He Wanted a Girl (from "Giant"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

LaChisua's songs reward singers who can navigate complex rhythms, unexpected harmonic turns, and dramatic shifts in emotional temperature. This collection gives pianists and singers direct access to his distinctive voice across two decades of work, making it possible to program material ranging from intimate character songs to full theatrical productions without licensing multiple scores.

These songs inhabit a theatrical world where sophistication and rawness coexist. Harmonically adventurous yet deeply expressive, they demand singers who can balance intellectual rigor with genuine vulnerability.

Singers and pianist collaborators preparing for auditions, recitals, or concert programming will find substantial material here. Music theatre programs, voice studios, and performers seeking contemporary American musical theatre that goes beyond standard repertoire will discover songs that challenge and reward serious musical preparation.

• Study the harmonic language carefully before rehearsal. LaChisua frequently uses non-traditional chord progressions and modal mixture, so mapping out the harmonic spine helps singers anchor their interpretation.
• Honor the silences and rhythmic specificity in these songs. His writing is precise about where breaths happen and where time sits differently, and that precision shapes the emotional impact.
• Work with a pianist who can handle the independence required in these accompaniments. The piano part is not decorative; it often carries thematic material and dramatic weight equal to the vocal line.

Singers can build audition books around LaChisua's range of character types and dramatic situations, drawing from shows spanning different genres and moods. Recital programmers might pair songs from different shows to explore his evolving compositional voice, or create a full evening around a single show's score.

• Reading complex harmonic language and non-traditional chord symbols
• Navigating rhythmic precision and unexpected metric changes
• Interpreting character through LaChisua's sophisticated musical vocabulary
• Collaborating with pianists on scores where accompaniment carries equal narrative weight