Close (but No Cigar): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection gathers some of the most singable Broadway material written in recent decades. The songs span a wide emotional and stylistic range, from gentle character moments to full-voiced ensemble numbers, giving you genuine programming flexibility whether you're building a concert, teaching song interpretation, or casting singers in auditions.

These songs inhabit a theatrical middle ground: earnest and emotionally direct without sentimentality, lyrical without being overly sentimental. Whether you're singing a moment of quiet reflection or a declaration of identity, the music meets the honesty of the moment with straightforward grace.

Pianists and singers preparing repertoire for recitals, auditions, or concerts will find immediate value here. Music teachers and choral directors can draw from this collection to introduce students to contemporary Broadway song writing at manageable technical and emotional levels.

• Balance accompaniment against the vocal line carefully. Flaherty's piano writing is often quite full and can easily overshadow the melody if not managed with intentional dynamics.
• Pay attention to the lyrics when shaping phrasing and breath points. These songs are built on strong storytelling, and honoring the text matters as much as the notes.
• Use the chord symbols to explore harmonic support beyond what the written accompaniment suggests. Many of these songs work well with simplified or rearranged accompaniments for different skill levels.
• Investigate the original recordings to understand orchestral context and style, then make deliberate choices about how your arrangement serves your performers and venue.

Consider pairing songs from different shows to create a concert exploring common themes (identity, hope, community) across Flaherty and Ahrens's catalog. Individual songs work well as recital pieces or as teaching repertoire for demonstrating song form, character development, and the relationship between lyric and melody.

• Reading and performing contemporary Broadway song literature
• Interpreting legible chord symbols and understanding harmonic context
• Shaping vocal lines according to dramatic intent and lyrical meaning
• Accompanying singers with clarity and appropriate stylistic support
• Analyzing connections between music and text in theatrical contexts