Hairspray Casting Loop-Hole

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:40pm

the swing breakdown is different for each production. The broadway company has a black male swing - abdul latif.

[TVBoy]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:42pm

"I found a loop-hole in the casting of Hairspray."

...you better call Dan Rather.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:44pm

::looks for cookie::

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:45pm

oops.. okay.. more details explanation...


hairspray opened on broadway with two stand-bys (Tracy and Edna/Wilbur) and three swings -- two white male and one white female. over the run, a black female swing was brought in, then a stand-by for Velma, then a b;ack male swing. The current breakdown is stand-by Tracy, stand-by edna,wilbur, stand-by velma, female authority, white male swing, white male swing, white female swing, black male swing, black female swing/dynamite understudy. one of the white male swings has gone on as a black boy many times. in fact, a white male swing has gone in a female track a few times and vice versa.

on the us national tour, there are two standbys -- tracy and edna/wilbur, two white male swings, two white female swings, and a black female swing/dynamite understudy.

toronto had three stand-bys -- tracy, edna/wilbur, and velma/female authority, two white male swings, two white female swings, and a black female swing/dynamite understudy

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:45pm

YV Boy made a funny

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:48pm

the black male swing was added at around the time you saw it. Willis White swung the broadway production over the summer before the tour launched and abdul latif was brought in about a month after willis left. I am NOT at all fond of willis.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:49pm

that was interesting

well, just as the BOND is there when go again, i am happy as a pup

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:52pm

lol....

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:56pm

charlotte crossley, on the tour, is the definate best. if you haven't seen her, you haven't heard I KNOW..

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:57pm

hmmm

i couldn't imagaine anyone other than mary - pity, the tour never comes near NY,,,

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:00pm

Yup...i saw Ryan wilson (white) go on as Thad twice in Toronto...I also heard a story that they ran out of girls in the cast on Broadway once and a male swing had to go on as "Louie" instead of Lou-anne...hah...I heard that was a riot.

Akiva

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:01pm

I saw a performance when Michael Longoria was a swing when the Seaweed understudy went on.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:12pm

well, almost all of the guys end up in drag anyhow.. so... LOL

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:16pm

Hah, BG...Funny thing is most of the Audience doesn't even realize it's the guys in drag at the end of Act 1. It's lost on most people.

Akiva

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:17pm

yeah.. it NEVER occurs to them to think of where all of those women came from... and let's face it, some them make less than glamorous women.

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:17pm

I know this is probably a dumb question but what is a swing?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:31pm

a swing is similar to an understudy. they act as understudies to the ensemble roles and go on when an ensemble member is out.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:18pm

Marry Bond-Davis is ausome, but Fran Who was the MMM is The Toronto production was def my favorite her "I know eher i've been" is AMAZING! and she smokes! that was a shocker

Fran Jaye's "I Know Where I've Been" truly is thrilling, but I was always annoyed by her enunciation -- she was always slurring her lyrics to her songs, so I could never hear what she was singing. Otherwise, she was great -- she was singing through tears at the last performance.

Actually, the entire Canadian cast was phenomenal. I hope some of the other productions pick them up, because every one of those folks deserves to be a star.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:26pm

I wish Nic Dromard was going into the US tour, but he is doing another tour now... Caissie Levy is joining the US tour. I am VERY happy about that. I'd like Sheldon Smith and David Hurtwitz in the US tour too though....

[mleshawn]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:41pm

Broadwayguy2- wrote "and let's face it, some them make less than glamorous women."

What's not to love. A guy in a Jackie O' pillbox hat and pumps.
And nothing says glamor more than hairy legs ala France.
Oh La La.





Updated On: 12/30/04 at 09:41 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 1:21am

one word -- shaving...

Posted: 12/31/04 at 1:54am

hairspray has definitely been creative when it comes to covering someone who's out- a boy can be a dynamite, and yes some of the nicest kids in town have had their names changed to fit the number of people they have with someone else covering a line if it needs to be said by a girl or boy. the only one who really has to be a girl is brenda cuz shes got mornin sickness and all. i think when they had less swings they tried to have a person who was mixed race and/or tan be a swing-- a happy medium i guess.

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:00am

I've seen Michael Longoria play both Fender and Gilbert.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:02am

Wait...
During what song are guys in drag?

Is it when they're in jail?

Updated On: 12/31/04 at 02:02 AM

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:08am

Mother-Daughter day all the moms except for like Velma are the guys in the ensemble...