It's not over until the talented lady sings! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most technically difficult female roles to sing and perform, often played by some of the biggest stars of the stage.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most technically difficult
00:14female roles to sing and perform, often played by some of the biggest stars of the stage.
00:2930.
00:30Fosca, Passion
00:42In this lesser-known Stephen Sondheim musical, Fosca is a chronically ill and profoundly
00:46sad woman living in her own fantasies.
00:49She falls desperately in love with a soldier, Giorgio.
00:52Her love for him is so deep and fierce that it threatens to destroy them both.
01:08It takes profound power and presence as a performer to sell Fosca's longing without
01:12coming off as ridiculous.
01:14When played well, it's shattering.
01:16The role has been taken on by stars like Maria Friedman, Judy Kuhn, and Patti LuPone.
01:22Donna Murphy won a Tony for the 1994 production.
01:3329.
01:38The Lady of the Lake, Spamalot
01:41Sara Ramirez made it look effortless, but that's what made their Tony-winning performance
01:45as the Lady of the Lake such a miracle.
01:57Spamalot turns the mythical enchantress of Arthurian legend into a high-maintenance diva.
02:03True to form, she gets some of the showiest and most challenging numbers.
02:11Due to the character's great disappointment, she gets a bit sidelined in the second act.
02:15But she still gets one of the most belt-heavy solos in modern musicals on her way out.
02:20To sell this role, you have to have truly legendary vocal and comedic chops.
02:25Luckily, performers like Ramirez and Hannah Waddingham have been up to the task.
02:3328.
02:36Trina – Falsettos
02:38I'm Breaking Down is a classic comedy number, but it's also a trap.
02:42If I repeat one more word, I swear I'll lose my brain.
02:49Oh, what else should I explain?
02:52Oh yes, it's true, I can cry on cue, but so can you at Breaking Down.
02:57The song encompasses everything that's so hard to get right about Trina.
03:01She is one or two exaggerated gestures from being a complete caricature
03:05of a woman wronged by a man.
03:07A performer who can't balance motivated comedy with actual humanity
03:11could turn a great and complex character into a one-note joke.
03:14I've played the foolish clown, the almost virgin who sings this dirge
03:22is on the verge of breaking down.
03:25As any heartbroken fan can tell you, Falsettos becomes a lot less funny in its second act.
03:30Trina follows suit, meaning the actor also has to sell some more dramatic
03:34and poignant moments before the curtain goes down.
03:37Trying to keep sane as the rules keep changing,
03:43keeping up my head as my heart falls out of sight.
03:51Number 27.
03:53Cassie – A Chorus Line
03:55Let me wake up in the morning to find I have somewhere exciting to go.
04:03The entire ensemble of this dance-based musical is full of broken dreams
04:07and being spitting distance from stardom.
04:10Cassie is the character closest to being a real star.
04:13She's talented, charismatic, and respected.
04:16Yet she's still at this audition for a chorus part.
04:19But even if she can't be a star in her own right, she lives to dance.
04:23Put me to work, you would think that by now I'm alone.
04:29I'll do you proud.
04:38Her defiant and passionate solo, the music and the mirror
04:41is one of the show's most notable moments.
04:43Everyone in the cast has to dance, but this moment requires an actor
04:46who can sell the emotion of a scene with her words, voice, and body.
04:51All I ever needed was the music and the mirror and the chance to dance.
05:04Number 26.
05:05The Witch – Into the Woods
05:07If you want murky morality, look no further than any Stephen Sondheim musical.
05:12But the linchpin character of Into the Woods is a tall order.
05:15I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right.
05:19I'm the witch, you're the world.
05:26Bernadette Peters originated the role on Broadway and set the standard
05:29for the character's tight punchlines and resonant numbers
05:32about everything from parenting to vegetables.
05:35Masterful technique is a requirement.
05:38What else there that I cannot supply?
05:45Stay with me.
05:50The score is constantly keeping the performer on her toes
05:52with beautiful melodies, shifting tempos, and even a rap about her prized garden.
05:57More than that though, the actor playing the witch
05:59has to be able to oscillate between the character's villainy and vulnerability.
06:04Children can only grow from something you love to something you lose.
06:16Number 25.
06:17Audrey – Little Shop of Horrors
06:20What musical theater ingenue doesn't secretly think she can do Audrey?
06:24Two things work against anyone trying to make this character their own.
06:27One, it's a delicate balance between making her funny and making her a joke.
06:32He'd snap his fingers, me, I'd say sure.
06:38She's a clear take on a particular platinum blonde archetype,
06:41but she's also wise and empathetic.
06:44The second challenge is that original off-Broadway actress Ellen Green
06:48puts such a strong stamp on the role that anyone who takes it on
06:51is almost sure to fall short.
06:54Her accent and phrasing have almost become synonymous with Audrey.
06:58If you're going to play her, you need to have an original take.
07:11Number 24.
07:13Daisy and Violet Hilton – Sideshow
07:23Technically, this is two roles, but if it's good enough for the Tonys,
07:32it's good enough for us.
07:34Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner shared a joint nomination
07:37for originating the roles of Daisy and Violet Hilton in Sideshow.
07:46Based on the lives of two real conjoined twins
07:48who were featured in vaudeville shows in the 1930s,
07:51the actors' costumes are fused together, requiring them to move as one.
07:56This is a challenge that forces performers
07:58to completely change the way they're used to moving on stage.
08:01That's to say nothing of the soaring vocals and harmonies
08:04they're meant to perform.
08:18Number 23.
08:20Amy – Company
08:28Other than its lead character, the chronically unmarried Bobby,
08:31most of the characters who appear in Company are in it for a good time,
08:35not a long time.
08:36One of the show's most famous numbers is Getting Married Today,
08:39a tongue-twisting, oxygen-defying song sung by Amy.
08:50It's her wedding day, and her anxiety about being a married woman
08:58reaches a fever pitch.
08:59There's hardly any space to breathe.
09:02It's a good thing Amy's performer is offstage for most of the show.
09:05She probably needs time to prepare.
09:07And she probably needs the rest of the show to recover.
09:20Number 22.
09:23Maria – The Sound of Music
09:33Considering the legendary status of the actresses who played her,
09:36Maria is a deceptively difficult role.
09:39Mary Martin on Broadway and Julie Andrews on film make it look easy.
09:43But it takes a lot of effort to play the novice nun
09:46in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.
09:48That's true even before you consider how hard it is to sing the role.
09:52I have confidence the world can all be mine.
09:55They'll have to agree I have confidence in me.
10:01Maria requires a performer to have a clarity of pitch and tone
10:04that's not easily earned or kept.
10:06It also tasks her with playing the character's inherent goodness
10:09without coming off as too corny or naive.
10:12Excuse me, sir, I don't know your signal.
10:15You may call me Captain.
10:19Number 21.
10:22Timoon – Once on this Island
10:32Adapted as a retelling of The Little Mermaid and set in the Antilles,
10:36Once on this Island tells the story of Timoon, a peasant girl of local myth.
10:40She becomes enamored with a rich man and gets caught up
10:43in the complicated racial and class dynamics at play on the island.
10:46Oh, and there's also a bet between four powerful gods.
10:49And when they see you safe with me, the gods will smile.
10:57When playing Timoon, a performer has to carry herself with ethereal grace,
11:01yet still be believable as a fragile and wide-eyed young woman.
11:05The musical puts her through the wringer,
11:08and it takes an actor who can tap into an inner strength to really pull it off.
11:12I'm here in the fields with my feet on the ground
11:16and my fate in the air, waiting for life to begin.
11:23Number 20.
11:24Angelica Schuyler – Hamilton
11:35The Schuyler sisters are a wonderful trio,
11:38and while Alexander's wife Eliza has emotionally taxing and difficult songs like Burn,
11:45her sister has some as well and requires excellent rapping abilities on top of that.
11:57This is no easy task, and isn't all that's demanded from Angelica,
12:01as she also has some pretty high notes to hit in her songs.
12:09Conveying the jealousy and longing of Angelica,
12:12alongside the deep love she feels for her sister, is also a tricky prospect.
12:16This role requires a lot of talent for the performance to be considered satisfactory.
12:33Number 19.
12:34Veronica Sawyer – Heather's The Musical
12:37This protagonist just can't catch a break.
12:39She gets bullied, her boyfriend turns out to be a murderer,
12:42and she has the most vocally challenging role in the show.
12:45While Heather Chandler has some difficult notes and riffs to hit in her songs,
12:58Veronica has to do it on a much higher scale,
13:01with a large number of pop rock songs, hard riffs, and impossible belts.
13:10Portraying the inner struggles of a high school girl who has to deal with accidentally aiding
13:21in the murder of her peers makes this role difficult to act as well,
13:24but if done well, it really is something beautiful.
13:38Number 18.
13:39Tracy Turnblad – Hairspray
13:51You can't stop this crazy talented chick from dancing and singing to her heart's content,
13:56and the woman who plays her has to be ready for it.
14:09Tracy has to carry a lot of the show with her acting, singing, and dancing,
14:13so a triple threat is required.
14:15She's on stage for the majority of the show,
14:18and has to be singing and dancing with a big smile on her face for most of it.
14:22Maintaining a bubbly attitude while working hard physically and vocally is tremendously difficult,
14:27but that's what makes Tracy so fun and rewarding.
14:40Number 17.
14:41Glinda – Wicked
14:49For many actresses, this role will be the toughest challenge they've yet to face.
14:53Popular, I'll help you be popular
14:57You'll hang with the right cohorts, you'll be good at sports
15:00Know the slang you've got to know
15:03So let's start, cause you've got an awfully long way to go
15:07With some impressively high notes to hit,
15:10and having to juggle between her head voice and her mix range,
15:13Glinda requires strong vocal ability for anyone wishing to take on the role
15:17of the good witch of the south.
15:18The actress also needs to balance the character's dumb blonde popular girl personality,
15:22with the surprising depth of Glinda that the audience is gradually introduced to.
15:27There are bridges you cross you didn't know you crossed until you crossed
15:38In addition, the chemistry between Glinda and the other lead,
15:40Elphaba, is what the whole show centers around, and thus needs to be strong.
15:45Clothing, unadulterated clothing
15:49For your face, your voice, your clothing
15:53Let's just say, I love it all
15:56Speaking of, we may see more of our green friend in a little bit.
16:00Number 16
16:01Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd the demon barber of Fleet Street
16:05Right you are sir, would you like a drop of ale?
16:08Mind you, I can't hardly blame them
16:12These are probably the worst pies in London
16:17She may have the worst pies in London, but she's also got some of the trickiest songs.
16:22As in many shows written by Stephen Sondheim,
16:24the songs for Mrs. Lovett are tough in large part due to the fast and constantly changing tempos.
16:41The actress who takes on the role has to be a master of controlling her breath
16:45to be able to sing these songs as they're meant to be sung.
16:48What makes the role even more challenging,
16:50is that Mrs. Lovett as a character is a demon to figure out.
16:54She needs to be seen as caring, in love, and murderous.
16:58Not exactly a walk in the park.
17:16Number 15
17:17Velma Kelly, Chicago
17:19Come on babe, why don't we paint the town?
17:24I know that jazz, I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down
17:30This is a really killer role.
17:32Being able to do this kind of intense jazz dancing throughout the show requires real talent,
17:37and to do it while singing at the same time.
17:39But I simply cannot do it alone
17:47Well, unfortunately, Velma has to do it alone.
17:50This femme fatale also has to make an audience love her,
17:53despite the fact that she's, well, you know, a murderer.
17:56This triple threat performer may not be the star like Roxy,
17:59but she's got a lot of work to do.
18:01You can like the life you're living
18:05You can live the life you like
18:09When done well, this role is a real showstopper,
18:12as numbers like Cell Block Tango can attest to.
18:15It wasn't until later, when I was washing the blood off my hands,
18:19I even knew they were dead.
18:29Number 14
18:30Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard
18:33Not only does Norma Desmond have to perform some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest songs,
18:37the actress has her work cut out for her in trying to portray a delusional former starlet.
18:42Silent music starts to play
18:47One tear in my eye
18:50Makes the whole world cry
18:55With one look
18:57They'll forgive the past
18:59The character is stuck in a fantasy,
19:01reliving her glory days in some heartfelt songs,
19:04both conveying a sense of greatness and madness to the audience.
19:08Norma needs a magnetic stage presence that's incredibly compelling and also slightly frightening.
19:13And did we mention the songs?
19:15The range required for these is typical of Webber's work,
19:18but just because it's expected does not mean it's easy.
19:21Feel the early morning madness
19:25Feel the magic in the making
19:28While everything's as if we never said goodbye
19:39Number 13
19:41Kim, Miss Saigon
19:42This role is an absolute beast.
19:45It demands a lot of emotion, power and presence from a relatively young actress.
19:50Moreover, Kim sings pretty much every other song, and these songs are tough to boot.
19:54To hold you tight
19:57And dance like it's the last night of the world
20:05This dynamic performance would be hard for anyone,
20:08but forcing a young actress to tackle the themes of love,
20:11abandonment, heartbreak and sacrifice in a very real way is a challenge.
20:16I know as long as I can keep believing
20:24I live, I live
20:28Kim may be fictional, but her experience was very real for many in Vietnam.
20:32And capturing those intense emotions and turning it into a performance is very difficult.
20:37As long as you can have your chance
20:43I swear I'll give my life for you
20:50Number 12
20:51Grizabella, Cats
20:53The roles on this list are all difficult in their own unique ways,
20:56but for the vast majority of them, the actresses at least get to play humans.
21:13Imagine having to sing some powerful Andrew Lloyd Webber songs,
21:16portray a deep nostalgia and longing for acceptance, while also playing a cat.
21:21Grizabella's song Memory is phenomenal,
21:24and one of the most mainstream musical theater songs of all time,
21:27and so taking on the role has the added pressure of handling this famous and heartfelt ballad.
21:48Number 11
21:49Christine, The Phantom of the Opera
21:51Love me
22:01It should be no surprise to see another Andrew Lloyd Webber role is on this list.
22:05Musically, this is one of the most challenging roles out there.
22:08Christine requires a high soprano singer,
22:11who has at least studied classically and knows opera techniques.
22:22Moreover, Christine is on stage for most of the show and is constantly singing,
22:37meaning she has very few breaks.
22:39Christine's high note at the end of the titular song is so hard to hit in fact,
22:43that the actresses are said to pre-record the note
22:45in case they feel that they cannot hit it during a show, lip syncing instead.
22:49That's completely understandable.
22:51Having to hit that even a few times a week could really destroy your voice.
23:04Number 10
23:05Caroline Thibodeau
23:06Caroline or Change
23:08Though the mood of this musical is low nearly throughout,
23:11following the story of an African-American maid to a Jewish family in the 1960s,
23:15it never stops singing.
23:22And for the actress playing the titular role,
23:24that means much of the singing is hers, be it in solo or group numbers.
23:28Telling a beautifully honest tale about the working poor through blues,
23:32spirituals and folk music,
23:34this actress must keep the audience engaged,
23:36while keeping the character true to her bent, but not broken nature.
23:41It is tough, but dang is it ever worth it to tell this heart-rending story.
23:52Of him return and strangle the pride that make me crazy
23:57Number 9
23:58Effie Melody White
24:00Dream Girls
24:01This decade-spanning story about love and betrayal in the music industry
24:05is certainly going down in history as one of the greats.
24:08And with a gorgeous amount of confidence in her dream and in herself,
24:12the emotional role of Effie White is one for the ages,
24:15but not at all for the faint of voice.
24:22With a beautiful mezzo-soprano and insane belting,
24:36this role is only for the brave,
24:39especially, as we all know, with the crazy and I am telling you I'm not going.
24:51Number 8
24:57Elle Woods
24:58Legally Blonde
24:59Though you need a killer soprano voice to bring down the house as Vivian Kensington,
25:08it's the lead of this musical romantic comedy that takes this spot.
25:11With dancing skills to pay those Harvard bills and crazy vocal abilities,
25:16the part of Elle Woods demands a lot of its actress.
25:22Plus, with the movie franchise,
25:27any pink-clad daughter of Delta Nu has a lot to live up to.
25:30But you can also learn a lot from Elle Woods,
25:34like how to win a court case with hair care knowledge,
25:37and of course, how to bend and snap.
25:47Number 7
25:48Fanny Bryce
25:49Funny Girl
25:52From Folly's Girl to Vaudevillian Star,
25:57that is the life of Fanny Bryce that this Broadway classic follows.
26:01But while Fanny is fun, and obviously funny,
26:04her role is also incredibly taxing.
26:07With costume changes galore,
26:09and a need to almost constantly be on stage,
26:11this part could easily wear out a less experienced actress.
26:15This, plus the vocal demands, are crazy as hell.
26:19So we don't mean to rain on your parade,
26:21just prepare for some intensity when taking on this role.
26:24But always, have fun.
26:36Number 6
26:37Reno Sweeney
26:38Anything Goes
26:47Tie on your dance shoes tight for this one, ladies.
26:50Reno Sweeney will keep your feet flying throughout this stamina-breaking musical.
26:54Not only that, but you have to keep on singing too.
26:57Yes, there is a lot of energy required to play this outspoken gal.
27:02And with such intense demands of the actress,
27:05you either have to give it your all,
27:06or give it nothing at all.
27:08In the olden days, a glimpse of stocking
27:12was looked on as something shocking.
27:14But now God knows,
27:17anything goes.
27:20So if you've got the itch,
27:21and the talent to play a funny, confident, and sassy nightclub singer,
27:25we propose, Anything Goes.
27:27Anything goes!
27:39Number 5
27:40Elphaba
27:41Wicked
27:41From her days in the belt-crazy role of Maureen Johnson in Rent,
27:45we all know Idina Menzel has left behind some tough,
27:48but highly coveted shoes to fill on the Great White Way.
27:52And Wicked's Elphaba is definitely no exception.
27:55Tell them how I am the flying gravity
28:01I'm flying high in the flying gravity
28:06With the ability to make the audience love her
28:08while knowing she'll ultimately become the wickedest villain in Oz,
28:11it takes a special type of woman to take on this role.
28:14Mix that with some of the most powerful numbers on modern Broadway,
28:18both solo and duet,
28:20and you've got yourself one green-skinned powerhouse of a part.
28:25I may know I don't care
28:31Number 4
28:32Diana Goodman
28:33Next to Normal
28:34As the plot of this musical unravels,
28:37it reveals that, like every family,
28:39there is more going on behind closed doors.
28:42And the unsteady center of this story,
28:44Diana Goodman, has it the hardest.
28:48I miss the mountains
28:51I miss my life
29:02Playing a suburban mother who suffers from bipolar disorder,
29:05as well as delusions of her dead son,
29:07is quite the difficult role.
29:09This modern musical touches on subjects that hit close to home for some,
29:13and makes issues of mental illness more accessible to those
29:16who have not always understood them.
29:18You say that you're hurting
29:20It sure doesn't show
29:22You don't know
29:25It lays me so low
29:28As such,
29:28this heavy matriarch role is one that must be played with an understanding hand,
29:33but emotionally raw voice.
29:36Number 3
29:37Celie
29:37The Color Purple
29:38This powerful musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel
29:42might have only had a few years on the Great White Way,
29:45but that has not stopped it from having international success.
29:48And over the course of this melancholy story,
29:51Celie grows and changes right before the audience's eyes.
30:08And much of the drama of this musical rests squarely on her shoulders,
30:12as she loves and learns the ways of the world she lives in.
30:15And with jazz, the blues, and other folk and soul sounds
30:18riddled throughout this classic tale,
30:20it takes a strong woman to carry that weight.
30:39Number 2
30:40Eva Perón
30:41Evita
30:42This Broadway classic follows the true rags-to-riches story of Eva Perón
30:46as she steps into the limelight of 1940s Argentina.
30:49And the moment she takes the stage,
30:51it's clear she's a presence to be reckoned with.
31:04Much like Celie,
31:06the audience watches this incredible character grow,
31:09in this case from a young girl,
31:10into a powerful first lady of her home country.
31:13With each song being a monologue turning the page
31:15on a new chapter of this amazing woman's life,
31:18an actress must handle this role with a strong voice and acting range.
31:22But if you wish to join the ranks of Patti LuPone and Madonna,
31:25Argentina just may be crying for you.
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31:54Number 1
31:55Mama Rose – Gypsy
32:06Long before the days of Honey Boo Boo and Mama June,
32:09there was Mama Rose,
32:10pushing her daughters into the limelight
32:12in order to live vicariously through them.
32:15And Gypsy puts this quintessential stage mom's descent
32:17into madness on full display.
32:28Carrying most of the weight of this musical
32:30right up until the final killer number,
32:32this hellish tour de force takes a lot out of an actress,
32:35with raw passion and wild emotions.
32:38The energy level required of this role could drain even the best of actresses,
32:42and you best make mama proud.
32:53What do you think is the hardest role on this list?
32:55Let us know in the comments.
33:08Do you agree with our picks?
33:11Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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