As an audition pianist, I come across lots of music out of context from their musicals. But despite my not knowing the songs' contexts, blocking, characters, or anything besides the music and lyrics on the page, I sometimes fall in love with them. Here is one of my favorites.
The Great Comet is far from a forgotten musical; it has had multiple off-Broadway runs within the past few years and will be coming to Broadway this season. Every young soprano I know has “No One Else” in their books, and understandably so. It's a beautiful song and contemporary soprano pieces are rare. But there's one song from the show that I've never seen on my piano but is an amazing alto song with clear stakes, great character development, and some crazy vocal pyrotechnics. I'm talking about “Charming.”
The premise? Helene, a scheming socialite, convinces an innocent young woman to have an affair with Helene's brother. Kind, gossipy, and courteous on the outside, she delights in her manipulative powers on the inside. Why every potential villainess isn't singing this one is beyond me.
OH MY ENCHANTRESS
OH YOU BEAUTIFUL THING
CHARMING, CHARMING
NO THIS IS REALLY BEYOND ANYTHING.
THESE DRESSES SUIT YOU
THIS ONE, “METALLIC GAUZE”
STRAIGHT FROM PARIS
ANYTHING SUITS YOU
MY CHARMER
OH HOW SHE BLUSHES,
HOW SHE BLUSHES,
MY PRETTY!
OH HOW SHE BLUSHES,
HOW SHE BLUSHES
MY PRETTY!
CHARMANTE, CHARMANTE!
YOU ARE SUCH A LOVELY THING
OH WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
IT'S SUCH A SHAME TO BURY PEARLS IN THE COUNTRY
CHARMANTE, CHARMANTE, CHARMING.
If you'd like to listen to it, click here.