Most Demanding Role- Page 2

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 4:45pm

The time period that a show was on doesn't change how demanding it is. Give me a break. 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 4:47pm

CindersGolightly said: "I certainly think Elle Woods is incredibly demanding."

 

No. No, it's not. Definitely not. The character barely dances and is all fluff, requiring very little in the acting department. Try again... 

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 5:09pm

^Clearly this OPINION you have is fact. 

[JennH]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 5:45pm

Like wonderfulwizard11 said, demanding can b defined differently. Some role demands require differeant things. Everyone already knows and has said Elphaba is pretty beastly on the voice, but does get a good chunk off offstage time. No the character writing isn't 100% stellar, but it's a lot better than most other musicals that are based off a super popular source. I can only imagine the same will be said for the future role that will be 'Elsa'.

Elle...I won't lie and say it isnt 'fluff' acting, but lets remember it's a comedy, and an O' Keefe one at that. That's the kind of show he writes. But that role is pretty hard to sing actually. There's a reason Laura Belle got nodes from it. I hate Legally Blonde anyway, problem is it never should have been a musical, hence the 'fluff acting' stigma. Most shows that adapted from sources that should never be on stage to begin with tend to be that way. 

Evita because duh. BEASTLY sing, but still must be acted well. J and H, obviously a beast for a man, still not well written but merely for the constant change in 'mindset' of the actor is toll taking for sure. Lucy is a hard sing honestly, not necessarily because it's belty but because it lies in pretty uncomfortable places in the female voice. Somewhat like Elphaba, but Lucy has even MORE offstage sime than Elphaba.

I just saw SoR and yeah, it's prrreetttyyyyy close to male Elphaba/Evita status. Dewey is barely ever offstage, and while he doesn't sing all over the place, the amount of energy needed for when he DOES sing it's crazy. 

I've found roles that are considered demanding are written two different ways. The one that's almost never leaves the stage, but the energy is sustained throughout, it's not necessarily always on such a super high energy level (Monty, future Anna, Glinda to some respect, Mama Rose sort of, ValJean, it's just his vocals that are nuts, etc. or the role that while not always on stage, when they ARE it's 'go go go super high energy' almost the entire time, roles I like to call high-wire acts (Phantom, Elphaba, future Elsa, D'ysquith Family, Dewey is half of each kind in a weird way, Javert, etc.)

'Deamanding' roles seem to have certain qualities about them that MAKE them demanding whether it'd be vocally, emotionally, psychically, etc.  

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 5:50pm

Slightly divergent question, but I'm curious: I don't think I have seen any roles in Hamilton listed on this thread yet. What's the most demanding role in that show? I have an opinion, but I'm very interested in what others think.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 6:07pm

Billy Elliot. I think he's on for all but like 16 minutes and had many exhausting numbers. And he's still a kid. 

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 6:07pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Slightly divergent question, but I'm curious: I don't think I have seen any roles in Hamilton listed on this thread yet. What's the most demanding role in that show? I have an opinion, but I'm very interested in what others think.

"

The ensemble.

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 6:08pm

Hamilton is more of an ensemble where the work load is spread out among the principle cast.   

[theawakefallen]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 6:10pm

For Hamilton I think it's almost like everyone in the show is on the same playing field in the cast because there are individual skills each character has to have, but the difficulty is raised compared to most other shows. Like Angelica Schuyler has to belt fairly high, rap quite fast, and emote incredibly well. All of the founding fathers are incredibly difficult to play considering you not only have to rap very well, act, and stay energetic, but you have to play a totally different character in the second act! I think Eliza is pretty demanding too. So absolutely there is plenty of demand.

[Drewski Vanderbilt]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 7:25pm

Bat Boy

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 7:51pm

I don't think you can give a definitive answer to this. There are a lot of demanding roles and they are demanding in different ways. The marathon performance of Slade or Hickey in The Iceman Cometh (a nearly 5 hr play) comes to mind. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 8:38pm

Mary Tyrone in LDJIN

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 10:04pm

I agree. There are different definitions of what constitutes "demanding". With that in mind, I'd like to propose one that has heretofore been unacknowledged: Joe Gillis in SUNSET BOULEVARD.

It might not be apparent from listening to a cast album (because, really, how often is SB revived?).  I only realized it while watching Michael Xavier in the part last year in London with Glenn Close.  Gilles is not only on stage for 95% of the play, he has to sing (frequently & decently), act (more than passably well), hold his own against Norma Desmond (while being a believable object of her obsession) and -- worst of all -- narrate HUGE amounts of the book directly to the audience (often in recitative).

So, while Joe Gillis may not be the Most Demanding role on any one measure, I think the sum total of what is actually demanded is pretty damn substantial. And a bad Gillis can wreck SUNSET just as much as a bad Norma.  (Fortunately, Xavier was excellent. Looked good in his bathing suit, too....)

[Bell0708]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 10:07pm

wonderfulwizard11 said: "I think the definition of "demanding" can also vary. Elphaba, for example, is an incredibly demanding part vocally, but the actor playing her gets a decent amount of time offstage, whereas a role like say, Monty in Gentleman's Guide, is less vocally taxing but leaves the stage for all of about three minutes during the whole show. 

I have to disagree with you on that. Elphaba makes her entrance 10 minutes into the show, gets maybe a couple of short breaks in Act 1 and she's not in the first scene in Act 2, the actress is still getting into her Act 2 makeup and she's pretty much on for the rest of Act 2.

Elle Woods is also a bear of a part, IMHO.

 

"

 

[Alex M]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 10:07pm

In a play I think Christipher in Curuous incedent is an incredibly demanding role.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 10:12pm

Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Jenna Hunterson in Waitress, Eva Peron in Evita, Diana Goodman in Next To Normal. 

 

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 11:13pm

CindersGolightly said: "I certainly think Elle Woods is incredibly demanding."

What, like it's hard?

[Ranger Tom]

Posted: 7/29/16 at 11:51pm

Jesus/Judas in JCS.  Tevye.  Jean Valjean/Javert.  Ensemble of A Chorus Line.  Recent Ensemble of Dames at Sea.  Agree with Sweeney, Mama Rose, Evita.  

[Harrisonmlewis]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 12:32am

Evan Hansen

[binau]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 12:40am

ksilver117 said: "CindersGolightly said: "I certainly think Elle Woods is incredibly demanding."

What, like it's hard?

 

"

Maybe the role doesn't require demand in terms of nuanced acting skills, but I think the way people are using demanding is in the physical and/or vocal sense. That role surely is more physically and vocally demanding than many other roles. Not suggesting it always is a good thing - Evita's singing seems incredibly demanding to me but for my ears personally it is rather unnecessary and pointless - I'd rather listen to a less 'demanding' score that is more pleasant on the ears and doesn't involve screeching notes that are probably more in the range of dogs than humans. 

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 1:03am

I think Cynthia Ervio has proven Celie is a super demanding role. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 1:56am

qolbinau said: "ksilver117 said: "CindersGolightly said: "I certainly think Elle Woods is incredibly demanding."

What, like it's hard?

 

"

Maybe the role doesn't require demand in terms of nuanced acting skills, but I think the way people are using demanding is in the physical and/or vocal sense. That role surely is more physically and vocally demanding than many other roles. Not suggesting it always is a good thing - Evita's singing seems incredibly demanding to me but for my ears personally it is rather unnecessary and pointless - I'd rather listen to a less 'demanding' score that is more pleasant on the ears and doesn't involve screeching notes that are probably more in the range of dogs than humans. 

 

"

 

I believe they were making a joke. In Legally Blonde when Warner says that Elle can't get into Harvard her response is. "What, like it's hard?"

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 3:42am

Am I really that old to ask if anyone saw Song & Dance?  Before you say "demanding role" remember the performer had to do the whole act, all songs, all by herself.  

[gleek4114]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 3:48am

Aimee Simple (Scandalous), Diana (Next to Normal), Daisy and Violet (Side Show), Monty (Gentleman's Gudie), and probably a billion more. 

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 4:10am

Hedwig.

Also, most of you don't seem to know what the word "most" means... or "demanding."