How to distinguish a LEADING role and a FEATURED role

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 2/11/11 at 8:58am

How do they decide which is which? I mean Gavin Lee was nominated for Best Leading Actor for Poppins, but he was similarly nominated for Best FEATURED Actor for the same show for the Drama Desk Awards

Isabel Bigley won the Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the original production of GUYS AND DOLLS and yet in the 1992 revival, Josie de Guzman was nominated for Best Leading Actress.... How do they know which is which...

[bjh2114]

Posted: 2/11/11 at 9:21am

For the Tonys, it has to do with who is listed above the title. If an actor or actress is listed above the title, they are automatically considered leading. If they are not above the title, they are considered featured.

The producers, however, have the right to petition people into different categories. For instance, last year in A Little Night Music, Angela Lansbury was listed above the title for what was clearly NOT a leading role. So, the producers of Night Music petitioned to have her moved into the feature category. Basically, all of the rulings that you see released are the results of the petitions. If there is detailed info about a show, there has been a change granted in response to the petition. If no detailed info is present, it remains the default of how the names appear in relation to the title. For instance, Brian Bedford is above the title for The Importance of Being Earnest. Santino Fontana and David Furr are NOT listed above the title, but were petitioned into the leading category (as seen from the latest press release). Brian Bedford, however, was NOT petitioned into the featured category, so he will also be in the leading category since his name appears above the title. Does this make sense?

The Drama Desks are a completely different story.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 2/11/11 at 9:45am

Ah I see thank you so much!! You've certainly cleared that up :)

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/11/11 at 11:30am

Occasionally a performance becomes a lead on sheer strength of talent supported with great direction.

There was a memorable time when an actress took a featured/supporting role and turned it into a lead and a winner. Carole Shelley (granted with star billing) in the original production of The Elephant Man didn't enter until the middle of the first act, and the character is gone by the middle of the second act, but in the playing turned this nice role into a shattering one. Anyone who saw this performance in that production will remember the first act curtain when she shook his 'wrong' hand and there was a clap of thunder inside everyone's head. There had to be an intermission at that point because emotionally the audience couldn't continue.

In the ill-thought out revival a number of years ago missed this moment with all its sub-text completely, and the role was nominated as a supporting one in a production that is forgotten.