Top 20 Hardest Female Musical Roles

you have to be a real badass when it comes to taking on these roles welcome to Ms mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 hardest female musical roles for this list we'll be looking at the leading female roles in musical theatre that are difficult to perform whether it's because of vocals dancing acting or other factors we will not be looking at swings or ensemble parts for this list let's face it those are always incredibly difficult number 20 Angelica Schuyler Hamilton the Schuyler Sisters are a wonderful trio and while Alexander's wife Eliza has emotionally taxing and difficult songs like burn [Music] her sister has some as well and requires excellent rapping abilities on top of that this is no easy task and isn't all that's demanded from Angelica as she also has some pretty high notes to hit in her songs conveying the jealousy and longing of Angelica alongside the deep love she feels for her sister is also a tricky prospect this role requires a lot of talent for the performance to be considered satisfactory number 19 Veronica Sawyer Heather's the musical this protagonist just can't catch a break she gets bullied her boyfriend turns out to be a murderer and she has the most vocally challenging role in the show while Heather Chandler has some difficult notes and rips to hit in her songs [Music] Veronica has to do it on a much higher scale with a large number of pop rock songs hard riffs and impossible belts [Music] portraying the inner struggles of a high school girl who has to deal with accidentally aiding in the murder of her peers makes this role difficult to act as well but if done well it really is something beautiful [Music] number 18 Tracy Turnblad hairspray [Music] you can't stop this crazy talented chick from dancing and singing to her heart's content and the woman who plays her has to be ready for it [Music] just tiny Tracy has to carry a lot of the show with her acting singing and dancing so a triple-threat is required she's on stage for the majority of the show and has to be singing and dancing with a big smile on her face for most of it maintaining a bubbly attitude while working hard physically and vocally is tremendously difficult but that's what makes Tracy so fun and rewarding [Music] number 17 Linda wicked it's good to see me isn't it no need to respond that was rhetorical for many actresses this role will be the toughest challenge they've yet to face [Music] [Music] with some impressively high notes to hit and having to juggle between her head voice and her mix range Linda requires strong vocal ability for anyone wishing to take on the role of the Good Witch of the south the actress also needs to balance the characters dumb-blonde popular girl personality with the surprising depth of Glinda that the audience is gradually introduced to [Music] in addition the chemistry between Glinda and the other lead Elphaba is what the whole show centers around and thus needs to be strong so they adulterated loathing for your face your voice clothing let's just say speaking of we may see more of our green friend in a little bit number 16 mrs. Lovett Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Watson would you like a drop of ale mind you I can hardly blame she may have the worst pies in London but she's also got some of the trickiest songs as in many shows written by Stephen Sondheim the songs for mrs. Lovett are tough in large part due to the fast and constantly changing tempos business never better using only Pussycats and touched now I'll push is good one maybe just I don't have my mouth the actress who takes on the role has to be a master of controlling her breath to be able to sing these songs as they're meant to be sung what makes the rule even more challenging is that mrs. Lovett as a character is a demon to figure out she needs to be seen as caring in love and murderous not exactly a walk in the park [Music] number 15 Velma Kelly Chicago come on babe I don't paint the town I know that cheese I'm gonna lose my knees and roll my stockings down this is a really killer role being able to do this kind of intense jazz dancing throughout the show requires real talent and to do it while singing at the same time [Music] well unfortunately Velma has to do it alone this femme fatale also has to make an audience love her despite the fact that she's well you know a murderer this triple threat performer may not be the star like Roxie but she's got a lot of work to do when done well this role is a real showstopper as numbers like cell block tango can attest to it wasn't until later when I was washing the blood off my hands I even knew they were dead [Music] number 14 Norma Desmond Sunset Boulevard not only does Norma Desmond have to perform some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest songs the actress has her work cut out for her in trying to portray a delusional former starlets [Music] the character is stuck in a fantasy reliving her glory days in some heartfelt songs both conveying a sense of greatness and madness to the audience Norma needs a magnetic stage presence that's incredibly compelling and also slightly frightening and did we mention the songs the range required for these is typical of Weber's work but just because it's expected does not mean it's easy magic in the making [Music] number thirteen Kim Miss Saigon this role is an absolute beast it demands a lot of emotion power and presence from a relatively young actress moreover Kim sings pretty much every other song and these songs are tough to boot [Music] this dynamic performance would be hard for anyone but forcing a young actress to tackle the themes of love abandonment heartbreak and sacrifice in a very real way is a challenge [Music] Kim may be fictional but her experience was very real for many in Vietnam and capturing those intense emotions and turning it into a performance is very difficult [Music] number twelve Grizabella cats the rules on this list are all difficult in their own unique ways but for the vast majority of them the actresses at least get to play humans [Music] [Music] imagine having to sing some powerful Andrew Lloyd Webber songs portray a deep nostalgia and longing for acceptance while also playing a cat Grizabella song memory is phenomenal and one of the most mainstream musical theater songs of all time pen so taking on the role has the added pressure of handling this famous and heartfelt ballad [Applause] [Music] number eleven Christine the Phantom of the Opera it should be no surprise to see another Andrew Lloyd Webber role is on this list musically this is one of the most challenging roles out there Christine requires a high soprano singer who has at least studied classically and knows opera techniques [Music] moreover Christine is on stage for most of the show and is constantly singing meaning she has very few breaks Christine's high note at the end of the titular song is so hard to hit in fact that the actresses are said to pre-record the note in case they feel that they cannot hit it during a show lip-synching instead that's completely understandable having to hit that even a few times a week could really destroy your voice number 10 Caroline Thibodeau Caroline or change though the mood of this musical is low nearly throughout following the story of an african-american maid to a Jewish family in the 1960s it never stopped singing and for the actress playing the titular role that means much of the singing is hers be it in solo or group numbers telling a beautifully honest tale about the working poor through blues spirituals and folk music this actress must keep the audience engaged while keeping the character true to her bent but not broken nature it is tough but dang is it ever worth it to tell this heart-rending story dumb aho of him returning strangle the fraud that make me crazy number nine Effie melody white dream girls this decade spanning story about love and betrayal in the music industry is certainly going down in history as one of the greats and with a gorgeous amount of confidence in her dream and in herself the emotional role of Effie white is one for the ages but not at all for the faint of voice [Music] [Applause] with the beautiful Mets of soprano and insane belting this role is only for the brave especially as we all know with the crazy and I am Telling You I'm not going [Music] number eight Elwood's Legally Blonde though you need a killer soprano voice to bring down the house as Vivien Kensington it's the lead of this musical romantic comedy that takes this spot with dancing skills to pay those Harvard bills and crazy vocal abilities the part of Elwood's demands a lot of its actress I [Music] have jammed plus with the movie franchise any pink clad daughter of Delta Nu has a lot to live up to wet like it's hard but you can also learn a lot from Elle Woods like how to win a court case with hair care knowledge and of course how to bend and snap [Music] number seven Fanny Brice funny girl from Follies girl to vaudevillian star that is the life of Fanny Brice that this Broadway classic follows but while Fanny is fun and obviously funny her role is also incredibly taxing with costume changes galore and a need to almost constantly be on stage this part could easily wear out a less experienced actress this plus the vocal demands are crazy as hell so we don't mean to rain on your parade just prepare for some intensity when taking on this role but always have fun number six Reno Sweeney anything goes I'm a worthless deck a little rag tie on your dance shoes tight for this one ladies Reno Sweeney we'll keep your feet flying throughout this stamina breaking musical not only that but you have to keep on singing too yes there is a lot of energy required to play this outspoken gal and with such intense demands of the actress you either have to give it your all or give it nothing at all so stocking was looked on as something shopping so if you've got the itch and the talent to play a funny confident and sassy nightclub singer we propose anything goes [Music] [Applause] number five Elphaba wicked from her days in the belt crazy role of Maureen Johnson in rent we all know idina menzel has left behind some tough but highly coveted shoes to fill on the Great White Way and Wicked's Elphaba is definitely no exception [Music] [Music] with the ability to make the audience love her while knowing she'll ultimately become the wickedest villain in oz it takes a special type of woman to take on this role mix that with some of the most powerful numbers on modern Broadway both solo and duet and you've got yourself one green-skinned powerhouse of a part number four diana goodman next to normal as the plot of this musical unravels it reveals that like every family there is more going on behind closed doors and the unsteady center of this story diana goodman has it the hardest [Music] I miss my playing a suburban mother who suffers from bipolar disorder as well as delusional is quite the difficult role this modern musical touches on subjects that hit close to home for some and makes issues of mental illness more accessible to those who have not always understood them [Applause] as such this heavy matriarch role is one that must be played with an understanding hand but emotionally raw voice number three Celie the color purple this powerful musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel might have only had a few years on the Great White Way but that has not stopped it from having international success and over the course of this melancholy story Celie grows and changes right before the audience's eyes [Music] [Music] and much of the drama of this musical rests squarely on her shoulders as she loves and learns the ways of the world she lives in and with jazz the Blues and other folk and soul sounds riddled throughout this classic tale it takes a strong woman to carry that weight [Music] number two ava pet owned Evita this Broadway classic follows the true rags to riches story of Eva Peron as she steps into the limelight of 1940s Argentina and the moment she takes the stage it's clear she's a presence to be reckoned with [Music] [Applause] [Music] much like Sealy the audience watches this incredible character grow in this case from a young girl into a powerful first lady of her home country with each song being a monologue turning the page on a new chapter of this amazing woman's life an actress must handle this role with a strong voice and acting range but if you wish to join the ranks of Patti LuPone and Madonna Argentina just may be crying for you [Music] [Applause] [Music] why would I ever try to fill Patti LuPone shoes actually our number one was also played by her at some point before we get to it here are a few honorable mentions - moon once on this island [Music] here in the field with my feet on the ground and my faith in the air waiting for the life to begin Maria the sound of music with the sound of music [Music] with songs they have some for a thousand years Bonnie Parker Bonnie and Clyde [Music] [Music] Treena falsettos oh yes it's true I can cry on cue but so can you you asked me is it fun to cry over nothing it is I'm breaking Jenna hunterson waitress [Music] [Music] before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one Mama Rose gypsy that's some people ain't me I had a dream long before the days of honey boo boo and Mama June there was mama rose pushing her daughter's into the limelight in order to live vicariously through them and puts this quintessential stage mom's descent into madness on full display carrying most of the weight of this musical right up until the final killer number this hellish tour de force takes a lot out of an actress with raw passion and wild emotions the energy level required of this role could drain even the best of actresses and you best make mama proud [Music] do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from is mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos

Channel: MsMojo

Views: 1,407,769

Keywords: Hardest Female Musical Roles, Hardest Female Broadway Roles, Hardest Musical Roles for Women, Hardest Female Roles in Musicals, Hardest Female Roles in Broadway, Hardest Female Roles in Musical Theatre, Most Vocally Demanding Roles, Female Broadway Roles, Hardest Female Roles in Plays, Hardest Female Roles in Theatre, Female Musical Roles, Gypsy, Hamilton, Evita, The Color Purple, Wicked, Musicals, Broadway, Theatre, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo, MsMojo

Id: zxJQRAid2bw

Length: 24min 7sec (1447 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 04 2020