Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?

[budfrump]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#1

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:32am

Keys and vocal stuff aside, could this work as a man in drag?
Imagine...

[LizzieCurry]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#2

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:35am

I'd really rather not.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

[gleek4114]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#2

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:40am

I'm pretty sure it's been done before. But it's not really my cup of tea because in my opinion it takes away from the message.

[somethingwicked]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#3

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:41am

What would it add?

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#4

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:43am

Well, somethingwicked, the original show is apparently not campy ENOUGH, so why the hell not add a drag queen Margaret into it, right?
But seriously, I don't understand why that'd be an addition to CARRIE. It has enough issues as it is (and I'm coming at it from the point of someone who appreciates gender-blind casting).

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[bwayphreak234]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#5

Posted: 12/28/13 at 3:53am

Why

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

[LittleEdieFan]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#6

Posted: 12/28/13 at 4:20am

Even more camp? But "And Eve was Weak" and "I remember how the boys would dance" are great songs for a drag queen to lip synch to.

[Hex3]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#7

Posted: 12/28/13 at 5:28am

Well, here's the thing. If we're talking drag, then I say it doesn't need the camp. It's got enough and adding drag would be overkill. However. If we're talking about cross-gender casting with a man that can act the hell out of it and sing it in the right keys, then I say sure.

[Caring Soul]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#8

Posted: 12/28/13 at 6:16am

If only Divine had lived.

[dramamama611]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#9

Posted: 12/28/13 at 7:55am

To this question I always ask: why is it ever necessary? What did it add to Hairspray? Or Matilda? I'm not uncomfortable with the drag aspect, but as a woman, I always wonder why are some great female roles taken away from, well, WOMEN? There are already far more men's roles in all medium of acting, and fewer men attempting to get them -- why make it worse?

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[best12bars]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#10

Posted: 12/28/13 at 8:06am

^ Why don't you ask all the women who have played Peter Pan and Hansel and Edwin Drood?

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

---

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

[newintown]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#11

Posted: 12/28/13 at 8:21am

I think not, because it might make the show a little less dull (albeit in a strange way), and this show was written to be unremittingly dull and banal.

[Kad]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#12

Posted: 12/28/13 at 8:35am

They removed the camp elements and they got a show that's just boring, safe, and generic, so why not?

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

[PalJoey]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#13

Posted: 12/28/13 at 8:43am

Nah.

[Jane2]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#14

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:06am

BAD idea. Totally takes away from the message. I mean, this is fiction already, but it's frightening. Why make a comedy out of it also?

<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES

[dramamama611]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#15

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:13am

Pan...hard to find an adult male that could physically pull of looking like a young boy.
Drood...based on English Music Hall tradition of male impersonators

Hansel? I'm assuming this in opera form? I wouldn't begin to know.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[PalJoey]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#16

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:31am

You would hate opera, dramamama. It's full of women playing men's roles.

Updated On: 12/28/13 at 09:31 AM

[dramamama611]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#17

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:41am

I never said I didn't want to see it, I just asked why it was necessary. I know nothing about opera, so thanks for the information.

However, the question as to WHY it is ever needed (no matter which way the drag plays) is not addressed. I'm not bashing it, just posing a question.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[MKunkel]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#18

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:42am

Though not a full production, here ya go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7KDDnrH6X8

[PalJoey]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#19

Posted: 12/28/13 at 9:42am

In Humperdinck's opera, Hansel and Gretel are both played by women--and the witch is played by a man:



In Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, the title role of the Rose Cavalier is played by a woman. The opening scene has him (played by her) lolling around in bed with his older female lover. The result often has boundary-breaking exquisite lesbian erotic subtext:



The "taking roles away from women/taking roles away from men" argument usually misses the point.

[newintown]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#20

Posted: 12/28/13 at 10:19am

Once you start trying to justify the "necessity" of anything in art, it dies.

[SidebySidebyLogan]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#21

Posted: 12/28/13 at 2:52pm

My opinion on cross gender, color blind, etc. casting has always been let a performer come in and blow me away. If you forget about what you are looking for and just look at who is in front of you, the right person will walk into the room. That person may change your whole vision of the show you're casting with 16 bars of a song.
There are fishy enough drag queens out there to play Margaret in The Light in the Piazza.

[Hex3]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#22

Posted: 12/28/13 at 6:42pm

As to the person asking "Why?"

Sometimes the better actor and best choice for the roll ends up being a guy. Not all performances by men in women's rolls come off as funny and campy. There are great actors out there. And the same goes for women in pants rolls.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#23

Posted: 12/29/13 at 8:28pm

There's no such thing as "the best person for the role." It's just what the director or producer wants for whatever reason.

[Mr Roxy]

Could Margaret White in 'Carrie: The Musical' be played by a man in drag?#24

Posted: 12/29/13 at 10:01pm

Something tells me MLK being played by a white man or Abe Lincoln being played by a black would not cut it. Color blind casting is good to a point. Portraying a fictional character it works. For a real personality I do not think it does. Just an opinion however.

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