Musicals with Double Casts

Can you give me an example of some popular musicals that have had roles double cast?

Updated On: 5/30/16 at 11:40 PM

Matilda... Finding never land. Stuff with the kids…

Billy Elliot.

In like 2 or 3 of the international productions of wicked, Mexico City São Paulo come straight to mind, they would have 2 Glinda's, elphabas, and fiyeros. I don't think a true double casting has ever happened or will ever happen on Broadway, because the costs would just be too immense.

The older character in A Little Night Music was in a wheelchair, but not in double casts.

Haterobics, that was a sheep pun, meaning it's b-a-a-a-d. I LOVE groaners like that.

Love Never Dies had an alternate for the Phantom, at least in London.He was Tam Mutu. The Las Vegas version of Phantom had so many shows when it first opened that both the Phantom and Christine were double cast, and neither cast was designated as primary.Anthony Crivello stayed for the whole run, but, when they reduced the number of performances, Brent Barrett's participation ended. Sierra Boggess, BTW, was one of the original Christines.

Man of La Mancha had matinee alternates.Also, the new Disneyland Frozen musical, which I haven't seen yet, has multiple casts. I realize that theme parks and cruises weren't what the OP had in mind, but this 45-minute show is supposed to be up there in terms of quality and complexity, according to reviews I've read . Four or five shows a day, 7 days a week can be quite intense ..

Audrey

When Baz Luhrmann did his Broadway run of LaBoheme, they used a triple cast for the 2 leads and a double cast for the secondary leads. I know it is technically an opera, but it was on Broadway.

In theory, what is stopping Hamilton from having a whole second cast, and second set of stagehands and doing 16 shows a week? Genuinely curious.

I'm wondering if the OP meant this is literally double casting, as in during a show's run you have two people alternating in the same role, or dual role as in, one person plays more than one role.

As a crap ton of shows utilize dual role, I'll list the ones that pop into my head, as there's quite a lot.

Spamalot

Children of Eden (it's not required really, but it's the way it was conceived, same with Spamalot...sort of)

Mary Poppins does this for a few roles doesn't it?

Once

Again, quite a lot, and I know I'm missing some.

Now double as in alternating.

POTO in London does this or at least I know it did for a while, as in the Christines each had 4 shows a week. I think it was the same for the Phantom at the time too. Of course here, is a 6 to 2 ratio. Same with Evita...I think? That role is WAY harder than Christine, I can't imagine even doing it 6 times a week.

Yep Wicked did it for a while overseas somewhere, which I wish they'd do here, the standby goes on a lot it seems in NYC and the tour. That role is just under Evita in terms of being a beat for the Elphabas.

As for the now open Frozen in DL...um..guys it runs every day of the week, of course it's gonna have multiple casts. That's a given just in terms of labor laws. If Disney legally could hire one cast to do all shows a day, every day they probably would sadly. People are already saying they hope there's multiple people doing these roles...well DUH! It's illegal just in labor laws and AVGA bylaws. I believe there are four casts, and the two lead ladies are double cast, so that would be 8 Annas and 8 Elsas, if they even stuck to double casting, I don't know if they actually did, but when I was told that, the definition of double cast could have just meant something different.

Granted double casting is a casting choice rather than a necessary or artistic vision like dual role. Spamalot uses dual role to keep the Python conception that every member played multiple roles in the film it based on, plus all their films really.

Children of Eden uses it to reinforce the patterns we as humans go through until someone is brave enough to break it.



Double casting is used for ease on the performers so they don't "die" during the run of a demanding show.

Shows in the west end with children are pretty much completely at the very least, triple cast.

Is it like a union thing? I wonder how different the theatre union is in Japan in pay wise and etc.

AnnieBlack said: "In theory, what is stopping Hamilton from having a whole second cast, and second set of stagehands and doing 16 shows a week? Genuinely curious."



Well, for one to reach 16 performances a week you would have to have two days a week that are three performance days.



You would also never have time for work calls (the physical production needs to be maintained; things get broken and need to be repaired and/or replaced on any long run, and that would only be worse if you were actually doing 14 performances a week), or rehearsals for understudies and replacements.

I believe in general all children's roles in London are at least triple cast. I know Matilda has four Matildas, four Bruces, and three children's casts otherwise. Lion King has four young Nalas and Simbas, and Charlie has four Charlie's and three each of the other kids.