OBSESSED! Marc Kudisch: The Highs and Lows of Broadway

www.playbill.com/video
In this corner, Seth Rudetsky, a lover of high belting who insists that Broadway is the domain of high notes and high notes only! In this corner, Marc Kudisch, a baritone who insists that rumbling low notes are just as good, if not better, than those pesky high notes! Watch them square off "mano y mano," with a little known version of "Old Man River" thrown in to boot!

[@DisneyDancer1990]

Marc is one of the most intelligent men I've ever heard open his mouth. His analysis of Javert is SPOT-ON...at least in my opinion. :)

[@bigjandthehbombs5552]

I’m sad that I’m late to see this, but dang if Marc isn’t just brilliant here.

[@imagineadragon]

I think this is my favorite "Obsessed" interview. Just fabulous. Baritones who embrace their quality and color are just incredible. And, yes, Javert is extraordinarily complex and intellectual character.

[@Letti666]

i'm a tenor. i got say, the best phantoms are baritones. Marc Kudisch is absolutly right - he knows exactly how the voice should go. i was fun to see Seth intriged.

[@JerkyPuck]

I AGREE!!!! Norm Lewis rocked it.

[@michael5876]

Agree

[@geoffreyblackmer]

Best chemistry on Broadway. The tension is real!

[@derogatony]

I want a man like Marc Kudisch.

[@HikariDragonRyuu]

Y'all realize Seth is asking these questions so Marc can talk? He doesn't actually hate baritones. the javert comment was kinda ridic tho

[@professionallabelmaker744]

"baritones should be able to hit a Bb" I'm sorry what my bass vocal chords are quaking right now

[@SingingGeek05]

His intelligence and knowledge about the human voice is so refreshing! Also, I LOVE his interpretation of Javert. Very intelligent man, Brava! :D

[@wickedphant0m]

As a baritone whose obsession with high notes lead to some serious vocal damage during college, I would like to remind everyone that every voice is unique and just because Marc Kudish sings B-flats doesn't mean that ALL baritones should.

[@elizabethgalafa1830]

He legit knows what he's talking about! So refreshing!!!

[@OctavinaPlayer]

"Everyone's interested in the Baritone ... And especially 20th century music proves that like nobody's business." Amen.

[@BGMBANGYAY]

his vast knowledge of music, history and literature is sexy. I'm in love

[@MrLightsCAMARAction]

I love the way Marc handles himself. my gosh, dang!

[@klmnumbers]

Marc Kudisch - one of the best baritones on Broadway.

[@AtLastOnTheGround]

This guy is wonderful! Thank you for representing the all-powerful baritones!

[@saschahoupt6177]

I love this back and forth, it’s frickin hilarious 😂

[@greensun92]

I love how passionate he is about his craft!

[@mercedespernas]

Liked him as Gaston and in Bye Bye Birdie as Conrad. So much charisma.

[@laurenhaefele2621]

everyone's interested in the baritone... ;)

[@ErinLovegood73]

I really learned a lot in this video ( Like I do in every Seth Rudesky video). Marc has a great grasp of the American Musical history. And I totally agree with him about Javert.

[@hiyahandsome]

Damn, Marc Kudish has one of the greatest voices to be heard on Broadway! WOW! So smart and interesting as well as talented. Love hearing him spar with Seth, delightful video.

[@DamienSlattery68]

Wonderful, Marc.

[@JWEponineT]

I am sooooo into his baritone. Baritone is my fave vocal category, its so rich and lush, and yet there can be money notes. Love baritone money notes. Stirs my soul.

[@harshmnr]

Oh my gosh I'm obbsessed with Bing Crosby and I love Show Boat! I never knew he did Ol' Man River!! And I like this guy; he overanalyzes plots and characters just like I do. XD ~:~

[@f13overture]

bahaha! Kudisch & Seth need to make more videos! Hilarious & Informative!! love it!

[@sacredlunatic]

What you're describing isn't a problem with baritones. It's that composers of the last 20 or 30 years are fixated on high voices, just like Seth. Baritones are awesome, people should write for them more.

[@frostylunetta]

Completely blown away by Marc saying "I Don Quixote" ❤❤

[@skeevynicks]

Mark is so friggin smart.

[@DahliaDivineMoore]

Beautiful. BEAUTIFUL.

[@MTwannaB4jesus]

Please record O'l man river Marc!!!!!!!!! I love this song so much!!!! and I love seth's little hunchbacked piano stance during Bing's version.

[@leahbee1992]

*Heart Eyes for Marc Kudisch*

[@gavinconnelll6757]

I LIVE FOR THIS

[@Avrgegrlg]

Love this video! Marc is amazing, adore Seth and his page turn, 4:13.

[@jacksonflaherty1080]

I agree with almost everything he said except any “baritone” that can hit a b flat should be singing tenor. I mean most tenors can only hit a flat or b natural.

[@MrLightsCAMARAction]

He's very intelligent. You can tell that Seth was like...what? Lots of respect for Marc!

[@DisneyDancer1990]

And actually Seth, Jean Valjean went to jail for 5 years for stealing a loaf of bread. He was in jail for as long as he was (an additional 14 years) because he tried to run.

[@fishtoes]

Mark, you are a genius, both in your commentary about fachs, AND about Javert. PLEASE play Javert! You have such a deep understanding of him and your voice is stunning. Seth, shut up and let him talk.

[@princepeterwolf]

This man knows what he's talking about, listen to him kids

[@HikariDragonRyuu]

I call myself a lyric baritone AND a baritenor. In my mind, they're the same thing. I go from F# to Bb - more than two octaves, and I count myself as a baritenor. I love listening to Marc interviews.

[@sndlp1]

Love him❤️

[@angelpajarillo]

This man is brilliant

[@cleverboi2]

I adore Marc Kudisch. THANK YOU for pointing out that "bari-tenor" is just a term for tenors who don't want to work that hard. I refuse to believe any bastard who says they're a "bari-tenor" is a lyric baritone.

[@into.the.wood.chipper.]

I'm a bariten-whoops! Back to the Caruso scales.

[@AvalonMorley]

LOVE this series--I am, yes, obsessed with it. Marc! Fabulous singer, actor, comedian, performer, and so full of passion and intelligence. Oh--and pretty to look at. Duh. All that said, I may have to quibble about baritones being maligned. What about all those bari-hunks? What about Figaro? Posa? Many operatic leads and heros. Hermann Prey. William Warfield, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Paul Robeson, Thomas Hampson and so many others? Marc sounds like he belongs in those ranks here.

[@ohhenatural4996]

What's the name of that last song that he sang?

[@nocturne2029]

The lower end of vocal range has always been my favourite. That's why I try to sing the male parts with my frustrating alto/soprano female-ass voice XD I just want to sing those beautiful rich low notes!

[@leannelliedavis5782]

I didn't know that about Laurn Bacall. Broadway tunes come from Bartalk, Vaungnar, List.

[@lucialanave8105]

LeannEllie Davis i’m so sorry but Bartok, Wagner, Liszt. IM SORRY DONT KILL ME I JUST HAD TO

[@christophercobb249]

As a true baritone, I have to agree with Marc Kudisch!

[@JudeFox]

"Fach" has a plural form and it's "fächer" 💀💀💀 It annoyed me that he said 'fach' every time 😂

[@fishtoes]

Phantom has been played by both tenors and baritones, though I do prefer it sung by tenor.

[@fkrgebs6773]

4:13 Look how amazed he is 🤗

[@Ok-ge1od]

I can’t tell if I love this man or if I can’t stand him... I think love?

[@princepeterwolf]

THAT IS SO TRUE

[@IrishCatholic86]

Could somebody please tell me the name of the singer whom Seth describes as a tenor at 3:02? John (?) who? Thanks!

[@asnalelo.165]

john raitt i think

[@IrishCatholic86]

@@asnalelo.165 *Mwah* That'll be it! Thank you! Just looking him up singing "If I Loved You" - lovely legato line!

[@MrLightsCAMARAction]

yes! so true!

[@ivelosthewilltolive]

Pretty heavy for Obsessed... but I want to hear more!

[@AvalonMorley]

Over the years, I've gotten the impression that he loves to analyze matters and really dig into them. I have no doubt you're right, though, if he ever actually did that, I'd hope he'd only practice law very part-time. I want him onstage, onscreen, on a microphone, sharing his performance skills and arts w. us!

[@wickedphant0m]

I totally agree with him about the difference between tessitura vs. range, but still...Bb's are HIGH.

[@bway_car08]

He was great in 9 to 5

[@danielpippert]

COOONRAAD BIIIIIIRDIIIIE!!!!!

[@lyndes33]

I respectfully disagree. Reno Sweeney, Jo March, Grace O'Malley from Pirate Queen? All great roles for Mezzos. What about altos? What alto role in musical theatre is the star of the show, the beautiful one, the girl who gets the guy? The only good one I can think of is Rizzo from Grease.

[@katrinaburch]

@AvalonMorley I think meant being maligned in musical theatre. The Baritone in operatic scenes is much more... welcomed. so to speak. Because as one of the Ten Tenors says in the "short Lesson in Opera", the Baritone, only ever sings about... himself" ;)

[@kmb1023x]

WOW this was a saucy one! DEBATE!!!!! i like it!

[@maniactress]

Uh, Hello AMAZING OLD MAN RIVER.

[@nigelpersulessy8748]

Shoutout to him for playing as villainous Erik Visser in Horizon Forbidden West

[@woohooboy]

The problem with baritones (at least with musicals that have been made in the last 30 years) is that although the vocal range is strong and deep, it also makes it the least flexible voice. With tenors and even falestto voices, there is a greater degree of versatility in what can be accomplished Because baritones are at the lower end, they really only fill a certain niche. Modern day music and musicals ("Rent", "Hairspray", "Wicked") don't really require singers to go that low anymore.

[@stone8193]

0:54 lol

[@wearscarvesandread]

I'm watching this and I can't stop hearing Marc Kudisch imaginary-motorboat-ing Megan Hilty. Excellent juxtaposition.

[@healthyholemealbread]

'It takes intelligence to be that linear and be successful at it' I'm just interested to know, does anyone agree with his line of thinking? JW's for example refuse blood transfusions even when it is a matter of life and death. (Because it was forbidden long ago, during a time when blood groups were unknown.) Is this intelligence, to religiously follow ancient rules in the way Kudisch described?

[@ctrone]

"Ggermann..." LOL

[@ivelosthewilltolive]

@katrinaburch The old saying is, Every opera is about the tenor wanting to make love to the soprano, and the baritone trying to prevent him.

[@woohooboy]

I don't disargee with your view. Baritones are powerful and still have their place in music (most notably in Operas where they are still in strong demand). Pre 1960's musicals like "Oklahoma", "Carousel" & "Showboat" was really the era where singers in this vocal range shined. Times however change and the need for baritones has decreased over the years. But who know what the future holds. There may come a time where baritones come back with a vengeance.......

[@bunji_beans]

Bing Crosby is great, but give me Paul Robison's Old Man River over Bing's version any day.

[@brandonburrell8517]

Baritone is the richest sound.

[@Wendy-je9zf]

*”that’s just the voice, babey”* god I am in LOVE with baritones

[@sarapaintgirl]

Altos have no good parts anymore. That's who's malign. I've had to extend my range by almost an octave and a half to have some chance even though I can get almost an octave and a half bellow middle c

[@OctavinaPlayer]

Musicals right now rarely have that classical style like how Rodgers, Bernstein, Coleman, ALW, etc write.

[@SingingGeek05]

or Bravo, rather*

[@jakethewoz]

The German have termed the word: GERMAN

[@HikariDragonRyuu]

I'll have to disagree with Marc - perhaps baritones are maligned to some extent, but I'd argue that plenty of baritone roles are heralded as the lead. Look at Man of La Mancha, Ragtime, Porgy & Bess, Kiss Me Kate, etc.

[@OctavinaPlayer]

Doobee Doo I think Man of La Mancha is for tenor (ex. Placido Domingo), and Porgy is for bass (ex. Eric Owens).

[@huburgalula4031]

"So idiot in a way that most republicans are..." Seth: yEes!

[@braddavis6219]

Mmmm "fach."

[@derogatony]

I guess I'm a tenor that doesn't want to work that hard. Oops.

[@haleybell3292]

There's a kid in my choir who swears up and down that he's a baritone but can just barely sing D3 and another kid that claims he doesn't have a head voice. I can sing lower than both of them. (my range is C2 to C6)

[@fishtoes]

Yeah, I get what you're saying, actually. It's touchy, I guess. I mean, it can't be overstated how awful that chapter in history was. THAT SAID, I agree: enough with the "German! ooh, scary!!" already. The country has a right to move on and become a great country post-WW2. I was thinking the same thing when watching this. also, I'm both German & Jewish, so I'm not biased.

[@ZacharyBlaszak]

I can hit a low F to a high C..... I love my giant Range..... I could be a Baritone to a high tenor, and in my falsetto I can be a mezzo soprano.

[@Margotxmargot]

You know who else are maligned? Mezzos. Not quite a soprano, not quite an alto.

[@ducheau100]

hair transplants need to be softened. looks like Doll hair

[@less01]

Seth needs to leave the germans alone with the holocaust thing and the whole ohh German!! Germany happens to be a great country with a dark past which I think paid and continues to pay to this day... so.... stop it is not funny anymore!

[@zonaldzuck1859]

Oof this mansplaining