The Broadway Song Companion: An Annotated Guide to Musical Theatre Literature by Voice Type and Song Style

By David P. Devenney

Book Overview

The Broadway Song Companion is the first complete guide and access point to the vast literature of the Broadway musical for the solo performer. Designed with the working actor in mind, the volume lists every song from over 210 Broadway shows, giving the name of the character(s) who sing(s) the song, its exact vocal range, and categorizing each by song style (uptempo, narrative ballad, swing ballad, moderate character piece, etc.). A number of indexes to the volume list titles of songs, first lines, composer's and lyricist's names, and each song by voice type. For instance, a soprano looking for a ballad to sing will find every song in that category in the index. All solos, duets, and trios are indexed in this manner, with quartets and larger ensembles listed by voice type. Furthermore, the instant breakdowns (how many lead characters, who sings what song, and the range requirements of each character) will be a valuable resource to directors and producers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810833735
• ISBN13: 9780810833739
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Amazingly Useful

This is an incredible book - organized by show, voice and song type. It includes the exact range of each song in each show, which is incredibly helpful for those of us who don't have the range that we'd like. The only thing I could find wrong with it is that it categorizes the songs by the voice type of the actor who originated the role, not necessarily by the range of the song itself (a song originally sung by a tenor is listed as a tenor song, even if it's in a baritone range). Other than that, it's amazing, and the most useful book I've found for musical theatre performers.

FANTASTIC RESOURCE!

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in Musical Theatre. I use it to find solos, duets and ensemble musical theatre pieces for my students. Each song is listed by voice type and by show. In addition, the vocal range is included next to each song. This is the best [money] I've spent this year!