Little Women - expandable cast???
Little Women - expandable cast???
AngusN
Broadway Star Joined: 3/23/05
#1Little Women - expandable cast???
Posted: 3/23/10 at 3:38pm
On Weinberger's website it says that the male cast of Little Women is expandable up to 19. And female expandable up to 23. Does anyone know how this works?
I know you can add more by not doubling up the performers' roles. But that doesn't take it up to 42.
I'm desperately trying to figure out a way to get a chorus involved, so my local theatre group will stage it. I was thinking of having them dance during the Overture, more playing the roles in Jo's stories, party guests at Mr Laurence's house and weddings guests. Any other ideas?
#2Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 3/23/10 at 4:52pmI imagine creating ensemble roles and re-allocating lines would be illegal (and I'm not even sure how you could do that), but the most obvious one would be, yes, having different actors other than Laurie/Beth/etc play the fictional characters in Jo's stories.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
LuPonatic
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/06
#2Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 3/23/10 at 4:57pm
I took some scene change music and created a dance for the party guests in Act I. I had people playing and doing various things on the beach in act II before the song. I had two trolls, not one. They sang harmony.
I don't care for adding choruses to small cast shows, but where I directed it was still growing and they (and I) wanted as many people involved as possible. We chose it because we knew we could at least cast the 10, but we got more than that, so we found a place for them.
Updated On: 3/23/10 at 04:57 PM
LuPonatic
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/06
#3Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 3/23/10 at 5:01pm
If your really adventurous, write some oo and ah background vocals for a Jo song. Have them in the shadows. Might be fun. I didn't do that, but maybe it's something to think about? If you have the ability.
Oh, and about not being allowed to alter the show because of copyright..."whatevah, I do what I wahnt!" (said a la south park) :O)
#4Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 3/23/10 at 10:20pmIt's hard to expand this show, but it's do-able. You could definitely have Clarissa/Rodrigo/Braxton etc. etc. be different than Meg/Mr. Brooke/Laurie. I think a chorus of trolls (5 or 6) would be good. Harmonize on the "I'll take you to your fate" and then have them all fight for the jeweled necklace. You could have a big dance scene with some repeats of the music before "Take A Chance On Me" to show them at the Valentine's Day Ball. Beachwalkers can be nice. This could make it a cast of about 30, 42 is hard to accomplish though!
#5Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 3/24/10 at 12:04amCould you also double Amy? As in cast a young Amy and older Amy.
Madame Morrible: "So you take the chicken, now it must be a white chicken. The corpse can be any color. And that is the spell for lost luggage!" - The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken
AngusN
Broadway Star Joined: 3/23/05
#6Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 4/1/10 at 10:03am
Thanks, it pretty much confirms my ideas for the show.
It's such a great show, shame it didn't have more success on Broadway.
#7Little Women - expandable cast?
Posted: 4/1/10 at 10:57amAfter sitting through many shows and dress rehearsals, the score is brilliant. Beautiful music, challenging, but brilliant. The book is pretty bad though. I won't point out every mistake, but the music really saves the show.
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