Roles that has a gender change

#1

Roles that has a gender change

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:13pm

Okay that was written badly.

Ben did pippin right as the leading player right ?

Now Patina is doing this ?


Any other example of this ?

Updated On: 5/28/13 at 09:13 PM

#2

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:16pm

Do you speak English as a second language?

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"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#3

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:18pm

What is going on with the newbies lately?

#4

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:35pm

Sutton Foster in Oliver.

#5

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:40pm

I live in London but came from France and have just started taking English Courses for a year.

#6

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:42pm

You know, I really don't think Jarque is a troll... I think he does want to learn. That said, I'm prepared to be wrong. But Jarque, don't get scared away too quickly.

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Formerly: WishingOnlyWounds2 - Broadway Legend - Joined: 9/25/08

#7

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:46pm

Donna Lynne Champlin played Pirelli (as a male) in the 2005 SWEENEY TODD revival.

#8

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:58pm

There have been productions of Cabaret with female Emcees.

There are male roles that are written for women to play, for example the title role in Peter Pan which is traditionally played by a female and was immortalized by Mary Martin. These are called breeches or trouser roles.

There are also female parts which are written for men to play like Edna in Hairspray, and most recently Miss Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda.

#9

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:04pm

All That Jazz yes I know that but has there been a roll that was played by a men and now played by a women. I wonder if the Leading Player was changed because of the high notes?

#10

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:14pm

Pseudolus in Forum was a gender switch too, right? how was that reaction met?

#11

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:18pm

Whoopi got great reviews as Pseudolus.

It is quite common in community or school productions to change one or both of the fathers in Fantastiks to Mothers.

#12

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:21pm

I don't think the high notes have anything to do with it, I think they just wanted to create more sexual tension.

#13

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:21pm

The narrator in "Joseph" was written for a man and is now mostly played by a woman. I think Laurie Beechman was the first (and best)

#14

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:25pm

I don't know who did it first but Ben Vereen's role in Fosse has also been played by women.

#15

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:36pm

Felix and Oscar/Florence and Olive
Hamlet
Fiona Shaw as Richard II
Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan (film)
Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan (film)
Who's LIfe Is It Anyway? (Mary Tyler Moore replacing Tom Conti as Ken/Claire; James Naughton succeeding Jane Asher and Jean Marsh as Dr. Scott)

Updated On: 5/28/13 at 10:36 PM

#16

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:53pm

The Cat in the Hat in Seussical. Written for a man, performed by both genders on Broadway.

#17

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:58pm

One recent example: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. The role Daisy Gamble originally played by Barbra Fabulous Streisand, turned into a gay guy David Gamble in the 2011 revival.

#18

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/28/13 at 11:09pm

lachri5, Daisy Gamble was originally played by Barbara Fabulous Harris.

#19

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 6:43am

I've seen the Emcee in Cabaret played by a woman (very Victor/Victoria style).

I've also seen the Stepmother in Cinderella played by a man.

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Updated On: 5/29/13 at 06:43 AM

#20

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 7:26am

Lea DeLaria played Marryin' Sam in LIL ABNER and Eddie/Dr Scott in ROCKY HORROR, though she played them both as male.

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"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

#21

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 8:10am

In opera, there are a lot of 'trouser roles' mainly played by mezzo sopranos. Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare, another Sesto in "La Clemenza di Tito" and there is a role in "Figaro" which falls into this category. There is a version of "Romeo and Juliet" ("I Capuleti Y I Montecchi") where Romeo is played by a woman. One of the leads in "Der Rosenkavlier" is a pants role (Octavian is his name I believe).

It's interesting to note that it is not typically done for comic reasons (in theater it quite often-not always-is done to comic effect). The women in operatic trouser roles play the role as a man. (And I've seen it done to great effect.)

Updated On: 5/29/13 at 08:10 AM

#22

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:17am

I've seen Cinderella with a man in drag playing one of the stepsisters multiple times.

#23

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 1:17pm

I think it's odd to claim that trouser roles in Opera are usually for comic effect, Dreaming. yeah, Cherubino wouldn't be as funny if he was written for a man, but 99% of trouser roles are written to be taken very seriously: Octavian, The Komponist, Romeo, All the Handel Roles, The hero in Semiramide...these are all serious romantic leads that are written for women.

#24

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 1:40pm

Whoops, meant to say NOT for comic effect, unlike theater, where it typically IS.

Updated On: 5/29/13 at 01:40 PM

#25

Women that played mens roles

Posted: 5/29/13 at 1:57pm

The original Brazilian production of PIPPIN (in 1974) also featured a woman as the Leading Player. The role was played by Marília Pera, who is currently doing Hello, Dolly! (as Dolly)

Here's a Magazine cover with her as The Leading Player

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Updated On: 5/29/13 at 01:57 PM