I've Gotta Be Me (from "Golden Rainbow"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This folio pairs iconic songs from heroes and villains across the Broadway canon, giving singers and pianists access to 224 pages of essential musical theater repertoire in one collection. The range of character types means you can build a season around contrasting archetypes, or let students explore how composers craft vocal lines that expose motivation and moral complexity. The piano/vocal/chords format serves both rehearsal and performance equally well.

These songs pulse with the theatrical confidence of a golden age of Broadway. Whether you're embodying a hero's determination or a villain's unrepentant swagger, the music meets you with clear, singable lines and piano arrangements that support without overwhelming. There's a completeness to each number that feels self-contained and ready to perform.

This collection serves singers preparing audition material, pianists accompanying voice students or recitals, and music theater programs building repertoire libraries. It's equally useful for classroom discussion of character development through song, or for pianists developing their Broadway repertoire alongside skilled vocalists.

• Examine the chord symbols alongside the melody line to identify harmonic moments where the accompaniment can shift texture or support the emotional arc of the lyric.
• Pay attention to vocal ranges and tessitura across different numbers; some characters sit higher or lower than others, so transpose strategically if a song doesn't fit your singer's optimal range.
• Use the folio's organization by character type as a study tool: compare how different composers handle similar dramatic moments (triumph, villainy, longing) to deepen interpretive choices.

Program hero and villain songs back-to-back to explore how composers reveal character through melody and harmony, or scatter them throughout a cabaret or revue to let audiences experience the full moral spectrum of musical theater. This folio works equally well as a reference for voice studios or as a rehearsal tool for larger music theater productions.

• Reading piano/vocal scores with chord symbols
• Interpreting character motivation through melodic shape and harmonic movement
• Adapting transposition and range for individual singers
• Understanding accompaniment techniques across Broadway styles
• Connecting lyrical content to vocal and pianistic interpretation