Broadway Leading Ladies...

Does d'Amboise LOOK older than 19 on stage? I don't think so.

How old are Ziemba and Mazzie's characters supposed to be, exactly?

The original Roxie Hart was Gwen Verdon, followed by Ann Reinking in the revival, both of whom were older than Rinna and Wilson at the time. Until the film of Chicago, Roxie WAS an older/middle-aged woman, trying for one last shot of fame, knowing that she was past her prime and "older than she ever intended to be."

But anyway...are people only supposed to play characters that are their exact age, regardless of what age they look on stage? Live theatre involves a suspension of disbelief.

Unless Bea Arthur gets cast as Desiree Armfeldt, I'm not sure I see a problem.

On the Mazzie issue, you can be a diva at 22 just as easily at 40 or however old she is.

And, I don't see any reason for Ziemba to be too old for Georgia.

So, to answer your last question, yes, I think you're alone in your youth-obsessed views.

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Did you actually see CURTAINS? Georgia had had an earlier career as a performer, and after that began a second career as a lyricist. That's how they know to put her in the leading role in the show within a show. That's how they knew she could handle it. She's not supposed to be some ingenue. It's very clear in the script.

The biggest thing I hate is when 40 somethings are cast as Christine in Phantom of the Opera. She's supposed to be late teens, early twenties. No matter how great of a soprano you are, a 40 year old just shouldn't play Christine. Plain and simple, it takes away from the performance and is distracting.

I think that casting older leads is totally ok... these ladies have experience and can play younger, no problem...

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Americans are indeed very ageist. It makes me sad to say that, but it's true. I was shocked when I went to Europe and I saw older people in movies and on TV in (what appeared to me to be) large numbers. A movie such as say, Calendar Girls, would have never been made in America because of our obsession with youth and our disdain of age.

Granted, I noticed in American subgroups, like Latin Americans and Black Americans, there is less prejudice towards age. I always found that interesting. But in mainstream culture..nah...no love for the wizened.

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Updated On: 8/10/07 at 09:55 PM

That's true. The only time age really, really bothers me is when the character's age is a crucial part to the story and if the actor/actress can't play them off as that age, no matter how good they sing/act, it ruins the performance for me.

On the subject of the movie of Chicago messing with the age of Roxie, I have to agree. I hadn't seen Chicago in ages and went a couple of weeks ago when my nephew was in town and asked to go. Not only did I overhear, more than once, people asking each other if the movie or the show came first, but the old lady sitting behind me kept audibly commenting during the numbers that "this isn't how it was in the movie."

And, finally, my 20 year old nephew turned to me at the end and asked me why they made Roxie so old.

People just love to be bitchy and to have an excuse to tear a talented person down. Once the actual age of an actress is made public, it doesn't matter how young that person might look. People (ESPECIALLY ones in their teens and early 20's) LOVE to whine "THEY'RE TOO OOOOOOOLLLLLLLLDDDDD! So and so is supposed to be ______!"

I am especially irked by people ragging on actresses in their 30's.

Kerry is a perfect example. She's youthful and lovely. But since people know she's in her 30's, everyone started to say she was too old to be considered for Ariel. Ridiculous.

And the Elphabas. I read that Elphabas are too old all the time.

Even the guys have to deal with it - don't even get me started on Adam and Anthony.

I mean come on! Can you REALLY tell me you are THAT distracted by an actor about 5-10 years older who has not a WRINKLE IN SIGHT?????? Not even from the first row???????? And even if they DO have a wrinkle - does that mean they now are sentenced to playing someone's mother?

Complaining about a young looking actor's chronological age is just petty. Unless of course you MUST have something to whine about. But in some of these talented actors' cases, that's about all you're going to have to complain about.

Well, for me as long as you can make the character seem as real as possible it really doesn't matter what your age is. Take Mary Martin for example. She was a great Broadway actress and she had this amazing presence that draws you in and even though I don't like her Maria (from the recording) her Nellie is just sublime and she sounds like a 22 year old.

And as for Charlotte I found her age to not matter because her acting took care of it. I was sitting in the first row and especially during the first "One" scene she ad such a glow while dancing the number that she was Cassie.

Isn't this the same board that collectively deemed the OB cast of RENT too old to play the same roles in the film version?

Charlotte D'A . . . from what I saw of her on TV when promoting ACL looked nothing like 45. I would easily buy 30-35, and given some distance in a theatre (like row L), I'd buy 20.
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