Could Mrs. Lovett work as a man?- Page 3

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:26pm

On a related note, Sondheim has only now gotten to be "out;" there was a time when he wasn't quite as comfortable with his own sexuality and I think that also contributes to his reluctance to allow cross-gender performances.

And Divine wasn't a tranvestite--he was a drag queen--a transvestite is a very old-fashioned term for a man who enjoys wearing women's clothing, usually hetero.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:35pm

No, you're thinking of a cross-dresser. The modern meaning of tranvestite covers Divine's life, and she was self-defined as a transvestite, but semantics aside, my point still stands that Divine was living most of her life as a woman.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:51pm

Divine was a character.

Glen Milstead did not live his life as a woman. He was also an acomplished in male roles as well. He was actully hoping that the film, Hairspray, would help him to get cast more often as a male.

There were all ready talks to make his guest role on Married w/ Children as Uncle Otto into a reocurring character.


Divine's Bio

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:59pm

No, I'm not thinking of a cross-dresser...but thanks for keeping that antiquated term alive!

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 4:44pm

Re: Edna Turnblad ... John Waters made it a condition of his allowing HAIRSPRAY the Musical to be made that the part of Edna would always be played by a man, as a tribute to Divine.

Sarah Bernhardt played Hamlet, as have countless other actresses, but Hamlet has never (I hope) been played as a woman.

Respect what the playwright wrote. If you don't, do some other play.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:09pm

Respect the playwright, what twaddle.
The art is NOT about the person who wrote it. Get the author's ego out of the picture. It's a ridiculous western concept based on antiquated thinking and greed.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 05:09 PM

[Marianne]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:31pm

Has Takarazuka ever put on a Sondheim show?

[Danielm]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 7:40pm

So, Fenchurch, respect for the playwright is twaddle and a ridiculous western concept. What planet do you come from? And what do you do. I want to know so that I can avoid it as much as possible.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 7:53pm

I would Kill to have seen their H2$ or Ernest in Love.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 8:57pm

In fact, under current law, creators have a nearly absolute right to determine how their works are produced, and they do have the right to withdraw their license for a production they feel is inconsistent with their original intent. You can agree or disagree but it isn't ego -it is the law. It hasn't been tested much in this country but it is a fairly developed body of law, especially in Europe. And it has to do with the perception that audiences (or viewers, in fine arts) can't always distinguish creator from stager when it comes to the final product. SO Sondheim is well within his rights to say no if he feels that an audience might go "WTF?" and attribute what they see to him rather than a director/producer of a certain show.