Musicals with a different protagonist in the second act?

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:22am

A lot of you may not agree with this. The musical my boyfriend and I are writing needs to have a second protagonist for the second act.

The only other musical I know that does this is Dreamgirls, but I'm basing that off the movie. I don't know if that's how it is in the original show.

What other musicals has this type of structure?

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:24am

Well, these don't have the same structure as Dreamgirls, but:

The Apple Tree
Sunday in the Park with George
Updated On: 4/12/08 at 11:24 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:26am

A CHORUS LINE
XANADU

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:31am

^In that case, you forgot The Drowsy Chaperone, Glory Days and A Catered Affair

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:32am

Assholes, much?

ETA: That's not entirely fair. Thanks for the Sunday suggestion.

Updated On: 4/12/08 at 11:32 AM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:48am

"Assholes, much?"

Apparently.

How about Urinetown?


*SPOILERS SPOILERS*




Bobby Strong dies a bit into the second act. He's the protagonist for much of Act I and some of Act II, but I think Hope is more of the protagonist in the second act.



*END SPOILERS*

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:52am

Thanks, Millie!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:56am

Does Grey Gardens count?

The second act of Into the Woods is about the Witch, I think. In act 1, she's kind of on the periphery, coming in and out of the story, getting other characters to do her bidding. In act 2, the story becomes more focused on her and the consequences of her actions.

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:58am

deleted Updated On: 4/12/08 at 11:58 AM

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 12:01pm

I don't know if I exactly agree with ITW. I do agree with the "getting other characters to do her bidding" part, though. I think that's what makes her the protagonist for the entire show.

Sure, she may not go out and do everything herself, but without her prodding, the Baker wouldn't go out and get what she needs.

Her needs (to be beautiful again) push the rest of the show. The Baker and his Wife want a child, and it takes up most of the first act, but I don't see it as the main plot. It happens second to the Witch getting what she wants.

If she doesn't become beautiful again, then they don't get their child.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 12:03pm

That's true, but, the story isn't really about her until the second act. The main focus of act 1 is the baker and his wife's desire to have a child. The Witch's becoming beautiful again is a byproduct of that. The real "want" story in Act 1 is the baker and his wife.

I understand your point, thought.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 12:05pm

Sunday in the Park With George? (EDIT: Sorry... just saw it was mentioned already).

Updated On: 4/12/08 at 12:05 PM

Posted: 4/12/08 at 1:08pm

Hairspray- Motormouth isn't introduced until very late in act 1 and sings the 11 O'Clock number.

[shh282]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 1:11pm

Cloud Nine

edit:
**** musicals. nevermind.

Updated On: 4/12/08 at 01:11 PM

[myshikobit]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 2:22pm

Hair (in the little plot that it has, the protagonist switches from Berger to Claude).

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 2:24pm

I'm pretty sure Tracy's the protagonist throughout HAIRSPRAY.

I've never heard of Cloud Nine.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 2:47pm

Trying to think, but I would easily consider Belle the protagonist in Act One, yet the Beast the protagonist in Act Two in Beauty & the Beast. In Tarzan, the protagonist goes from Kala, to tarzan, to tarzan AND jane.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 3:37pm

If you are talking about main leading roles, that is one thing, but there really should only be ONE protagonist. Sunday in the Park is different in that it really is two ONE ACTS that are connected in theme and characters. Same thing with Apple Tree.
One of the problems in the script for Dreamgirls is that the protagonist, and by that I mean the character who is most affected by the action of the play and changes the most, is Effie. However, it is a real problem when the protagonist disappears from the action for much of the second act.

This is a HUGE problem with playwrights now, I think. It is a structural and dramatical error that is too easily overlooked for strong characters and doing so diminishes and muddles the theme.

Updated On: 4/12/08 at 03:37 PM

[sparrman]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 3:46pm

The Rothschilds. The focus definitely shifts from Mayer Rothschild (who's still around for most of Act II) to his son Nathan.

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 3:49pm

Here's what I'm thinking:

Act one is about Danny's search for his mother's killer. He finds this out in the end of act 1.

Act two deals with Walter. He wants to marry his daughter off to Edward, but she doesn't want anything to do with it.

That's the basic plot. Danny's badly wounded at the end of act 1. He's fallen in love with the daughter, and wants to marry her, but there's nothing he can do.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 3:59pm

Sounds great.

[haddaddy3]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:40pm

To whoever said "A Chorus Line", isn't it only one act?

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:49pm

Pssst....haddaddy, it was a joke.

CHILDREN OF EDEN.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:46pm

I think that in SA, the major focus is on Moritz in act one, while
Melchior and Wendla's story slowly builds, then in act two it becomes solely about Melchior and Wendla.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:36pm

Romance / Romance