What Is a Character Song in Musical Theatre?

Musical Theatre|Theater

Character songs are a prominent element of musical theatre. They are sung by the characters in the show, often as solo numbers.

The character song is an opportunity to express their emotions and values, as well as progress the story. Character songs help to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of characters to the audience.

The primary purpose of a character song is to reveal important information about the character’s backstory and motivations. Through lyrics and music, audiences can get a better understanding of who the character is and how they relate to other characters in the show.

This can be done through song lyrics that directly reference events or relationships from earlier in the plot, or through metaphors that hint at certain elements of their backstory. For example, in “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked”, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) expresses her desire for freedom with lyrics such as “Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I’m through with playing by the rules/Of someone else’s game” which allude to her feelings of being oppressed by society’s expectations of her.

Character songs also play an important role in developing relationships between characters. Through song lyrics, audiences can gain insight into how characters feel about each other and how they interact with one another.

Often times these songs are duets or group numbers that feature two or more characters singing together. This allows them to express their mutual feelings for one another while also allowing a deeper exploration into each character’s individual point of view on their relationship with one another. A great example of this is “A Little Fall Of Rain” from “Les Misérables” which features Marius and Éponine singing together about their love for each other despite their different social classes standing between them.

Lastly, character songs have a unique ability to bring out powerful emotions in both performers and audience members alike. Through music and lyrics, audiences can connect more deeply with characters than they could without it, eliciting powerful responses such as laughter, tears or even standing ovations when done right!

In conclusion, character songs play an integral role in helping audiences understand characters more deeply while also providing opportunities for performers to express powerful emotions through music and lyrics giving us all something special to remember long after we leave the theatre!
What Is a Character Song in Musical Theatre?
Character songs are an essential part of musical theatre that allow performers to bring out powerful emotions in both themselves and audiences alike while revealing important information about characters’ backstories and relationships with others on stage. Through these songs, we can better understand who these characters are and what motivates them throughout their journey onstage!