Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

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Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 1:29pm

I'm not familiar with the artists, but I'm intrigued. Will they sing the roles in the original key? Moving forward, will stock companies that want to explore non-binary casting receive any push back from rights holders?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/A-LITTLE-NIGHT-MUSIC-Will-Run-in-January-2022-at-the-Greenway-Court-Theatre-20211108

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 1:37pm

Very cool!

Non binary cast of

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 1:50pm

QueenAlice said: "I'm not familiar with the artists, but I'm intrigued. Will they sing the roles in the original key? Moving forward, will stock companies that want to explore non-binary casting receive any push back from rights holders?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/A-LITTLE-NIGHT-MUSIC-Will-Run-in-January-2022-at-the-Greenway-Court-Theatre-20211108"

I'm curious, as well. I know from a few contracts I've had MTI, it might be fine so long as there are not unauthorized changes to the text in regards to the gender or sexual identity of characters (forgive me if I did not use the correct terminology):

Without limiting the foregoing, Licensee acknowledges that it may not:

Make changes of any kind, including changes of music, lyrics, dialogue, sequence of songs and/or scenes, time period, setting, characters or characterizations or gender of characters in the Play, regardless of whether the authors have approved any similar changes for a prior production of the Play.
Add music, dialogue, lyrics, scenes, scenarios, characters, framing devices or anything to the text or structure of the Play as embodied in the MTI Rental Materials, including adding any songs or dialogue from any film version of the Play or from any other version of the Play.

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 2:04pm

QueenAlice said: "Moving forward, will stock companies that want to explore non-binary casting receive any push back from rights holders?"

If the text isn't changing at all, it doesn't really matter how a community/school/stock theatre casts it. The casting descriptions are for the characters, not the actors who play them. Similar to casting a 50-year-old actress as the 18-year-old Anne Egarman, or a Black countess, or a soprano Desiree (with MTI's transpositions on demand).

If this were a major regional production, things might be different. And would certainly be different if this was a first-class production that went through the Sondheim & Wheeler estates.

Sondheim (and even more so Hugh Wheeler) must be rolling in his grave with them calling it "Stephen Sondheim's ALNM."

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 2:12pm

I saw a production a few months ago in San Francisco where Henrik was played by a non-binary (assigned female at birth) actor. Henrik (the character) was still a straight man in the script, but I thought the casting worked well.

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 2:17pm

Basically, if you respect the pronouns and identities of the characters, they can be played by any actor.

It’s funny how we follow this rule for children’s theatre (both TYA and for young actors playing the roles), but once it’s adults acting for adults, we lose the fluidity and freedom of imagination.

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 9:24pm

Saw a production here a few years ago where Petra was played as bi having a romp with a female servant b4 she sings" I Shall Marry"... worked wonderfully.

Non binary cast of "A Little Night Music" to play Los Angeles

Posted: 1/31/22 at 10:43pm

HeyMrMusic said: "Basically, if you respect the pronouns and identities of the characters, they can be played by any actor. It’s funny how we follow this rule for children’s theatre (both TYA and for young actors playing the roles), but once it’s adults acting for adults, we lose the fluidity and freedom of imagination."

Indeed. I think any woman who has grown up in theatre had to play a male role at some point –– and probably had a great time doing it.

I saw a middle school girl as Mr. McAfee in BBB, and she completely knocked it out of the park.

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