*Special notes
CABARET SINGERS: Please note that a number of these songs are being, have been, or can easily be adapted for cabaret presentation.
CHARM SONGS: A "charm song," in my definition, is a character-defining song that often has a comic undertone, but is not necessarily out-and-out funny, as would be a COMEDY SONG. Charm songs are often "I Want" or "I Am" songs for main characters in the musical. Examples of charm songs are "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" from MY FAIR LADY and "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No" from OKLAHOMA. One might argue that a charm song can also define a group, rather than an individual: "The Jet Song" from WEST SIDE STORY, perhaps? "The Farmer and the Ploughman" from OKLAHOMA? I would also submit that there are songs that are "uptempo," but not charm songs nor comedy songs nor ballads, as they do not reveal elements of a particular character or group, but touch on larger themes or contribute to the atmosphere (an example might be "Another Hundred People" in COMPANY).
MUSICAL THEATRE: Note on musical theatre songs: Songs such as "Let the Buyer Beware"; "Goodbye, Lucille" and "The Last to Notice" were conceived and developed in the New Tuners Workshop or the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Songs written for musical theater often must fit stricter standards for structure, theme, story, rhyme, and so forth, than do songs written as a singer/songwriter.
-AS
Sing me!