Whether you love to hate them or hate to love them, musical theater is filled with delicious villains. From the comic (Miss Hannigan in Annie) to the misunderstood (Jud Fry in Oklahoma!) and the downright evil (Judge Turbin in Sweeney Todd), Halloween is the perfect time of year to celebrate them all!
Check out TMTP’s staff picks for favorite “bad guy” and let us know who makes YOU shiver in your seat.
Les Miserables has some great villains. I find Inspector Javert’s lyrics in “Stars” to be incredibly striking since the policeman with his moral absolutism is the villain of the piece.
- Debbie Schinker, Administrative Consultant
I’ll go with a classic: Captain Hook in Peter Pan. His song is so well known and because he’s so over the top, it’s clearly fake scary.
– Bill Rudman, Artistic Director/Founder
My favorite is the Witch from Into The Woods. She’s multilayered, funny, fabulous and hits on so many core issues. “Children will Listen” is one of the greatest songs of all time and guides me as both a mother and teacher.
- Jodi Kirk, Director of Active Learning
Every year I can’t wait to watch Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas so I can act out “Oogie Boogie’s Song” in front of the TV.
“It’s hopeless! You’re finished! You haven’t got a prayer! Cuz I’m Mr. Oogie Boogie, and YOU ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
– Heather Meeker, Executive Director
Jekyll/Hyde fascinates me. I don’t know of another role where the actor has to play both hero and villain at once as he does in the song “Confrontation”. As an actor I am so intrigued by the choices made, how to play both characters fighting each other, changing vocal styles, changing from mass murderer to a savior of the mentally ill, and all in 4 minutes!
– Bridie Srsen, Kids Love Musicals! Program Coordinator
The devilish duo of Lola and Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees is hard to beat. They are great villains in their own right and have standout musical numbers, but together they just have too much fun making trouble!
– Joanna Cullinan, Director of Marketing
