Do you think JoJo (from Seussical) can be played by a young adult?

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 10/9/06 at 8:51pm

I was looking at all of the Equity casting calls on the AEA website out of curiousity. One of the casting calls was for Seussical, and it said they wanted a woman or a man in their early 20s for JoJo.

What do you guys think of JoJo being played by an adult? Do you think that the role would lose its magic, or would it benefit more from it?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/9/06 at 8:57pm

I think it would lose a LOT. JoJo is supposed to be naive, and very innocent. He's referred to in the script as the "smallest of small." His sense of child-like innocence is what drives a lot of the plot.
Updated On: 10/9/06 at 08:57 PM

[Parks]

Posted: 10/9/06 at 11:01pm

If played by a small female actress, it could work. The production I saw in April at a high school had a girl playing JoJo and I thought she was fabulous.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/9/06 at 11:08pm

I really think if they want the show to land with the audience it needs to be a child.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 10/9/06 at 11:20pm

I'm not sure. Adults were fine playing the lost boys in Peter Pan. I guess it depends on the look of the actor in relation to the rest of the cast.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 10/10/06 at 10:08am

Andrew Keenan-Bolger could still pull it off.

I'd say it all depends on who's in the role.