.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:47 AM on January 20, 2010
or
The Parson's Song (I don't know what it's called) from the same show.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:47 AM on January 20, 2010
Two Ladies, from Cabaret?
posted by backseatpilot at 10:06 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by backseatpilot at 10:06 AM on January 20, 2010
How about Let Me Drown from Andrew Lippa's Wild Party?
posted by elkerette at 11:08 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by elkerette at 11:08 AM on January 20, 2010
Best answer: Well, as much as I love Zina & Marcy full disclosure is that I am their former intern I really can't stand Taylor the Latte Boy. They have a whole grip of other kind of funny songs, though. I like Fifteen Pounds.
I'm just going to nerd out on you and tell you some of my fav musical songs from the past 50 years that would be good for a tenor (some may be sung by ladies in the show, but you could rock it). I'm not going to link, but all of these should be an easy google. I'll post more if I think of any.
Funny(ish):
-Wig in a Box (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell)
-The Greatest Practical Joke (See What I Wanna See, Michael John LaCuisa)
-I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today (Avenue Q, Marx/Lopez)
-My Unfortunate Erection (Spelling Bee, Bill Finn)
-Great Big Stuff (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, David Yazbek)
-Suppertime (You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Gesner/Lippa)
-8 Miles Wide (Crazy Enough, Storm Large)
-The Boy From... (The Mad Show, Sondheim/Rodgers)
-The Magic Foot (Spelling B, Bill Finn)
And because I hate Lost in the Wilderness, here are some alternative ballads:
-Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim; also best tenor song ever).
-The Riddle Song or The Call (Flloyd Collins, Adam Guettel)
-Zero's Confession (Adding Machine, Joel Hatch)
-Origin of Love (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell)
-Sailing (A New Brain, Bill Finn)
-Being Alive (Company, Sondheim)
Me answering this question is a secret. You must all now forget it happened.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:13 AM on January 20, 2010
I'm just going to nerd out on you and tell you some of my fav musical songs from the past 50 years that would be good for a tenor (some may be sung by ladies in the show, but you could rock it). I'm not going to link, but all of these should be an easy google. I'll post more if I think of any.
Funny(ish):
-Wig in a Box (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell)
-The Greatest Practical Joke (See What I Wanna See, Michael John LaCuisa)
-I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today (Avenue Q, Marx/Lopez)
-My Unfortunate Erection (Spelling Bee, Bill Finn)
-Great Big Stuff (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, David Yazbek)
-Suppertime (You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Gesner/Lippa)
-8 Miles Wide (Crazy Enough, Storm Large)
-The Boy From... (The Mad Show, Sondheim/Rodgers)
-The Magic Foot (Spelling B, Bill Finn)
And because I hate Lost in the Wilderness, here are some alternative ballads:
-Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim; also best tenor song ever).
-The Riddle Song or The Call (Flloyd Collins, Adam Guettel)
-Zero's Confession (Adding Machine, Joel Hatch)
-Origin of Love (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell)
-Sailing (A New Brain, Bill Finn)
-Being Alive (Company, Sondheim)
Me answering this question is a secret. You must all now forget it happened.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:13 AM on January 20, 2010
Oh, and if you're looking to exchange your ballad (which, really, you could), sing My Brother Lived in San Francisco.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:19 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:19 AM on January 20, 2010
Best answer: Lutoslawski, your suggestion made me go back and listen to Charlie Brown, and I think I'm going to do "The Kite."
posted by moviehawk at 12:31 PM on January 20, 2010
posted by moviehawk at 12:31 PM on January 20, 2010
It's pretty short, but What Do You Do With A B.A. In English? from Avenue Q is good for a laugh.
posted by thadman at 12:41 PM on January 20, 2010
posted by thadman at 12:41 PM on January 20, 2010
The Kite is a great song! Good choice.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:16 PM on January 20, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:16 PM on January 20, 2010
Anything from Flanders & Swann?
posted by coriolisdave at 2:15 PM on January 20, 2010
posted by coriolisdave at 2:15 PM on January 20, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's a great rule. :-)
I personally love Taylor, the Latte Boy, though you (or your theatre) may not be keen on a "gay" song. My other favorite is Mrs. Remington from Story of My Life.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:17 AM on January 20, 2010