Martin Short is one of the greatest comedians of his generation, but his talents span many mediums, one of which is singing. Short has been able to show off his beautiful voice in a myriad of films he’s starred in such as The Prince of Egypt, The Santa Clause 3, and Alice in Wonderland.
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In fact, Short initially had aspirations to be a professional singer until his attention was diverted to comedy. “I wanted to be a singing star,” Short confirmed on Larry King Live. “I got into comedy and I started doing musicals and I realized I had that gift. Then I got into [comedy troupe] Second City and once you do that, you can’t then do the other.” Check out three films you didn’t know Short sang in.
1. “Playing with the Big Boys” from The Prince of Egypt
Martin Short got to team up once again with his longtime friend and Three Amigos co-star, Steve Martin, when they voiced two characters in the Disney animated film, The Prince of Egypt. The two Martins stepped into the role of high priests, Huy and Hotep, which included the musical number “Playing with the Big Boys,” written by Stephen Schwartz and composed by Hans Zimmer. The song was included on the film’s soundtrack and was nominated for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score at the 1999 Academy Awards.
2. “North Pole, North Pole” from The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Martin Short is well-known for his comedic chops, which he got to display as the villainous Jack Frost in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. In the film, Short’s Jack Frost usurps the role of Santa Claus, played by Tim Allen. In one scene, Short is dressed as Santa and performs “North Pole, North Pole” to the tune of “New York, New York.”
3. “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Auntie’s Wooden Leg” from Alice in Wonderland
Martin Short showcased his versatility as an actor when he starred as the Mad Hatter in the 1999 Emmy Award-winning adaption of Alice in Wonderland, which featured several songs composed by Richard Hartley. Short performs two of those songs during The Mad Hatter’s tea party, “Auntie’s Wooden Leg” and “Twinkle, Twinkle.”
Here, Short shows off his operatic voice, particularly as he belts, Twinkle, twinkle, little bee / Twinkle, twinkle I am so glad it isn’t me. Meanwhile, “Auntie’s Wooden Leg” is a duet between The Mad Hatter and the Hare, the characters trading such colorful lines as, Auntie’s wooden leg / We’ll paint it red and call it Fred or Ned or Ted / Ev’rybody said it was well and truly dead / Oh, Auntie’s wooden leg.
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
