Principal Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character

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Principal 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!

Updated On: 1/9/17 at 05:16 PM

Roles 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.

Roles 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

Roles 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

Roles 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?

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

Roles 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.

Roles 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.

They/them. "Get up the nerve to be all you deserve to be."

Roles 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.

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

Roles 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.

Updated On: 1/9/17 at 06:08 PM

#10

Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character

Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:19pm

virtually every role in Angels in America has doublings.

#11

Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character

Posted: 1/9/17 at 7:12pm

Elder McKinley in Book of Mormon also plays Meroni.

#12

Roles 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

#13

Roles 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.

"What- and quit show business?" - the guy shoveling elephant shit at the circus.

#14

Roles 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.

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

#15

Roles 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

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#16

Roles 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.?

#17

Roles 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?

#18

Roles 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.

My Music Classroom Giving Page: https://www.donorschoose.org/MrHMusicRoom

#19

Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character

Posted: 1/9/17 at 10:08pm

Hairspray and Spring Awakening male and female authority figures.

#20

Roles That Require Playing More Than One Designated Character

Posted: 1/9/17 at 10:42pm

The Balladeer in Assassins also plays Lee Harvey Oswald

#21

Roles 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

#22

Roles 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

#23

Roles 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

#24

Roles 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

#25

Roles 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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