Changing keys for artists in revivals of musicals - sometimes for someone taking over in a role in the original production - is nothing new.
And even prior to that. People tend to assume that songs are initially written in the 'show key" but that's not always true. Songs are always fitted to the keys appropriate for the performers - but the composer may have written the songs in keys better suited to his voice, piano skills, etc. Also, many published scores and rental scores reflect the keys that were used on the tour, not on Broadway. And, there's always the possibility that the recorded keys might be different than what's performed onstage (anyone who's seen the film of the Company recording session saw that almost happen to "The Ladies Who Lunch"). So the whole concept of "original key" is a very loose one. |
