Top 10 Male Roles in Musical Theatre

By: Tabitha Garnica

“There is a Brotherhood of Man” ~ How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

10. Seymour- Little Shop of Horrors

Seymour is a sweet man who works in a plant shop.  In an attempt to make business better, Seymour reveals a special plant he has discovered.  Sure enough, it has customers flocking in.  Much to his dismay, the plant is revealed to feed off human blood.  Seymour eventually becomes the plant’s slave and commits immoral acts in order to keep the plant content.  This is a heavy role which requires sweetness and a sense of desperation.

"I believe in you"

9. Pierrepont Finch- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

As a window washer, Finch comes across a book called, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  By following some simple steps, Finch is able to climb his way to the top by simply following the guide of this book.  He shows us the powerful tools of networking and flattery. This role requires someone who has perfect comedic timing.  If performed right, this role can have you laughing hysterically.  Not to mention, it also incorporates romance, singing, and dancing. 

"But alone is alone; not alive"

8. Bobby- Company

Company revolves around a single man named Bobby whose ten best friends happen to be five married couples.  Bobby spends the entirety of the show going back and forth on the idea of marriage.  We see relationships through his eyes as he takes us through single life in NYC.  Bobby contemplates what exactly he is looking for in a woman, and whether or not he is even interested in the idea of marriage.  Filled with many heart-warming solos, this role has a perfect balance of comedy and emotion.

7. The King- The King and I

"Is a Puzzlement!"

“When I sit, you shall sit! When I kneel, you shall kneel! Etcetera! Etcetera! Etcetera!”  The King of Siam is looking to make his country more “scientific”.  He may not have the best ideas, but he definitely has determination.  We see this king as one who often doubts himself and life in general.  Behind his booming power, we see a man of weakness who needs and even desires companionship. How can an audience love a man who is an unrepentant slave owner?  How can an audience love a man who sees women as possessions?  An actor must be willing to give an audience a bit of culture shock.  This role is very comedic, yet, the King may have you crying by the end of the show.

6. Prof. Harold Hill- The Music Man

"The idle brain is the devil's playground!"

Prof. Harold Hill is a fast-talking salesman who uses his rhetoric and his personality to make a living off of people’s naiveté.  He goes from town to town selling the idea of a boy’s band. The only problem is he cannot read a note of music! His plan is to run out as soon as he sells music books and uniforms, and he turns towns upside-down.  Everything changes however when he arrives at River City Iowa.  This town seems especially gullible, yet he finds himself feeling at home. He even finds love! This role includes a sense of unabashed deception followed by sensitive embarrassment. Harold Hill has many amazing solos in which he almost “speak-talks” his way into the hearts of audiences everywhere. 

5. Tevye- Fiddler on the Roof

"Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if I were a wealthy man?"

“Without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.”  Tevye is a poor Jewish milkman in a small town in Russia called Anatevka.  Tevye has five daughters who he hopes to marry off to wealthy men.  However, it seems as though each daughter is trying to push him further and further from the traditions of his society.  As Tevye is left in the middle of a battle between family and tradition, we watch him try to hold on to his ideals in a changing world. 

"She is so deliciously low"

4. Prof. Henry Higgins- My Fair Lady

“I shall never let a woman in my life” says Henry Higgins, an expert in phonetics who does not let himself become emotionally involved with anyone.  However, it all changes when he meets poor unfortunate Eliza Doolittle.  Higgins makes a bet that he can turn this flower girl into a duchess by teaching her how to speak properly.  However, his methods are far from lenient.  His lack of regard for human emotion makes him a tough man to figure out.  This role starts out with self-righteousness and ends with humility.  He is definitely not your typical musical lover-boy. 

3. Sweeney Todd- Sweeney Todd

"You are young, life has been kind to you"

It would be easy to say Sweeney Todd is your typical barber who slits the throats of his customers…wait…no it wouldn’t! The story of Sweeney Todd definitely is a tragic one. He was driven away from his wife and daughter because the judge simply wanted his family for himself.  Now sixteen years later, Todd is back and hungry for revenge.  How can the so-called “protagonist” be a murderer? We have to have some sort of sympathy for him.  This role requires much strength as a performer. 

"You alone can make my song take flight"

2. The Phantom- The Phantom of the Opera

What does it take to play the phantom?  It takes emotion, stamina, and a killer falsetto.  Yet again, we have a murderer who absolutely NEEDS to be loved by the audience.  The phantom needs to start the show scaring you and end it moving you to tears. The story of the phantom is a tragic love story in which we see him at the height of human frailty.  There is not much more I can say about this role other than the fact that it is a musical theatre treasure to stand the test of time. 

1.      Jean Valjean- Les Misérables

"What have I done? Sweet Jesus, what have I done?"

The epic story of Les Misérables follows the journey of Jean Valjean. As a poor man who steals a loaf of bread, he is sentenced to five years in prison, and fourteen additional years for attempting to run away.  As he tries to escape his identity, he changes himself into a man working for God and others.  Becoming a leader and a father; Jean Valjean learns that “to love another person is to see the place of God.”  This role sure seems like hard work.  Imagine going through years of spiritual changes and suffering all in a two and half hour show.  Not to mention carrying songs such as “Who am I?” and “Bring Him Home.”  Much respect to any man who has ever carried out this role.  This role is one that all men in musical theatre should definitely be proud of.  

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Copyright (c) Tabitha Garnica 2013