Drag Performances on Broadway- Page 2

[ooblogway]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:01pm

There were drag elements to some of Mae West's plays, although one titled THE DRAG never made it to Broadway.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:02pm

THE RINK had an all-male ensemble playing all secondary parts, including two old biddies in 'WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD DAYS?"

HAIR has the mom character who sings "MY CONVICTION".

[dreaming]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:17pm

The mom character in Hair is named "Margaret Mead" I believe.


Anyway, I was going to say, if you want to expand beyond Broadway, in the world of opera, there is a tradition of mezzo sopranos singing 'trouser' roles (male roles). Sesto in Giulio Cesare is one, as is Sesto in "La Clemenza di Tito" (Sesto was a popular name). It's a fascinating practice-and when you get the right Mezzo (there is also "Der Rosenkavlier" which has Octavian), it is brilliant. (And it fits the topic.)

[zepka102]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:28pm

Leading Ladies

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:42pm

Any Charles Bush show

[justoldbill]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:15pm

More of a footnote, really, but I'll post it anyway. When FOLLIES opened in Boston in 1971, Gene Nelson sang "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" with drag versions of "Margie" and "Sally", namely John J. Martin and Dick Latessa. Even though this proved too weird even for FOLLIES, until the show closed over a year later, two male performers in those same "Margie" and "Sally" costumes remained as part of the "Chaos" section after "Live, Laugh, Love", prancing around the stage as if they were still doing the number. Prince and Bennett never took that image out of the general chaos- the weirdness worked there.

Updated On: 5/3/13 at 11:15 PM

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 12:56am

The Producers: the guys acting as the old lady investors & dancing with the walkers.

"Greater Tuna" plays

(This thread may be a Freud/fraud, but it's fun)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 1:04am

Did anyone else on the board see Sarah Bernhardt's HAMLET after her leg was amputated?

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 1:12am

Toxic Avenger had two male ensemble members playing many roles, both men and women.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 6:07am

While not on Broadway:

The Mystery of Irma Vep

Travels With My Aunt

Lea DeLaria played Marryin' Sam in Encores production of Lil Abner.

[hak5]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 9:39am

HEDWIG &the Angry Inch

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 11:12am

I hadn't realized we were going that far back in time re: Sarah Bernhardt, but she played a young man (when she was in her late fifties but pre-amputation) in a Rostand play, L'Aiglon, as did Maude Adams in a later production of the play. Also, Marilyn Miller and Eva LeGallience played Peter Pan and Alla Nazimova played the title role in Ibsen's Little Eyolf.

[Theater'sBestFriend]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 1:55pm

Don't forget Alan Cumming in Macbeth, where as a man he takes all roles including Lady M and the witches, true to Jacobean performance tradition.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 2:05pm

"Don't forget Alan Cumming in Macbeth, where as a man he takes all roles including Lady M and the witches, true to Jacobean performance tradition."

I am doing my best to burn that out of my memory, thanks.

[broadwaymarty]

Posted: 5/3/13 at 2:54pm

Bertie doesn't really play a man in drag, he plays it as a woman.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/4/13 at 9:07am

I never saw a stage production, so I don't know how it was handled, but in the film of Angels in America, Streep plays a man.

Updated On: 5/4/13 at 09:07 AM

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/4/13 at 9:13am

As soon as Wendy Williams appears in Chicago...

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/4/13 at 9:14am

In the play, there's actually much more gender-bending- for example, I believe the actress playing Harper also plays Martin Heller.