Principal Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Principal Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#1Principal Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:16pm
A bit random and specific, I know, but I'm curious how many of these exist. I'm talking like Peggy/Maria, Laurens/Philip, Lafayette/Jefferson, Mulligan/Madison in Hamilton or D'ysquith Family in GGLAM. Anything that comes to mind! 
#2Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:18pm
There's so many! The first that comes to mind is the male lead in Little Me.
#3Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:25pm
Typically Mr. Twimble/Wally Womper in How to Succeed...
Dr Fine/Dr Madden in Next to Normal
Narraror/Mysterious Man and Cinderella's Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods
lucas_glenn
Understudy Joined: 11/5/14
#4Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:27pm
Orin Scrivello DDS and everyone else in Little Shop of Horrors
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#5Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:29pm
Nearly every role in SITPWG.
This happens a lot, professionally. Why pay an actor to sit around during backstage with nothing to do?
#6Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:29pm
First one I thought of was Avenue Q. Lots of doubling in the principal characters.
#7Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:35pm
Edith Bouvier Beale / Little Edie and Joe Kennedy / Jerry in "Grey Gardens" is a pretty famous, and my favorite, example of this.
#8Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:49pm
Pretty sure there was a track in Matilda where they had to play the doctor/the escapologist/Sergei and a few ensemble parts as well. I'm not sure if this meets your criteria though.
TheGingerBreadMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
#10Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:08pm
Katherine appears as a nun during Carrying The Banner in Newsies.
Mrs. Fleming/Veronica's Mom, Ram's Dad/JD's Dad/Coach Ripper, and Kurt's Dad/Veronica's Dad/Principal Gowan in Heathers.
Catherine is in the ensemble for the first act of Pippin, since the character does not appear until the second act.
I'm not sure about the current production, but I believe that in the past, Grizabella has appeared as part of the ensemble during the early numbers in Cats.
Fantine appears as part of the ensemble after her death in many productions of Les Mis.
Alex Kulak2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/16
#11Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:19pm
virtually every role in Angels in America has doublings.
pg1287
Chorus Member Joined: 5/23/16
#12Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 7:12pm
Elder McKinley in Book of Mormon also plays Meroni.
#13Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 7:29pm
Donna/Oolie and Gabby/Bobbi in City of Angels
Jekyll/Hyde
#14Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 7:30pm
Every actor in Les Miserables doubles except for Valjean, Javert, and the children.
#15Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 7:40pm
TheGingerBreadMan said: "Katherine appears as a nun during Carrying The Banner in Newsies
"
I'm not sure Katherine appears as a nun, because she appears pretty soon after than during the song. I know Medda Larkin appears as a nun though.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#16Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 8:07pm
In Master Class Maria assumes several distinct characters during her monologues
Ranger Tom
Leading Actor Joined: 7/6/14
#17Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 8:11pm
Does it count that leads in Kiss Me Kate double into their Taming of the Shrew characters. Lilli into Kate, Fred into Petruchio (Fred Graham), etc.?
#18Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 8:20pm
Would the leads of Sunday in the Park with George count?
#19Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 9:49pm
All of the D'Ysquith family is played by one man.
broadwayguy91
Broadway Star Joined: 12/23/15
#20Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 10:08pm
Hairspray and Spring Awakening male and female authority figures.
#21Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 10:42pm
The Balladeer in Assassins also plays Lee Harvey Oswald
#22Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 10:54pm
With both Sleuth and Witness for the Prosecution, the success of the show is at least partially dependent on the audience not realizing that a later appearing character is actually one of the leads in disguise.
Updated On: 1/9/17 at 10:54 PM
Alex Kulak2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/16
#23Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 11:15pm
all the suspects in Murder for Two are one guy
#24Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/9/17 at 11:54pm
This really will turn out to be quite a long list...
- The Clowns in The 39 Steps
- The lead female in The 39 Steps
- Everyone in Peter and the Starcatcher except Molly
- All the leads in The Apple Tree
- Marcy/Ditzy Girl in Dogfight
- Cordelia/Medel's Patient in Falsettos
#25Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/10/17 at 12:07am
Lucy and The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd. Although they are technically the same person, they are listed in the cast as separate characters and the audience isn't expected to realize they are the same until Sweeney does in the final scene (despite Sondheim's numerous musical clues in the score).
Updated On: 1/10/17 at 12:07 AM
KathyNYC2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/2/10
#26Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character
Posted: 1/10/17 at 1:11am
Frohman and Captain Hook in Finding Neverland.
And yes all three leads in The Apple Tree play at least three parts: Eve, Lady (and the tiger), Ella and Pashionella for the female actress with corresponding parts for the two males.
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