Villainy

Of the plug-and-play song formats that punctuate our understanding of musical theater structure (the "I Want" song, the Lowest Point), perhaps none is more of a guilty pleasure, more pure fun, than the Villain Song. Here we examine several forms of this vital category, exploring how musical theater villains can play on our moral outrage, our sense of vicarious spite, and our understanding of character.SONGS FEATURED:"Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid"Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" from The Wiz"Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" from 1776"But, Mr. Adams" from 1776"Epiphany" from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"The Room Where it Happens" from Hamilton"That's What He Said" from Parade"If I Didn't Believe in You" from The Last Five Years"Nobody Needs to Know" from The Last Five Years"The Western Wall" from The Connector"There Never Was" from The Connector"The Seven Deadly Virtues" from Camelot