BABES IN ARMS

[maybethistime]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 2:25am

Has anyone ever done this show? I'm auditioning for it and I'm wondering what the character/song breakdown is. I'm a 5'5", 14 year old, bari-tenor guy and I'm wondering what parts I should aiming for. I'm pretty sure we're doing the earlier version (not the 50's one). I looked on the R&H Theatricals website and it says that there are:
-5 Principal Boys
-1 Principal Man
-3 Supporting Boys and
-3 Supporting Men
There are only 11 boys auditioning which means [at least] 1 male role will be played by a female and they might make some of the male roles female (if the script allows.) Since all of the guys auditioning are highschool aged, I'm definetly more cut-out to play a "boy" part rather than a "man". Can someone please tell me what parts I should be trying to nail or give me a basic character/song/voicepart/ect. breakdown and/or a plot outline that I can take a look at?
Has anyone ever done this show? I love the movie but I doubt they're very much alike, other than some of the music. I've heard the book is god-awful but the great hit music more than makes up for it.
Any info is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 3:54am

A local group did the origianl 1937 version last spring. They had to cut the script a lot and ended up doing it with adult performers and playing it like one of teh Carol Burnett movie parodies. it sort of worked, but the script is beyond awful. The songs are great (but they were standards 60 years ago, and are hardly known among todays high school kids.)

What the show does have need to work is enthusiasm and energy, and if your cast can pull that off the show will be entertaining. But really, if it is done at all now it should be done in concert. Good Luck!!!

[Danitriniqueen]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 11:55am

I loved the movie! It was soo cool.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 3:10pm

Dearest maybethistime:

Perhaps I can help. I was in the original production way back in 1937 and although I am something of a dinosaur, I perhaps may be able to shed ssome light.

First of all the libretto. It was terrible back in 1937. During out-of-town tryouts and even when we played on Broadway we had people come in to help with the libretto. Rodgers and Hart wrote the libretto, but they really did notknow what to do with the characters, which is why the whole play is rather ramschackle and haphazard. I think audeiences in 1937 were more than willing to put up with the absurdities as long as they were guaranteedothe entertainment values, and in the song and dance departments, we provided quite a show! What is even stranger--and funnier--was that the show gave birth to so many song classics, and the audience always greeted the songs with polite applause, and not much else. Today they would be screaming in the aisles! But back then when we had Kern, Rodgers, Berlin, Porter, Schwartz, etc., the audience could pick and choose at random.

I know that there have been different editions of the libretto. From what I gather you will be using the 1937.

There were only three male characters who sang:

Valentine (originated by Ray Heatherton) was 25 years old when he originated the part, but he was supposed to be 16 in the script. He had a mture temorish voice, if memory serves me right. beautifully placed and focused, his voice was called for two of the song hits: Where or When and All At Once.

Gus (originated by Rolly Pickert, I think), was more of a dancing role, although he sang in two of the sprightliest songs of the show, I Wish I Were In Love Again and All At Once. This called for a light tenor voice, although a baritone could probably also do it. But again, the emphasis on the character was more on dance than on singing.

Alfred Drake originated another part, I can't remember which. He only had the song Babes In Arms. Drake was a true baritone with a rich burnish.

Peter, played by Duke McHale, had a few lyrics to sing, but again this was mainly a dancing role.

There was a quartett that backed up Wynn Murray, who played Baby Rose. If memory serves, this group was made up of two tenors and two baritones.

I hope I was able to help. Let me know if you need more information.

With best wishes,

Miriam

[maybethistime]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 7:17pm

Thanks for the info. I can't remember where I read it, but I'm thinking that the quartet charcters were cut from this version, but I could be wrong. Bump.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 8:14pm

After giving all of that information, you still don't believe she was in the original production?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 8:22pm

Schneb, I direct you to the message atop the "Babes in Arms" page on IBDB: "The credits for this production have not yet been completed or verified."

Miriam is one of the most beloved and revered members of BWW. If she says she was in the show, SHE WAS IN THE SHOW. As Gov said, after she gave all that info, how could she not have?

[Jon]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:51pm

You ever hear of a stage name?

You should feel honored that a Broadway veteran in her 80's would take the time to educate the youngsters on this board. Updated On: 9/4/05 at 09:51 PM

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 1:26am

I did this show in the summer of 2003, playing Don. We did the updated version of the show, in which everything takes places in the early 1950s. It is a very cute show for summer stock (or the like), but I fear it's not too great of a choice for a mainstage season. People just don't appreciate this music (LIKE THEY SHOULD). I'll tell you a great person to talk to would be Erin Dilly!

I since I've not seen the STAGE version of the show, I can't help you out on who you should audition for. I know that IF you are doing the 30s version you'll probably want a more FULL (opera-ish) voice (as is, in the movie).

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:36am

The reasson you did not find my name in the database was because I did use a stage name, and never did use my real name. So many of us during the period in which I danced 1936-1948 changed our names--in fact, some of us changed them many times over--because our original names such as Steinberg, Rabinovich, Gluck, Landesman, Bernstein, Feldman, Kronenberg, etc. would not have gone over in that period. Today it is much different and people do use their real names. But then it was a contest as to who could come up with the best stage name. Even then, some of the contrived names were awful!

Miriam