Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Next to Normal - Gender Swap
#1Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 6:47pm
The excellent Next to Normal which I saw in New York.
Diana who is played by the excellent Alice Ripley, but is there any reason why her role could not be played by a man? like wise the role of Dan would have to be played by a lady, is this possible?
Really curious for a long time, if this could be pulled off.
TalkinLoud
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/09
#2re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 6:59pmI mean, if they really wanted to, they could switch the parts. There's nothing sex-specific about either role if I remember correctly. But it would be kind of silly to do that.
#3re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:01pmWomen and men deal with loss in completely different ways.
#4re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:14pmWhy would Dan would have to be played by a woman? Why couldn't they be two men?
#5re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:17pmBecause those weren't the intentions of Yorkey and Kitt?
#6re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:20pmIf Pixar makes the movie they could change the species.
jeffmiele
Broadway Star Joined: 11/6/07
#7re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 8:54pmi agree with bobby.. the plot with gabe would never work.. it hits harder having that come from the mother
#8re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 9:50pmWhy couldn't Mama Rose be a gay pageant dad?
PiraguaGuy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/10/08
#9re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 9:52pmFor one thing, the whole sexual undertones in the Gabe/Diana and Diana/Doctor relationships would be completely destroyed, or completely changed.
#10re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 9:57pmDon't forget the Mother/Daughter issues Diana and Natalie have. "Maybe" would not be nearly as effective.
PiraguaGuy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/10/08
#11re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 10:03pmNot to mention those lyrics would have to be changed.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#12re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/21/09 at 11:09pmThis has been discussed before on here. Itd be interesting to see but wouldn't be as effective...for multiple reasons. They'd have to retool much of the show to make it work.
#13re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:20am
" the whole sexual undertones in the Gabe/Diana"
...
The what?
I mean, I know Tveit looks like he REALLY enjoys his 'mothers' company...but does this actually have implications on the show, and is it intentional?
timote316
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/04
#14re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:35am
Spoilers below. Figured I'd warn, just in case.
I don't know if its intentionally written like that, but some sort of sexual attraction would make sense. Diana mentions that Gabe reminds her of Dan when he was that age. Gabe's age in the show isn't too far off from the time when Dan and Diana first met, a time when Diana was certainly smitten with Dan. Now Diana is trapped in an unhappy marriage with Dan, and imagining a young version of Dan as her son.
Again, dunno if it was intentionally written that way, but if that is a conscious thing that Ripley and Tveit are playing, it seems like a perfectly viable relationship to play.
Updated On: 11/22/09 at 03:35 AM
Craww
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#15re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 5:07am
LOL I asked on the N2N Twitter whether the Oedipal/reverse Oedipal vibe was intentional and it was surprisingly not a question they chose to answer.
I took that to mean yes. 
Gender Swap is a cool concept to consider, like Miscast and all, but isn't something that can be seriously implemented into the text of most established shows. It's essentially just mapping out an AU fanfiction in your brain.
#16re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:22pmim a guy and im always singing i miss the mountains and i replace "wild GIRL running freeeeeee" with "wild BOY running freeeeeee" id like to do like a broadway backwards version of that song. i ****in love n2n
#17re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 3:28pm
"LOL I asked on the N2N Twitter whether the Oedipal/reverse Oedipal vibe was intentional and it was surprisingly not a question they chose to answer.
I took that to mean yes."
I don't think you can take that to mean 'yes'. If it wasn't intentional admitting so would admit weakness in the performances (or the script,or whatever is causing this).
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#18re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 4:07pmI saw the show last night and definitely got that vibe, especially during "I'm Alive."
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#19re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 4:07pmI saw the show last night and definitely got that vibe, especially during "I'm Alive."
sally1112
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/13/04
#20re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 5:34pm
(Im assuming the aforementioned spoiler alter is still in effect)
Oh my lord, the sexual tension between Diane and Gabe absolutely has to be intentional. The way they hold in "You Don't Know," and then their romantic slow-dance seduction into her suicide attempt.
#21re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 5:39pm
I showed the Tony clip to some of my (straight male) friends and they all commented on Alice's crazy eyes and her groping of Aaron and they thought it was super ballsy for a Bway show (or anything) to tackle something like mental illness and incest so outwardly. They were also quite impressed with the rawness of the sound ("Sounds like Dashboard [Confessional]" was one comment). N2N definitely does help with the Q rating / coolness factor of bway in 2010, and not just for the crazy eyes and implied incest!
P
#22re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 5:46pm
I'll take Alice's crazy eyes over Murney's any day.
Updated On: 11/22/09 at 05:46 PM
#23re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 6:48pmI've heard there's a theatre in Arizona that plays all of their shows gender-blind. I think it's an interesting concept, I do. I don't feel that it should be presented this way through main-stream theatres but I definitely think it's something that could be toyed around with more in a regional setting.
Craww
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#24re: Next to Normal - Gender Swap
Posted: 11/22/09 at 11:59pm
I don't think you can take that to mean 'yes'. If it wasn't intentional admitting so would admit weakness in the performances (or the script,or whatever is causing this).
I think you're taking me too seriously. I even used the desperate and dreaded "PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY" emoticon known as "winking smilie", so you can't say it's because sarcasm doesn't translate over the internet.
Also, of course I can take it to mean yes. Not as a verifiable fact, but as an interpretation of a piece of art. Considering the changes and the cuts to the tone of this show? It wouldn't surprise me if it were somewhat intentional.
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