26 Of The Best Duets For Broadway Bound Females
Written by Tiffany Weagly-Wilkie
June 2, 2016
I put this list together with three things in mind: relationships, story, and length. Each duet includes either a strong relationship between the two characters, a strong story arc, and a good length for performance. If you’re looking for a knock-out piece for competition, you’ve come to the right place!
1. “And Eve Was Weak” from Carrie
My thoughts: You may know the horror movie Carrie about the young girl with telepathic powers. This is a strong number for a mother and daughter duo. It requires strong emotional intensity, creative staging, and a little stage combat. When pulled off, it leaves the audience in chills.
2. “Caitlyn and Haley” from Edges
My thoughts: This is a fun number for a big sister/little sister duo. The two characters sing about the problems they have with one another, like dealing puberty, secrets, and traditional sibling rivalry. It’s funny and charming with some killer harmonies at the end.
3. “You Love Who You Love” from Bonnie and Clyde
My thoughts: In this song, two lovesick women sing about the men they love who have been recently imprisoned. It is a beautiful song with incredible harmonies. The two characters never interact with one another, which makes the staging interesting and challenging.
4. “Some Things Are Meant To Be” from Little Women
My thoughts: Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women focuses on the four March sisters. In this song, the two sisters, Beth and Jo, grapple with life and death as Jo comes to terms with Beth dying. Be prepared to break out the tissues.
5. “Perfect Strangers” from The Mystery of Edwin Drood
My thoughts: This song is one of the most interesting pieces on this list to pull off because one character is a female actor playing a male character. (This portrayal stems from young girls playing the “Lead Boy” in drag in pantomime tradition.) It’s a stunning song about two characters that have decided to call off their engagement.
6. “Every Day a Little Death” from A Little Night Music
My thoughts: In this scene for an older woman and a younger woman, Madame Armfeldt explains to Anne that you lose a little bit of yourself every day that you are married to a man who is unfaithful and not in love with you. It is a challenging piece by Sondheim, full of subtext and innuendo. Notice Madame Armfeldt’s subtle head toss at the beginning for a clue into the subtext.
7. “Three Bedroom House” from Bat Boy
My thoughts: Bat Boy: The Musical is based on an article from the June 23, 1992, Weekly World News story about a half-boy, half-bat, dubbed “Bat Boy”, who grew up living in a cave and was adopted by a family. In this humorous scene, the mother and daughter have decided to flee their home to get away from the deranged Father. What makes it work is actor’s commitment to the zany urgency and subtle humor throughout the scene.
8. “Freedom” from The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown
My thoughts: “Freedom” is a perfect number for a best friend duo that can belt their faces off and harmonise to the heavens. Two best friends à la Thema and Louise are on a road trip discussing their future selves. It is important to convey to the audience that you are driving while also interacting with one another the entire time. When pulled off, this number moves the room.
9. “Two Peas in a Pod” from Grey Gardens
My thoughts: Another Mother/Daughter duet, in this song, eccentrics Little Edie and Edith sing a duet they used to sing together. Edith resists while Little Eddie tries to convince her to join. The number is challenging to pull off with the acting and subtext.
10. “Single Man Drought” from I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change.
My thoughts: As an aside to the audience, in this scene, two friends, both on dates with different men, comment on all the awful traits of their dates. This number is typically done with two women and two men, but in this version the men are cut from the number which I think makes it funnier and more of a challenge for the actors. If done with proper comic timing and commitment, it leaves the audience in stitches.
11. “I Will Never Leave You” from Sideshow
My thoughts: Daisy and Violet are conjoined twins who long for separate lives, but also understand that they will always be there for one another. The trick to this number is the acting, focus, and staging since the women are not able to separate. It is important to convey that the sisters are conjoined, but (like the video below) you can be creative with how you stage the ending of the song.
12. “Ohio” from Wonderful Town
My thoughts: “Ohio” is a great comedic duet about two women lamenting on why they ever moved to NYC from Ohio. The scene that sets up the song involves the two women being accosted by drunken men and a flirty police officer. It’s important to play off of this scene into the song so that the audience understands the context.
13. “Don’t Ah Ma Me” from The Rink
My thoughts: In this scene, Anna, the owner of a dilapidated roller skating rink has an amusing argument with her daughter who she has not seen in seven years. Anna accuses her daughter of abandoning her to find herself, and a hilarious squabble ensues.
14. “The Teacher’s Argument” from Fame
My thoughts: This duet between Miss Sherman and Miss Bell, both teachers at the High School of Performing Arts features a fantastic story arc, clear acting objectives, and killer conflict. In this scene, Miss Sherman threatens to kick a student out of a festival for having low grades. Miss Bell disagrees with Miss Sherman claiming that the student’s artistic endeavours should be more important, setting up the main conflict of the song.
15. “That Horrible Woman” from A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder
My thoughts: In this duet, Sibella and Phoebe both beg for the other to be arrested and for the character of Monty to be set free. Meanwhile, the police have decided that both ladies appear equally guilty, and they can’t sentence one woman if they believe the other one culpable. This number is best suited for two women with legit soprano voices.
16. “What About Love” from The Color Purple
My thoughts: In this duet between two women in love, the actors will be challenged to create a realistic connection. This number tells a complete story and includes a beautiful relationship between the characters. You must be willing to go there emotionally to pull off the intimacy.
17. “Baby, Dream Your Dream” from Sweet Charity
My thoughts: Taxi Dancers, Nickie and Helene — Charity’s closest friends — sing a humorous song about not giving up on a dream of a better life. What’s great about this performance is that it is important to play the ladies sexy, not cheap, while both performing at an energetic level the entire time.
18. “Casting Call for a Best Friend” from The Girl’s Night Out
My thoughts: In this duet, two acting rivalries compete for the same role at an audition while mutually insulting one another the entire time. Be aware that this piece contains mature themes and language.
19. “Sonya & Natasha” from The Great Comet of 1812
My thoughts: Based on Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, this is a strong belty duet between two cousins/best friends with a strong conflict and story arc.
20. “Fran And Janie” from Is There Life After High School
My thoughts: A sweet duet between two old friends recalling how simple their lives once were. The story arch and harmonies create a simple, yet compelling performance.
21. “I Could Always Go To You” from No Sex in The City
My thoughts: A funny number about two friends who become romantically involved, but then realize that they are better as friends. The song is originally from the musical Personals by the writers of the TV series Friends.
22. “Colors of Paradise” from The Spitfire Grill
My thoughts: New friends/co-workers Percy and Shelby connect while writing an ad for the newspaper. The ad starts off with them describing the grill in the best way they can but then becomes a moment where both women share hopes and dreams.
23. “Celebrate” from Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
My thoughts: This show is more of a song cycle which features numbers and monologues inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. In this high belting song, two friends are singing about the need to celebrate that they are alive and to be grateful for the moments they have now.
24. “Actuary Song” from I Love You Because
My thoughts: Two friends, Marcy Fitzwilliams and Diana Bingley sing a song about the rules of dating that aims to determine the amount of time between rebounds. Diana insists that the best way to find Mr. Right is by finding Mr. Wrong.
25. “Flight” (not from a musical) by Craig Carnelia
My thoughts: A haunting duet to from Sutton Foster’s album Wish. The harmonies will bring tears to your eyes.
26. “You Happened” from The Prom
My thoughts: Two high school girls want to go to the prom together.