Anyone know of any genuinely funny male solo musical theatre songs...??
Howdy CCPers!
I'm recording a demo CD in the vague hope that one or two West End types (or agents even) might listen take a chance on a big ginger singin' Scotsman...problem is, I'm seriously struggling to find a male solo song that is actually funny. Not just light-hearted, but genuinely guffaw-inducing!!
I know of plenty duets (male/male and male/female) and quite a few solo female songs that raise a good old belly buster...but so far have come up totally empty-handed on songs that I can actually do all by my lonesome!
The best suggestions I've had so far are 'Somebody Kill Me Please' from the stage version of the Wedding Singer and 'Why? Cause I'm a Guy!' from I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!...so far the latter is winning but would love to get a few more suggestions from you wonderfully knowledgeable peeps!
Cheers in advance (and in hope!),
Al.
Javbe a look at Billy Conelly early days guitar songs...also Richard Dijance had some hillarious songs. Not theatre but very funny songs you could develop.
Also...old stuff like
LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS
FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
etc
"Dentist" from Little Shop of Horrors
"The boy from..." from The Mad Show
Or... for something really silly you could do King Herod's Song from Jesus Christ Superstar!!
Have you looked at The Producers? I'm sure there's quite a few suitable ones there too.
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Guido's Song from Nine by Maury Yeston is good and Sara Lee by Kander & Ebb. Also worth looking at Tom Lehrer songs.
I love finding new repertoire so I'm sure you'll have lots of fun looking.
One I'd use is the theme from Blazing Saddles - only funny if delivered in complete seriousness, though!
Kathryn - I had never even hear of The Mad Show! Just listened to it on Spotify and it's hilarious!!
The Man From seems to be a female solo but there's a couple of other songs that's had me laughing out loud (Hate Song and You Never Can Tell in particular!).
Thanks for the suggestions so far...most folk seem to think very similarly to me as most of these I've thought of but decided against for one reason or another.
Any further suggestions very gratefully received!
'Shiksa Goddess' from the Last Five Years is very funny, and great to sing too! Also, the opening of 'A Miracle Would Happen' from the same show is really funny (it becomes a duet later, but the opening is long enough on it's own)
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Premature Ejaculation from A Slice of Saturday Night
"Where is the Life that late I led" from Kiss me kate
Wow, some of these are absolutely brilliant!! Thanks guys!!
Annie, does that song from A slice of Saturday Night have an alternate title?
I'm looking at the cast recording on Spotify but none of them have that title...
Ah, found it!!!
It was under P.E. - shouldve guessed really...
I really like that one, cheers Annie!
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Not quite MT, but most stuff by Tim Minchin is in a similar vein and very funny, if a bit rude!
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Glad you like it Allan - there are quite a few funny songs in there - Twiggy is great if you're a young, well-endowed lady!
just a warning-
I know the song PE and a West End resident director told me once that he was seriously embarrassed and offended by PE as he was sitting in there with a top female casting director of musicals and it did NOT go down well.
If you are going to use the song... use it with discretion.
Duly noted Blake, cheers!
I was told something very similar about 'If You Were Gay' and 'Schadenfreude' from Avenue Q too...are West End folks really that hyper-sensitive??
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Allan, as you are looking for these songs for a demo CD, I'm sure you're sensible enough to put a warning on the label. Any CD who is any good will know this song, and will not listen to it if it is likely to offend them (heaven forfend - just listen to the lyrics, it's about a real piece of life as suffered by most men at some point in their lives, not some act of depravity!!).
As to using it (or the others mentioned) as an audition song, well now, that's a whole different kettle of fish, and you need to be very sure of why you would want to use it in this particular situation. But I'm sure you already are aware of this.
Best of luck with the demo, I hope it gets you results!
I think its partly cos West End people ARE sensitive people. I have realised that as much bravado and "luvviedom" that actors project and stuff, its just a veneer and a pose. We are all big softies and sensitive folk, no matter how bitchy or ruthless we all can come across as. Everyone is needy and feels insecure at one point or another- even the gruff CD or agent who seems to dismiss you .
a good actor singing a song about something that hits too close to home is liable to trigger emotions.
With these songs, its best to include them but with a CHOICE that you offer the casting or resident director- thus if they ask you to sing it, you then are not imposing as they have specifically requested it. But i would be very careful about making it your main piece.
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