Chess Benefit Rehearsal - Pity the child

Here´s Adam Pascal singing Pity the child. This song is referred to in theatrical circles as "pity the singer" as it is incredibly hard to sing.

[@TimeandMonotony]

I'm personally offended that Adam Pascal has never played Judas.

[@ChristineTheHippie]

He would be perfect! He had the right voice

[@musicale930]

This. Man. Is. God. A high C for like 8+ seconds in complete belt timbre...and he just hangs out from G-B for the entire second half of the song. This is a GIFT. damn.

[@liwatanah]

Jenna Lindsey the craziest thing about this is how chill he is. It's a rehearsal, his body language is super relaxed, he's even flipping through his score from time to time. And he's stands there, and nails every note of this notoriously difficult song like it's a walk in the park. It's crazy amazing.

[@shawnpavlik1293]

I sang this in college...don't have the pipes anymore. I was a true tenor 1 back then. Sang Jesus in JCS.

[@backatitagainwithbroadway5358]

how can he just walk away like he didn't just change my life

[@katbozues]

😂😂😂😂😂 right?

[@Moyodsreds]

He is perfect in this role! Chess is a masterpiece of music ! Watched CHESS IN CONCERT 30+ times

[@Hwoodfilms]

Adam Pascal, pure talent. An ICON. PERFECTION on so many levels.

[@monipatricia]

Seriously, this man never ceases to amaze me! His ability to hit such high and difficult leaves me in awe. I cannot wait to see him live in concert in April.

[@juvaus07]

Adam Pascal was great during CHESS. I think he totally stole the show from everyone. AMAZING! God the DVD a couple of weeks ago and can't stop watching!

[@MrImdead]

As someone who has sung this song, The name 'Pity the Singer" makes me laugh so hard because it's so appropriate

[@gamer5101]

Pity the tenor specifically

[@TicoTorres]

I've never seen anyone sing this song so effortless as Adam Pascal. He just belting and carrying those super hight notes like it's just another day at work, it's crazy!

[@vera_6779]

Amazingly sung with such feelings of anger, resentment and hurt (while reading the sheet music!). Just brilliant.

[@emziroze]

i think he is my favourite broadway singer EVER. I cannot criticise his performance in this or in the actual show AT ALL. he is perfection!!!!!!!

[@anatoleishot]

Emma I don't know if "perfection" but yeah, is really good

[@bumumu]

he didnt switch into falsetto which is crazy hes amazing

[@nathaliewood5385]

I looked up the Murray Head and the Broadway version, it was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! Thanks to Adam Pascal, he gave the song justice with his voice.

[@FatimaSorianoOfficial]

A rehearsal? I think not. This was a performance. The applause the end proves it.

[@trinityj1]

WOW! Thanks so very much for posting this! Now I have to recordings of Adam singing this song to wear out.

[@cliflejeune]

Why has this show just never worked? I LOVE this score!! I hated what they did to it on Broadway (cut it to rat s**t) but they did add Someone Else's Story! And I agree, he nails this song... and for those of us who work on stage; can you imagine singing it 8 times a week...UGH!!!!! Thanks for posting these reahearsal vid's!!!

[@Noahsaark]

I'm seeing the Chess Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, next week - Adam is starring with Josh Groban, Idina Menzel and Kerry Ellis - I can't wait.

[@SydneyDameron]

He is just incredible....every time I hear this I'm speachless. I'm so excited for the DVD of Chess in Concert to come out!! There's so much talent in that group!

[@Julies_channel]

he is such a wonderful singer!! how he puts so much emotion into this song, luv it!!

[@NatalieMasterton]

Oh my lordy......I just died. I will never EVER tire of listening to that man. Adam Pascal is a god of singing. Those top notes!.........ooft.

[@user-gy9th8ei8c]

Such perfect singing and emoting here! This is even better than the one he did at the Royal Albert Hall

[@christiangurl25]

wow, i am loving the entire cast of this thing. pascal is amazing.

[@trinityj1]

It's from the benefit concert performance of Chess (it was a one-off). You can't purchase the DVD, but it exists on the internet if you're savvy enough to find it.

[@trinityj1]

Friend, guys that can get up there in full voice with that kind of ease and power are few and far between. This is a really stellar performance. I can sing this, but I'm a soprano.

[@imjustkaren8600]

So strange to say this about Adam, but he is adorable here. No need to even mention his VOICE. If I were his wife, I would make him sing to me instead of talking.. "I'm taking out the traaaaash!!"

[@lizbuffting]

i saw him do this at the albert hall concert. i cried. he's jst fabulous.

[@jasonpumarada]

jesus christ i wish i could sing like this man. absolutely amazing. amazing. amazing.

[@flicfan416]

He upstages all of youtube with this performance.

[@CESARQ]

have never been a fan of adam but wow this is really amazing!

[@shortbutstrong]

the man is wearing sweats and he still looks damn good.

[@jnehila]

Adam is so ridiculously amazing with those notes. And...he is so much more REAL and subtle with his emotions than the others in this cast ...He is like the "Actor's" musical actor...he doesn't make it so melodramatic, and he sounds amazing in the process. It makes me weep when he hits those notes and has that subtle, wry, sarchastic look on his face. LOVE it! DO NOT feel the same way about Julia Murney however, and Sutton Foster is only slightly better. Her voice irks me. Groban is stellar

[@chanteurmoderne]

@spydergoalie35 As an industry voice coach and professional voice researcher, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. Adam is using twang to produce his highest notes - it's a high larynx, high power configuration - and it's perfectly healthy. In reality, if you lower the larynx slightly, you will end up with exactly the same thing that operatic tenors do to sing their high C. There is no reason for the male voice to avoid notes above A.

[@HarrisonAFrazie]

Okay help me sing this song because I've sung the high notes before but I'm not very consistent with it???? What should I do?

[@coolton072]

Adam Pascal + This song + Conductor in a wife beater= Awesomeness.

[@christiangurl25]

adam.pascal.is.freaking.amazing.

[@bmc102392]

he's never performed better. AMAZING

[@cameronnies7000]

The highest note in the song is a D flat or C sharp, it is for less than an eighth note, but it is still very high, even for a Tenor.

[@angeleyez101]

I adore Adam!!

[@RAC3504]

Thisa song was absolutely made for Adam Pascal to sing it. Best version by a mile!!

[@rebecca32602]

so rare to hear that incredible song sung well. it was great!

[@Sing2Life70]

Goodness gracious... amazing!

[@Godoffreaks]

I have to concur! A very impressive performance!

[@gyurimihalka]

he has beautiful and big voice...

[@drbarx]

Amazing! I looked this song up because i thought I'd like to try to sing it, but now i realise I'll just embarrass myself.

[@msalvarez74]

I think this is the best rendition I've heard of this song and there are some tragic ones out there.

[@laurenbiv]

wow! He has an amazing voice!

[@undrthtblndrumng]

god Adam Pascal is amazing!

[@Tweetybird91500]

Ok that comment was supposed to be a reply to a comment which now seems to have disapeared so sorry about that but any I love this video. Adam never ceases to amaze me at how talented he is.

[@iduefoscari]

Are we in for a show in London in may!!Its funny when I read that Chess was a disaster on Broadway after its success in London. I have some idea how Verdi must of felt after the disaster of the premier of La Traviata. The boys from Abba had written perhaps one the greatest score for a musical and the New Yorkers were sucked into believing what a crap reviewer had written about the show.

[@PearseToC]

The hardest notes in this song aren't even the final (and highest) notes but the piece before that is constant around g/a/b/c... tough tough and greatly sung here!

[@partyinthetardis]

@cortezthemusic No. He's straight, married and has two kids.

[@JohnHarris-hj6lb]

You all heard daryl braithwaites version? Live on telly in Oz...years ago. A demanding song often brings out the best eh?

[@mysterywhiteboy41]

about 2 years. I give the most credit from being in Songs for a New World, first as an ensemble member just doing man #2s harmonies...then Jesus Christ Superstar where I played Judas...and most recently Songs for a New World (again) this time as Man#1 handling the full track. I find the more I just throw myself into difficult situations, the better i get. It's a good time.

[@potophan2006]

He sings it on his CD "Stage Heroes". At first I didn't think it was him, because he sounded like he was singing country for the first few lines. I think Pascal is better suited to more rock 'n rollish music though ;)

[@GiaMarieCarangi]

thats my man right there

[@ForgetRegret614]

this is like...effortless. hes so good, i love him. aha

[@patchchat]

Hey Guys? The actual show is on Google Video. It's in 2 parts. When you search it (I used "chess benefit concert"), just look for the Google logo (a "G")cuz there's a lot of UTube on there as well. It'll take about an hour to see both parts. Havn't done it yet...wanna really be able to sit and enjoy it.

[@pearpenguin]

If you search for "checkers part 1" etc you'll see bits and pieces of the show but some parts have been taken down.

[@juliakosh]

pity the singer

[@pickleydoo]

(girl voices confuse me too...) but no he's not singing in falsetto. he's just fierce like that. also, when i sing this song, i find that it's harder to pull that c out of nowhere (at the end) as opposed to singing into it like the first time around.

[@KtangMC]

What is that high note!!!!???

[@NatalieMasterton]

@chanteurmoderne I wouldn't say he was using twang......twang has a tendency to sound nasal and the sound Adam's producing is cleaner than that. I would definitely say that was a full but safe belt...not pushing it so hard as to damage his voice but still keeping the throat open and producing an extremely powerful sound. Anyway, regardless of any techniques......he is awesome and that was an awesome performance :)

[@blueeightysix]

I bow in awe.

[@jalidav1]

@ButterS38g this is true dude, when i was 19 i struggled with an F, i could just about reach it and thought i was going to be a baritone forever. i am 30 at the end of this month and can now hit a D#, so just keep practicing and it will come

[@anatoleishot]

He is not my favourite Freddie but this was amazing and even better in the 2008 version

[@TimeandMonotony]

I feel the same.

[@liljee16]

@jrkeeney2010 Thats a D# up top haha. I'm in voice too and let me tell you. This song HURTS not matter how good your technique is. :-P

[@ianpalin8318]

Brilliant.

[@RandomZydeco]

@oneblazeof That's full voice. Adam's not using classical technique here, but that's appropriate since chess is essentially a rock opera. Also, you're quite something if you can sing an E5 "like the pros" at 17...care to share a video with us?

[@terrylewis_]

He is so GD talented.

[@ryro3515]

Great performance but it sucks the chopped the guitar solo outro!

[@soreng8755]

THANK YOU!!! I'm classically trained for 15 years, did Carnegie Hall, yada yada, and I don't do shit like this. I HATE IT when people dissect everything in musical verbiage as if they talk that way in real life. It's just self-indulgent, "oh look at me, I'm a professional!" bullshit. Real stars don't even do that. For them it's work and then they go home, on with their normal lives. Cut it out because you are not impressing anyone. Ugh.

[@rellenoz]

@KarenRosieRay yes. Raul Esparza :-)

[@patchchat]

Rats! This song wasn't on the show video I mentioned below. The videos were good, but it as Adam I wanted to see.

[@mysterywhiteboy41]

I had to work from an F# as well...i'm around D now. It's just work.

[@jaimecostello1767]

Wowowowowow

[@Fuucy]

I lvoe Adam Pascal he is amazing!! Him and Julia Murney together singing though...*faint*

[@HarrisonAFrazie]

How old was adam in this??

[@tilla85]

Check in Anders Ekborg in the swedish verision. I think that is better, even though I love Adam Pascal

[@PearseToC]

It's a Db/C#

[@Tweetybird91500]

I've never heard of this cd. Where can I find it? I'm still trying to get my hands on the Mute (one of Adams old bands) cd.

[@Adameeriu]

if it is not so hard we wait for your video response. just post it!!! you can try... but without success...

[@ashareeoo]

INSANITY!

[@susanademo6405]

yeah beyotch you go! and this was just rehearsal . just kill me now

[@bxrgirl]

Haha, counter tenors are amazing. Have you heard Vitas yet?

[@sunlitrain]

No. He is very hetero, and happily married with 2 children to an amazing woman he has written many songs about.

[@EKevinS]

CAN'T TEACH SOMEONE TO SING LIKE THIS. GOTTA BE BORN WITH IT.

[@flicfan416]

hear hear!!

[@hed99bpb]

Yes he is ;)

[@PearseToC]

Yeah indeed :)

[@Ptolichus]

holy shit

[@hed99bpb]

@xCoolCatTryHardx It's Db

[@S_Morgan44]

🤯🤯🤯

[@spookythebando]

This is probably one of my faves of this song... kinda sad that he tried and (epically) failed at it London... But nonetheless, he is quite talented and I adore him.

[@JohnHarris-hj6lb]

Our Daryls version... kzbin.info/www/bejne/farTn6GoadR1aMksi=ion-7LNvw7sPaF-0

[@potophan2006]

pretty dang good...but I'll always say colm wilkinson sings it better lol.

[@disaidra]

no it is not hard to sing

[@candide43201]

He is ok on this..but its hard to listen to anyone after Murray head or peter, This song is the most difficult in the show and the most emotional..I just do not like people adding notes that are not needed when it is perfect on the page as is..but Valiant try.. I can't hate

[@robiDur]

an thats a rehearsal...dik

[@EnigmaDestroys]

Is he gay wondering here

[@starbuck68]

Oh. Ma. GAHHHOOODDDDD! wow. he ROCKED this song. sweet heaven.

[@nathaliewood5385]

I looked up the Murray Head and the Broadway version, it was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! Thanks to Adam Pascal, he gave the song justice with his voice.

[@anatoleishot]

Anthony Rapp Lover Murray's version was awesome, what are you saying?

[@TimeandMonotony]

I don't care for Murray Head (though his One Night in Bangkok remains unsurpassed), but Philip Casnoff's Pity the Child is excellent, though Adam's is better.