Eponine Cast as a Guy!

I went to see Les Miserables at a community theatre, and the production there was pretty stellar. The costumes, the sets, the actors were all really great. And the one thing that really stood out for me was the casting of Eponine. They cast Eponine as a guy! So now, it was a guy (Eponine) who loves another guy (Marius) who loves a girl (Cosette). It was pretty interesting how they added the gay element into the story, and the audience didn't have a problem with it, in fact, they really enjoyed that bit. What are your thoughts on this casting decision?

I wonder the legalities...where is this production?

Updated On: 4/25/17 at 07:44 PM

I'm down for it. And when are we going to realize the phantom needs to be a girl?

Sondheimite wrote: I wonder the legalities...where is this production?



It would not (likely) be a sanctioned change and therefore go against their rights and royalties agreement. It also must be the school edition, as the full version is not available for production. This means that the entire cast must be 18 or younger. (which might still be the case here, but seems unlikely)



The contract for Les Miz, school version is VERY specific and detailed.

MTI has had the rights for Les Miserables for a very long time. There are two versions out there, one is the school edition the other the regular version of the show.

If memory serves, in order to benefit a professional company of a given show, there is a certain distance (I forgot what that distance is exactly) that has to be in place between, say, a touring company of a show and an amateur production of the same show. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if, once the 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables hit the road before coming to Broadway, that MIT restricted the rights to the show because of that. And, it wouldn't shock me on bit to find out the they are doing the same thing again now that the show is about to go back out on tour.

The "full" Les Miz was made available to both professional and community theatres years ago. I imagine though that availability has been dialed back with the 25th anniversary production. It can probably be performed if the tour has already been in the area.

It is restricted now, but I don't know how long it's been that way. There are absolutely no productions listed as being licensed.

There's no guarantee that there is anything illegal going on....but I'm not confident about that. While I'm not trying to stir up problems, I was just addressing someone's question, I do hate when people try to skirt legalities.

Thank god. I thought you were going to say that this was the casting for the tour

Updated On: 4/26/17 at 06:21 AM

As long as the character was still named Eponine and the script didn't change there wouldn't be anything illegal.

^MyLife seems spot on here. I don't know how any of this could possibly be deemed illegal. MTI doesn't have a say over casting choices. The only thing they would get involved with is unapproved changes being made to the script. If the character was still billed as "Eponine" and no lyrics/dialogue was altered, then everything is fine.

There's a long history of gender switching roles in theater. I did a production of Millie where Mrs Meers was played hilariously by a man. Original cast members saw the show, it worked wonderfully, and no one needed anyone's permission to make that directorial choice. And schools/community theater frequently cast female actors in male roles due to a general lack of young men involved in theater. (And if MTI came down on a gay love story could you imagine the backlash?)

I think it's an interesting choice. I'd certainly love to see a man with a high belt tackle On My Own to see how it played.

MyLife seems spot on here. I don't know how any of this could possibly be deemed illegal. MTI doesn't have a say over casting choices. The only thing they would get involved with is unapproved changes being made to the script. If the character was still billed as "Eponine" and no lyrics/dialogue was altered, then everything is fine



Again, 100% incorrect. Feel free to reach out to any dramatic licensing agency and confirm as much.

With Les Mis and Phantom there are very specific caveats relating to casting. They are very specific in banning single gender casts, for example.

Unless they had specific permission (as was the case with Tituss in a PROFESSIONAL production), community groups would be in breach of their license.

From a dramaturgical point of view, there is meant to be a distinct comparison/ contrast between the lives of Eponine and Cosette. Making Eponine a boy diminishes this.

henrikegerman said: "As long as there are no changes to the text, what exactly would make this illegal?

Also, gender and sexuality being fluid in life, why not on stage? And why any more or less fluid than ethnicity or color?

Not that I'm nec. in love with this particular idea. The desperate queer man tragically in love with a straight boy cliche doesn't thrill me as a reimagining of Eponine.
Now a female Marius loved in return by a female Cosette but desperately adored by a male Eponine..... not that I'm seriously suggesting it, but it would be much more intriguing and, truer to the spirit of Les Mis, far more radical and empowering.





It's against the law because it's an alteration period. It has nothing to do with being gender fluid in this day and age. If MTI says that the role is played by a female then the role has to be played by a female. It's as simple as that. I'd bet that this production made this alteration without getting permission from MTI, hence it being illegal. Are there local productions of snows that local companies alter after getting rights by MTI? You bet there are. But it's like the old expression about jumping off the Empire State Building. Just because everyone else does it doesn't mean that you have to/can/should.