I can’t believe someone had the audacity to say that Evan Hansen is a harder role than Valjean, Javert, The Phantom, Pierre, Jekyll/Hyde, or Hedwig....

I know it's a child role but Billy Elliot could easily make this list, it takes about a year to train before even getting to play the role and he almost never leaves stage. Not to mention the intense acting and insane dancing.

I really believe Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror should be on this list. At least an honorable mention.

I feel like Ms Mojo shouldn’t make musical theatre videos, it comes off like they have no idea what they’re talking about.

Once again MsMojo is way off the mark. 50+ years of musicals and Evan Hansen is the hardest role ever written?! No way in hell!

some parts that I would consider honorable mentions are: Clyde Barrow (Bonnie and Clyde) Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) Tevye (Fiddler On the Roof) Emcee (Cabaret) Bobby Strong (Urinetown) Melchior/Moritz (Spring Awakening) Dewey Finn (School of Rock) Jamie (The Last Five Years) Andrew Jackson (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) Bat Boy (Bat Boy) Leading Player (Pippin) (played by men and women) Billy Flynn (Chicago) Archibald Craven (The Secret Garden) Jesse Tuck (Tuck Everlasting) Ren (Footloose) Curly (Oklahoma) Guy (Once) Tony (West Side Story) Robert (Bridges of Madison County) Roger (Rent) the comments told me I forgot: Frank N Furter (Rocky Horror) Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady)

quasimodo is criminally low on this list

I'm kinda surprised Beetlejuice didn't make it on this list. The actor has to train his voice to fit the raspy sound of the character and his comedic timing/physicality can honestly make or break the entire production.

I'm trying to imagine a situation where I'm going up to a Broadway actor asking "Which role do you think is the hardest to play: The Phantom, Jean Valjean or Evan Hansen?" and the actor would actually say " Evan Hansen"...

It really seems like this list was made by teenager who's like really into musicals but really doesn't know all that much.

I can't believe Beetlejuice isn't in this list. BJ's voice is one of the most difficult characteristics to pull off and Alex Brightman was able to pull it off.

Is someone else mad that Phantom is so low? It should be higher!

I think that phantom and Javert should be highter in this list.

Missed mentions: - Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob Squarepants The Musical (High notes, lots of dance moves, and high energy) - Arnold Cunningham: The Book Of Mormon (Big numbers, high energy, and comedy) - Edna Turnblad: Hairspray (Skilled acting, big numbers, and comedy) - Dewey Finn: School Of Rock (Musical talent, high energy, and comedy) - Dan Goodman: Next To Normal (Lots of emotion, big numbers, and skilled acting) - Fiyero: Wicked (Big numbers, lots of dancing, and high energy)

The fact that Evan Hansen is #1 is ridiculous. I would’ve put him past 10.

Umm sorry but how did Frank 'n' Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show not make this list!?

im simple... I see Ramin Karimloo, I click

you did NOT just put evan hansen first...

Ugh... I posted this one "The Top 10 Hardest Male Musical Roles," from a year ago but it bears repeating because I STAND BY THIS. Sorry, but no way is Evan Hansen a harder performance than Jean Valjean! Jean Valjean's vocal control and emotion are second to none. He also sings in so many of Les Mis' songs aside from his big solo numbers. In terms of vocal ability and the ability to emote to portray Valjean's brokenness, nothing touches it. Also because it is such a legacy character, the pressure of playing him is even higher.

How is Phantom not number one? To be Menacing, Misunderstood, Dark and somehow make the audience feel bad for him?

Can someone from your channel please find a musical theater history course and take it - I’ll even offer to pay for it. As usual with your lists this is far too modern and leaves out some classics of the musical theater where is Tevye? where is Albin? where is John Adams? Your ranking of Javert and the Phantom are far too low on this list I’m really shaking my head on this one...

Phantom is a hard role, and so is Jesus, Judas, Jean Valjean, Joseph, and even Sweeney Todd.

Saying that one role is more difficult than another is dumb. So many things outside a character can affect the difficulty of a role. For example, a lot of people are complaining about Evan, but Evan has been played on Broadway by (mostly) only adults. More experience makes a role easier. And while the role is difficult, it is more difficult for someone like Andrew Feldman to play him, as he is 16 and less experienced. Lola and Hedwig require wearing and dancing in heels for loooong amounts of time, but Quasimodo requires singing and extreme movement while hunched over. Is one of these roles more difficult? No. It depends on the stamina and dexterity of the actor. Characters and Actors are different. You can say a role is difficult, but it needs a common factor. If this video was 'Top 20 most difficult roles for *Insert Actor here* to play' it would honestly make more sense, because then you could deduct that actors ability, and see which roles would be most difficult FOR HIM. It would be a much more difficult role if Lola was played by a 17 year old boy, even if everything else about the show was the same. Difficulty comes from inexperience, not the acting/singing/dancing/crying/serial-killing/stupid-high-high-notes of the role.

Orpheus is a Really hard roll,But Hades is way more difficult

No Tevye? No Harold Hill? No Billy Bigelow? No Henry Higgins? No King of Siam? No George Seurat? No Miguel Cervantes/Don Quijote? No Mack Sennett? Respect the classics!!!

It’s so funny that every time that they are like “incredibly high notes”, or “impossibly high notes”, or “high tenor notes”, and they’re mostly just Fs and Gs, which is literally a thing tenors practice constantly, not because they are high, but because it’s the tenor’s passaggio, and it’s difficult to keep it supported and covered, but it’s not high... for a baritone, maybe... for a bass, mostly yeah... but not for a tenor... for example, the Phantom is usually a baritone role, and for most baritones, those higher notes may be high, but for a tenor, those notes are everyday’s bread

Haven’t even made it halfway through...let me just say...Quasimodo should be WAYYYY higher

The best thing is counting how many of these roles Hugh Jackman has performed

Angel is the heart, soul, and conscious of rent, who pulls the whole play together.

"this explosive male protagonist" oH MY GOD

While Evan Hansen I think deserves to make the list I do not think it deserves the top spot at all it maybe deserves 10 at best in my opinion but I could understand if it was 5. The top spot should be Jean Valjean in my opinion

When the Phantom went for the high note in ‘Music of the Night’ flinched so hard because I was expecting Gerard Butler’s version.

Yes, Evan Hansen would be a tough role to pull off, especially in a high school production, in how much heavy lifting there is to be done. The Phantom and Jean Valjean are also complex roles! ❤️🎭

Lafayette/Jefferson should not be that high up on the list. I get that the rap is hard but it’s really the only hard part

This might be me being biased but I feel like there shouldve been at least a mention for Marvin and/or Whizzer from Falsettos. That might just be my opinion but both are very hard roles imho

lowkey shocked that betelgeuse wasn’t in the list. imagine having to do his voice!!!

Evan Hansen for no. 1 really? I doubt that 🙄 It's a difficult role for sure but not as hard as some of the roles in the list. Valjean should be No. 1.

#15 Donny Novitski YES. THANK YOU. I'm so glad people are acknowledging that role and show exist. They need more recognition

Jesus from JCSS, Joseph from JATATCDC, Beetlejuice, Billy Elliot, Scar from the Lion King, P.T Barnum from The Greatest Showmen, Gavroche from Les Mis, Buddy from Elf, Raoul from Phantom, Hades

As someone who has played Quasimodo in a multi-week run, the part is far more difficult than some of the roles on here. And no.... Evan is NOWHERE near as challenging as many on this list. The role is emotionally heavy in areas but vocally and physically...it's not. The pop heavy score does go higher into a males range but it's not nearly as taxing as roles that require heavy belting into the stratosphere.

Maybe it is just me but I’d say that Lord Farquad from Shrek The Musical deserves a mention because that role requires the actor to be on their knees the entire time! They even had a back brace for the broadway actor to keep his posture good. There is also a lot of dancing for his actor to do on their knees.

How dare you leave any of those honorable mentions below any ONE Hamilton character. Hamilton is far below any of the roles listed and to insist that Lafayette is a more difficult role than the PHANTOM?!?!? I’m deeply offended.

Time to go watch a bunch of les mis clips of various valjeans to calm myself at this hypocrisy

It's hard to believe that the original stage "Phantom" is the same actor that played Cornelius Hackl in the 1969 film, "Hello, Dolly!".

These lists should just be in no particular order because it’s always such a joke lol

I saw Aladdin live and I was exhausted for for the actor that payed Genie. All his numbers were super high energy.

Yeah no... this list was made invalid before you even got halfway through. Someone on staff needs to take a musical theater course

I'm glad you mentioned Jekyll & Hyde as the top 10. Wish you show respect to the villain song Alive.

This video really shows that Hugh Jackman didn’t do justice to “Bring Him Home”

I think an honourable mention should be dr franknfurter from rocky horror especially if they’re going for a Tim curry feel 🤷‍♀️

The phantom sings opera and does it while showing and insane amount of emotion but evan hansen is higher then that? No way in hell...

Damn, this makes me respect the members of theatre more

I know a lot of people didn't like the Beetlejuice musical, and it probably isn't hard enough to be on the list, but Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice the musical is a really hard role to pull off. Alex Brightman had a lot of trouble perfecting his voice for it, and any actor that attempts the role of Beetlejuice in the musical, can seriously damage their vocal chords if they don't put a lot of effort into making it safe for them to sing in that manner

I can agree with Javert. I’m currently rehearsing to perform as Javert in a production of Les Misérables next year and the emotions and stiffness of the character is very difficult to convey

Javert should be higher on the list. His character runs such a gambit throughout the show. I'm not just saying that because he's my favorite character in the show. While Val Jean has to hit that BEAUTIFUL high note in Bring Him Home, Javert has a lot of depth (go away Russell Crowe version).

This list is insulting. Sweeney, Javert, Jekyll/Hyde, Phantom...they are complex CHARACTERS as well as requiring powerful vocals. And you pick a sad teenager as the hardest? Get out of here. All the other roles had strong vocal requirements, darker and complex acting needs, and the DANCING. Evan Hanson requires none of that. I need an apology for this terrible ranking. I don't even understand how you can listen to "Bring Him Home" and still place Evan Hanson before that? Ugh.

I did chuckle at the fact that at least 3 of these were like "it's hard cuz he had to do it in heels!" ..... Pffft

what about Dimitry from Anastasia... My Perterburg is NOT AN EASY SONG

Sorry ma'am, but Lafayette and Jefferson aren't even THAT hard. I can rap both of their parts with ease. Of course, there's a French accent involved, but that's not too hard to do. Putting them above The Phantom, Javert, and others was certainly bold of you.

Where in the world is Major General Stanley? Or Henry Higgins? Have you listened to how impossibly fast their songs are?

I think phantom should be higher cause he needs to show emotion and shout a lot.. and hit those really low notes. Maybe just a little higher? Also RAMIN KARIMLOO

Shocked that Georges Seurat/George from Sunday in the Park didn’t make the list

how is lola 16 that role requires so much emotional and physical stamina

I don’t know why Aaron Burr wasn’t mentioned for longer. His character takes the entire show for Act 1 and Act 2. Whether he’s talking or singing, that man completely takes the show.

Fun fact. In the broadway track, Marius has the most stage time out of anyone in Les Miserables. Andy Mientus timed it because he’s in the chorus during act 1 and so his longest time off stage is that he’s not in the Inn scene, that’s it. He’s in basically all of the other scenes.

michael arden was fabulous in hunchback when i saw him at papermill playhouse. it’s not only vocally challenging, but physically-and he also used ASL.

Here's a Few Male Roles I can think of that might be hard to do: .Lumiere and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast) .Spongebob Squarepants and Squidward Tentacles (Spongebob Squarepants:The Musical) .Sebastian (The Little Mermaid) .Boq (Wicked) .Eye-gor (Young Frankenstein: The Musical) .Bert (Mary Poppins) .Che (Evita) .Spider Man (Spider Man Turn Off the Dark) .Any of the male roles in The Lion King: Musical) .Joseph (Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat) .Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) .Lord Farquard (Shrek the Musical)

In what universe is Evan harder than any of the leads in the sung through musicals? Or the more physically demanding roles.

I was lowkey hoping for Freddie Trumper, solely because of Pity the Child

Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof?

I always thought Javert was a harder role than Valjean but that’s just me

Here are a few that should’ve been included Harold Hill (The Music Man) Tony (West Side Story) Frankie Valli (Jersey Boys) Huey Calhoun (Memphis) Dewey Finn (School of Rock) Jamie (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)

So you're saying that out of every broadway role, Evan Hansen is the most difficult....... no.

if pierre from great comet isn’t on this list, i swear to god

No Spongebob or Beetlejuice? Really?

A good Javert makes or breaks les miserables, I think that qualifies it as a hard role

I agree these characters deserve a spot,but in THAT order?They ain't got a clue about it

They really put Hedwig at number 6...

i think i would add marvin from falsettos to this list, also if we were doing hardest children’s roles, id add jason too

so Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson are at 5 but Aaron burr wasn’t even on there? And Evan Hanson took first that’s ridiculous

I don’t want to be that one person that bashes amazing actors and parts in the comments but there is now way that even should have been number one, there were plenty of roles in the honorable mentions that deserved to be on this list more then Hansen. And I love the musical and I think that it is a good listen too but there are so many underrated roles and musicals in musical theater that barely get to see the light of day because of the way our media works

Haha J.D a explosive character

It’s not really a leading role but I feel like Paul from A Chorus Line should be on here.

Most people don't know the role, but for me its Luigi Lucheni from Elisabeth. Its a german musical, but he is basically the narrator of the whole musical. He has incredibly high belts, really akward jumps between high and low notes, has to have belivable, madness enduced emotional outbursts while singing, interact with the audience, all while climbing, running and driving around the stage. And don't forget that he needs to be fluent in italian. He just generally has to own the stage for the whole show and sing most of the songs (for a good three hours).

how is aaron burr not on the list .. he narrated the whole musical ..?

Can we talk about one of the reason that Pierre is so hard is because they have to know how to play MORE THAN ONE instrument??? That’s one of the reason that they couldn’t find anymore to replace Josh Groban when he wanted to leave. No one could keep up with learning piano and accordion and the songs. Not to mention that the show is mostly 100% sung because it’s an opera.

The American Sign Language translation during Quasimodo is very well done! Love it

Creators of Jekyll and Hyde: *It is extremely hard for an actor to play two people in one hahaha* Anthony Warlow: *hold my beer please*

I think Evan Hansen deserves to be in this list but not the first spot. Just an opinion tho lol

No, these are like if you ask a musical theatre fan the ones they think may be hard. Clyde Barrow (Bonnie and Clyde): The notes you have to hit in some of those songs are insane. Plus you dont really get a break and the acting arc is NUTS Max/ Leo (Producers): There is NO break for these two Bobby (Company): its a 2.5 hour show that is EXHAUSTING for the actor. They sing dance and have to act the shit out of that role the whole time. This actor has to CARRY the show. George (Sunday in the Park...): The lyrics alone are tough and the nuance that needs to be brought to the role is incredibly difficult Donald Lockwood or Cosmo (Singing in the Rain): Each has an ICONIC number and the dancing is incredibly difficult

James Monroe Iglehart started in Aladdin and then he went to Hamilton (he is also part of hip-hop comedy troupe Freestyle Love Supreme)

When I saw aladdin on broadway in London and James immediately won my vote for best genie since Robin Williams. He’s charismatic, sings amazing, and dang can that man act a good genie.

Imagine literally showing a Deaf actor playing Quasi and not mentioning it

Regarding number 2, Jean Valjean, I have an interesting story! I met Claude Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, the composer and lyricist for the musical. They wrote Bring Him Home in falsetto just for Colm Wilkinson! They knew they needed a song at that point in the performance when they overheard Wilkinson singing in falsetto (practicing for the Phantom of the Opera in his dressing room. He did falsetto so no one would overhear him, because it's bad manners to sing another musical while on the set for a different one.) They heard his falsetto and wanted to add it into the play!

I've been watching these musical lists all day and I swear they only watch like 20 musicals, half of them super modern and pick the list from that. There are so so many more musicals

I would definitely add Tevye from Fiddler on the roof. He also never leaves the stage and carries the humor pain joy and hope of the entire show (which is something like 3 hours)

I'm surprised I haven't seen any song or role from Spring Awakening on any of these MsMojo lists.

This might sound unbelievable but my mom at a young age actually played Jekyll/Hyde in elementary. I had no idea that David Hassolf played him. That’s awsm!

This video list was created by someone who is only familiar with plays made since about 1995 or were recently adapted into movies. Where are such roles as: Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, Billy Bigelow from Carousel, Curly in Oklahoma, Tony from West Side Story, The American and the Russian from Chess, the Leading Player from Pippin, the father (sorry, I forgot the character's name) from Shenandoah, Che in Evita, and about a dozen others, at least. Sorry, but Ms. Mojo's list seems to have been created by a 20 year old college girl who just learned about theater six months ago.

I'm really just getting into Broadway beyond what few I've actually seen live, so I'm grateful for these lists!