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#1

Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:47pm

I have never seen the musical and i was wondering if Aida is the lead....or is it Amneris?

looking at the song list, it seems that Amneris sings more than Aida.

#2

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:49pm

Aida is the lead. Well there are basically three leads because it's a love triangle. Amneris is a secondary character in the triangle. It's all about Aida and Radames. If you have any more questions I'd be glad to answer them.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 08:49 PM

#3

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:49pm

Aida and Radames are the leads. Amneris is technically (like, for Tonys) considered a lead, I think. But if you have to pick one, it is Aida. She is the love story.

"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#4

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:52pm

thanks!

If you had the opportunity to be in it...who would you be?
considering singing more than acting.

#5

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:53pm

Amneris is better to play. She gets the fun numbers, best costumes, and the beginning and ending songs.

"The hallmark of aristocracy is responsibility. Oh brother, that got me, that did me in!"

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 08:53 PM

#6

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:57pm

But if you have to pick one, it is Aida. She is the love story.

And the title.

If it were me, I'd play Amneris. Her character has a lot of different emotional layers, plus great songs and costumes.

#7

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 8:57pm

LME, Aida has some of the most showstopping songs that really display a powerhouse voice ("The Past Is Another Land", "Dance of the Robe", "Elaborate Lives" (one of my favorite songs in the show), "Gods Love Nubia", etc...but Amneris looks like a really fun role to play. You get to be flouncy, funny and ditzy, wear flashy costumes, and then be serious at the end. Plus "I Know The Truth" is a gorgeous ballad.

So I'd say Aida is a better singing role if you've got the chops, but Amneris would also be really fun (but less singing).

"It's not always about you!!!" (But if you think I'm referring to you anyway, then I probably am.)

"Good luck returning my ass!" - Wilhemina Slater

"This is my breakfast, lunch and f***ing dinner right here. I'm not even f***in' joking." - Colin Farrell

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 08:57 PM

#8

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:20pm

Aida has some of the most showstopping songs that really display a powerhouse voice

You forgot the most powerhouse-ish song (except for maybe the end of "Dance of the Robe"), "Easy as Life." With the right voice, it's an amazing song.

Regardless, I'd rather play Amneris, if only to sing "My Strongest Suit" and the most underrated song in the show, "I Know the Truth."

#9

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:22pm

I Know The Truth is an amazing song. So much is revealed about the character. It's beautiful in a sad haunting way.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#10

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:25pm

I Know the Truth is one of my fave songs in the show, love it!

Tiff- you changed your avatar =(

#11

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:27pm

I'm not that familiar with the show. I'm assuming Aida is a servent of Amneris...but is Amneris supposed to be cold-hearted or mean...or is she a nicer character in the play, perhaps just a bit ditzy? I remember watching Broadway on Broadway a few years ago, and the way Marissa Jaret Winokur introduced her made Amneris seem like a cold hearted character.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

#12

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:33pm

So I'd say Aida is a better singing role if you've got the chops

Actually, Amneris can be really demanding, too. In both cases you have to at least be able to belt an A-flat, and with Strongest Suit, you have to do it over and over and over and have extremely good breath control at the end, to hit the notes.

With Aida, you also have to have the strong voice and breath control, so I personally think they're about even when it comes to singing.

Of course, I'd probably rather play Amneris because I don't have the right skin color to be Aida.

Millie, Aida is a Nubian princess who is captured by Radames(Egyptian army captain) and he has no idea she's a princess and sends her to be his betrothed(Amneris)'s servant. Amneris is a bit spoiled and ditzy at first, but once she get to her third song(Strongest Suit reprise) you realize that she's not completely stupid, just a bit oblivious. She has a good heart deep down and her and Aida actually become quite close.

#13

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:34pm

Amneris is by no means cold-hearted. She is selfish and shallow at first, but she also seems to really "have a heart", and eventually makes a decision, that although still heartbreaking, is necessary. This decision is definitely the climax of the show, and she makes the one that really shows she is not all bad.

Sorry it's so confusing, I didn't want to spoil anything.

"But now the air is filled with confusion. We replace care with illusion."

#14

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:36pm

I love Amneris. She was my favorite character when I saw the show. The first show that I continuously listened to the cast recording.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#15

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:41pm

Yup, that's true, Fizz. Amneris has some vocally demanding songs ("Every Story...", etc. - and I LOVE "I Know The Truth") - I would just give Aida the edge simply because she has to sing more, so you need to have the chops and stamina to do it.

The Amneris in the opera, if I'm not mistaken, is a cold-hearted bitch, but in the show she's not. She is self-centered and spoiled, but in her first scene with Aida, when Aida speaks out of turn, Amneris asks, "Aren't you afraid of me?" and Aida says, "Would it please you if I were?". Amneris replies, "Not so much," and they become friends. So she's actually nice throughout - you just don't see the character's real growth until the second act.

ETA: SS - Yeah, I did.

Just for the day, in memory of Don Knotts - then poor Shelley Duvall is back tomorrow!

"It's not always about you!!!" (But if you think I'm referring to you anyway, then I probably am.)

"Good luck returning my ass!" - Wilhemina Slater

"This is my breakfast, lunch and f***ing dinner right here. I'm not even f***in' joking." - Colin Farrell

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 09:41 PM

#16

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 9:57pm

I would just give Aida the edge simply because she has to sing more, so you need to have the chops and stamina to do it.

A definite good point. With Amneris you just need the stamina to hold your voice way up there for Strongest Suit and then you get decent enough breaks inbetween songs. Aida, being the title role, is one after another after another.

#17

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 10:42pm

Amneris seems like a fun role to play.

#18

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 10:44pm

Have any regional theaters tried to color-blind cast Aida yet?

I'm wondering how the show would work with a white Aida.

#19

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 10:51pm

I have unfortunatly have seen a white Aida... I dont know, it just NEEDS to be played by a black woman, the white just dosnt work it seems.... wrong.The weird part was that the Amneris was black and the Aida was white...

#20

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:11pm

But were Egyptians and Nubians different races to begin with? I thought they just did that for effect, because it made more sense and was easier to follow.

I would rather play Amneris. She has so many levels. Plus, I loooove "I know the truth."

"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#21

re: Aida

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:17pm

Have any regional theaters tried to color-blind cast Aida yet?

I'm wondering how the show would work with a white Aida.

Our Aida was Greek, so she had an olive skin tone. She sometimes didn't have the raw power of some Aidas or even our Amneris, but she put a lot of heart into the role and had good chemistry with our Radames.

#22

re: Aida

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:36am

Hah...are we getting into this debate AGAIN?

see this thread first: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=student&thread=880785

and here is my main argument:

"Lets keep an open mind here. Aida is a romantic epic myth. Not historical fact. It isn't grounded in much historical fact or period at all really, just that it took place in the time of pharohs. If you guys are going to be closeminded about seeing a white person onstage playing an Nubian, won't you also be closed minded about the fact that Ancient Egyptians are singing rock music...and for that matter that there are people pretending to be something they are not.

Get a grip people. If you are being racist here (which you are), you might as well scoff at the fact that the Egyptians are being played by white people, not genuine Egyptians. Sherie Rene Scott or Adam Pascal are NOT Egyptian as far as i know. It's called "acting"...its a new thing.

The opera of Aida had been doen MANY times with a white Aida. it just makes the job of the costume designer a bit more important, as they have to visually seperate the nationalities through colour, texture and all the other tricks they have up their sleeve.

Theatre...the land of imagination and PRETENDING. "

That is all

Akiva

#23

re: Aida

Posted: 2/27/06 at 5:38am

I'm in a color blind production of Aida right now as Mereb. I think Amneris is a much better role and our actress is certainly gonna steal the show from our Aida.

#24

re: Aida

Posted: 2/27/06 at 6:59am

Link, thank you. Good point.

"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#25

re: Aida

Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:55am

A friend of mine did Aida in high school and I jokingly asked if his Aida was black, and he got all huffy (obviously having answered this question millions of times while they were doing the production), "Uh, no, nowhere in the show does it say, 'Hi, we can't be together because I'm black and you're white.'" I felt bad, because I hadn't actually been serious.

But I saw the DVD and their Aida was fantastic.

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