Protagonists with Agency

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 10/14/21 at 4:03pm

I was trying to determine what I dislike about Funny Girl. And I came to the question of agency. Fanny has less and less as the show continues. Simply pining over and reacting to Nicky.

Compare that to the superficially similar Gypsy. Rose drives the action for 3/4s of the show. Then rages into the night when Louise takes over.

My biggest issue with the musical War Paint was that Patti and Christine sat in their salons while the bland men did all the heavy lifting to further the plot.

Which of your favorite musical leads have the most agency? What are some shows you like where this isnt an issue? The cast of Cabaret, for example, are steered by off stage politics but still have compelling stage presence.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 10/14/21 at 4:53pm

Sweeney Todd, Evita, and, for some reason, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee all come to mind. Evita, obviously, is about a headstrong woman who bulldozes her way to power, but Sweeney Todd's entire cast consists of characters with agency who spin a tightly interconnected web, where every action each one takes affects the others. The way it all comes to a point at the very end is more thrilling for that reason - everything has led to this, and you were present for every decision made along the way.

Putnam is moreso about characters developing agency, but seeing them learn that they have the ability to choose how they treat others, which makes moments like the reprise of "Woe Is Me" so heartbreaking and a little bit chilling, because you're seeing how a lack of agency can hurt someone. It's a show that should be a cartoon, but they way they utilize that theme pulls it together and makes it more touching and humanizing than a lot of more "realistic" musicals I've seen.

Updated On: 10/14/21 at 04:53 PM

[NameGreg]

Posted: 10/14/21 at 6:44pm

While the reasons behind his motive have been debated for years, Iago’s plan to strike against Othello is very clear and the best part of the play is seeing him manipulate everyone around him to do so.