Posted: 9/6/16 at 6:52pm
Cosette is the first one that came to mind to me too.
Also: Sandy in the stage version of Grease (much stronger role in the movie) and Hope in Anything Goes,
Posted: 9/6/16 at 6:58pm
broadwayguy91 said: "definition of thankless:
not likely to be appreciated or rewarded; unappreciated
Some of my examples include:
Raoul from POTO
Nessarose from Wicked
Henry from Next to Normal
"
Funny, I've never thought of Henry from next to normal as a thankless role, maybe because I love the show and I've seen some great Henrys, but now that you've mentioned it I can really see why you'd say that. And regarding Catherine in Pippin, I couldn't disagree more: when I saw the 2013 revival I was blown away by Rachel's performance and left the show loving her and the role. I was very surprised that she didn't get a Tony nom, specially because I thought Andrea would win (as she did) but I left the show more in awe of Rachel's performance than of Andrea's. Andrea was great too, but I think she had the direction and the coreography on her side, while Rachel didn't.
Anyway, I think the doctors in next to normal are thankless roles too.
Updated On: 9/6/16 at 06:58 PM
Posted: 9/7/16 at 12:53am
I don't agree that Raoul is a thankless role. He gets to sing a well-known number ("All I Ask of You"
and many Raouls have gone on to play the Phantom. To me, the thankless role in POTO is Ubaldo Piangi. If he's played solely for laughs (as in the touring version), he becomes obnoxious. If he's played straight, the story still implies he's incompetent as a singer. Also, his Hannibal costume weighs something like 70 pounds.
I don't think Cosette is thankless, either, because she's the only female in the story who isn't expected to belt. As a result, her operatic singing stands out. Believe it or not, in some ways, I think Javert is thankless. No matter how fabulous is the performance of the baritone playing him, the role is overshadowed by Jean Valjean.
I think Colonel Pickering is thankless in "My Fair Lady." It's just not a meaty role and everyone else overshadows him.
Audrey
Posted: 9/7/16 at 8:00am
Re: Rev. Moore in FOOTLOOSE.
Having tackled the role personally a decade or so ago, I can attest to it boiling down to who is playing the part and how broken one plays him amidst the heavy moments. "I Confess", for instance, we're it still in the licensed version now, should stop the show if done with a semblance of emotional connectivity.
