The Great Villains of Music Theatre
As an actor, there is nothing meatier than playing a villain. Often the driving force behind the plot, their songs keep us on the edge of our seats. This blog celebrates those evil characters of musical theatre who help us see the other side of things. I would love to work with you on your favourite villain. Come sing with me.
Malicious, sinister, and frightening here is a list of some of MY FAVOURITE MUSIC THEATRE VILLAINS.
Miss Hannigan - Annie
A classic, comic nasty piece of work. From her absolute contempt for children to her wicked hatred of them, she is the villainess we love to hate. Miss Hannigan is a pompous, lazy, drunk, flirtatious, self-absorbed, and obnoxious woman who despises children and will do anything to get rich.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRt1KrUGkV0
Frollo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
When sinful thoughts regarding the beautiful Esmerelda enter Frollo's mind, he seeks to rid himself of the source. This internal struggle prompts "Hellfire", which has been described as "one of the best Disney villain songs of all time”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsWqMzHN5EQ
Mrs. Meers- Thoroughly Modern Millie
Mrs. Meers is the villain of our story. Think Cruella DeVille from 101 Dalmations meets Miss Hannigan from Annie. A former actress turned human trafficker pretending to be a kindly woman. She oversees the Hotel Priscilla where she secretly sells her tenants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDpFdosA-Q&list=PLzMICO0Vgh5tSbPyEatv5AEYCQBwVq0PZ&index=70
Mrs. Lovett- Sweeney Todd
Mrs. Lovett is a villain we love. She is an accomplice and business partner of Sweeney Todd, a barber and serial killer from Fleet Street. She has a slight edge of insanity to her and a streak of larceny. Mrs. Lovett is motivated by a desire for money, for love, for popularity. She is all bright eyes and smiles but kills cockroaches and chops meat like a pro, and cooks the human victims into her meat pies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqapHRAqnfk
Wolf- Into the Woods
This creature is always on the lookout for his next meal. He entices his victims with flowers and fun until they willingly succumb to his desires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J5EL_jcvF0&list=PLzMICO0Vgh5tSbPyEatv5AEYCQBwVq0PZ&index=39
James Hook- Finding Neverland
In the original musical, Hook is the alter ego of the Darling kids' grumpy dad, but in 'Finding Neverland' he's the alter-ego of the producer Charles Frohman, who is also played by the same actor. The classic villain from Peter Pan comes to Barrie in a vision to convince him to add a villain to his show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ACc0T5y2Mg&list=PLzMICO0Vgh5tSbPyEatv5AEYCQBwVq0PZ&index=45
Jasper - The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jasper's double nature reveals itself through the course of the musical, as he admits that he strangled his nephew while under the influence of the laudanum that he reveals he poured into the wine the night of the dinner party. In Drood, he is the antagonist. Madness lurks beneath his smooth exterior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MsXIkH293k&list=PLzMICO0Vgh5tSbPyEatv5AEYCQBwVq0PZ&index=56
Eva - Bring It On
Eva starts out seeming humble and sweet, however, she quickly switches tracks to tell us that cutthroat ambition is the most important quality in life: "Like if some girl's in your way, there's only one thing to do. You blackmail your mother who sits on the school board to get Campbell transferred and ripped from the life that she knew. And your dreams come true!" Is she cute or just evil?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmto5Bv1mv0
Velma Von Tussle -Hairspray
In this catchy, bratty number, the racist Velma Von Tussle mocks Tracy for her size and rejects both her and a black girl, Little Inez, from an audition. Her qualifications for passing harsh judgment on every girl in the room are that she won one pageant in high school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWUskuzajCg
Ursula - The Little Mermaid
Ursula is the archetypal "baddie. Ursula is a villainous Cecaelia (half-woman, half-octopus). "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is one of the greatest songs written for the canon of female supervillains among the Disney musicals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfBfuR8Jiqw
Miss Trunchbull, Matilda the Musical
Every one of us had one terrible teacher, and perhaps it was someone who had favorites or a nasty temperament. The headmistress of Matilda’s school, MissTrunchbull, hates children more than anything in the world. Her song The Smell of Rebellion is the ultimate comic villain anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwkaol8LNbg&list=PLkfQanB8u3XfLop2gGzgzWuhDIQcuaPgG&index=12
Bill Sykes
There’s nothing funny about this villain, just plain evil. His name is enough to strike fear into the heart of any Londoner unfortunate enough to cross his path – after all, this malicious man is ready to murder someone just for whispering "Bill Sikes".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boH7hT7A_sk
Judge Turpin - Sweeney Todd
Judge Turpin gets Sweeney Todd arrested so he can have his wife Lucy for himself, which she rejects leading to her begging on the streets. Turpin later turns his attention to Sweeney Todd’s daughter, Johanna, imprisoning her in his house and regularly spying on her through a peephole in the wall. He's disgusting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl_j4fmXvqU
Javert- Les Miserables
Javert spends the entire musical relentlessly chasing an ex-prisoner who has very successfully rehabilitated into society, all because he believes he needs to be punished. His obsession with Jean Valjean and his inability to change his worldview ultimately leads to his own destruction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urxk4mveLCw
Hades -Hadestown
Though a slightly newer addition to the Broadway stage, Hadestown's adaptation of the king of the underworld is about as cold and cruel as they come. Part of his notoriety is due to the icy portrayal by Patrick Page, the other half is thanks to his conception as a totalitarian ruler in a post-apocalyptic setting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1VDxMe54Og&list=PLcZhIiPR2E4UFVQ1tSFDpiPpd1V0v277M&index=19
The Phantom- The Phantom Of The Opera
He's evil yet enchanting, sympathetic and still sinister, and yet beautiful all at the same time. He's one of the most adapted and reinterpreted characters in all of fiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBDxEHzidx0
Mr. Hyde- Jekyll and Hyde
Mr. Hyde is one of the most difficult villain roles ever conceived for a musical. Both Jekyll and Hyde are played in dual roles by the same actor, but Hyde is the opposite of the kindhearted Jekyll. His predatory nature is perfectly captured on stage with the song "Alive."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzVbFBRnk_s
Mad Hatter- Wonderland
In Wonderland, the Mad Hatter is imagined as a woman, who is (spoilers!) the dark alter-ego of Alice herself. "I Will Prevail" is the perfect number for this version of the character.
King George III- Hamilton
When Hamilton and company start fighting back against British rule, King George III sends a fully armed battalion to remind them of his love. He only sings one song and never interacts directly with any of the other characters, but his presence is always felt. He is one of the most dangerous – and sickeningly sweet villains around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrEoPDv67fE
Scar, Lion King
Scar possesses all the characteristics of the classic villain; jealousy, greed, and pride. He does anything he can to usurp his brother Mufasa’s crown. When he does manage it, he convinces Simba it was his own fault, sending him on an eternal guilt spiral that’s not healthy for any child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu5xp9TanEA
Jafar, Aladdin
I love a good Disney villain. With the reluctant help of the Genie, Jafar imprisons the Sultan and Jasmine and gets so close to having everything he ever dreamed of, a great palace and world domination. He would have done it if it wasn’t for that persistent Aladdin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buUOV0vDcdA
Judd Fry- Oklahoma!
Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the landscape of musical theatre with their 1943 musical Oklahoma! They created complex characters including the dark, brooding Judd Fry. Fry is the villain of the piece, an intimidating farmhand and threatening stalker type who is obsessing over the young farm girl Laurey. Judd is not afraid to do what it takes to get Laurey, even if it's by force and even if he has to commit murder. He is one of the most frightening characters in musical theatre and not a person anyone would want to be alone in a room with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4jFhFGg8co
Pippin - Pippin
Sure, the First Player is a terrible person, but she can give some pretty good advice. I mean, "Wouldn't you rather be a left-handed flea/A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea/Than a man who never learns how to be free"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0ZvJBgCO8
Jigger Craigen - Carousel
Jigger is a marginally less disturbing version of Judd Fry in Oklahoma! Craigen is a burly sailor who likes the drink, he is not afraid to impose his might on women. He almost violates the naive Carrie Pipperidge when he gets her alone at a clambake. He is also the "brains" behind the robbery that eventually leads to Billy Bigelow's untimely death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JspmndiE6Sw
Orin Scrivello- Little Shop of Horrors
Sadistic dentist Orin is bad news. What better way to create a villain than to capitalize on a fear that many people have. As a child he abused animals, and his mother didn’t help and encouraged him to put his love of inflicting pain to good use. Orin takes immense pleasure in causing pain and deserves everything coming to him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P69b9w74xBY
