Roles that would be great in Drag

[Urban]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 10:55am

I mean we already have a tonne of roles on broadway specifically to be played in drag (Mary Sunshine, Edna Turnblad) - I don't actually mean them. What I am asking is have you ever scene a performance and thought X legitimately female character would work even better if she was played by a man in drag?

For me:

Lady Bracknell - "The Importance of Being Ernest"

Emma Goldman - "Ragtime" (I don't know why, especially since the vocal range required would completely rule out any man anyway, but I can just in my minds eye see it)

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 10:55am

Penelope Pennywise - Urinetown
Margaret White - Carrie (ACTUALLY make it campy)

[mikewood]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:04am

Don Quixote.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:09am

Mrs. Meers

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:10am

Personally, I'm waiting with baited breath for the Billy Porter as Effie White production of Dreamgirls. Or the Billy Porter as the Witch version of Into the Woods? Or the....wait, Billy Porter can play anything he wants, as far as I'm concerned.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:10am

I don't know that they were "better" in drag, but in London, there have been major West End revivals of ANNIE, and HELLO DOLLY featuring "name" drag performers as Miss Hannigan and Dolly respectfully.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:11am

Big Mama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Blanche Streetcar

Oh, Hell, any female role by Tennessee Williams

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:19am

A friend of mine, who is a director, wants to do Mame with an all Male cast more than anything in the world.

[Justice]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:24am

Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera
Fosca in Passion
Mama Rose in Gypsy
Mme. Morrible in Wicked

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:26am

In NYC, there was an all male version of Nunsense.

Charles Busch played in a version of "The Maids"

Also, Lea Delaria played Marryin' Sam in Encores "Lil Abner"

Updated On: 5/26/05 at 11:26 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:30am

And on the "they definitely DON'T work better in drag" side...

In Dallas, s theatre cast a male as Reno Sweeney in ANYTHING GOES while another attempted an all male WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF. Both productions were shut down for licensing violation.
Updated On: 5/26/05 at 11:30 AM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:34am

Chad in All Shook Up

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:36am

The Maids is acctually written to be performed by 3 men or at least Genet wanted it to be performed that way.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:38am

the cast of twelve angry men...
Updated On: 5/26/05 at 11:38 AM

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:42am

we've established that eddie/dr.scott worked out semi-decently

[Princeton78]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 11:57am

The cast of Steel Magnolias.

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 1:03pm

norma desmond -

grizabella -

madame morrible -

jane eyre -

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 1:06pm

The "big 3" in Mamma Mia
Queen Aggravain in Once Upon A Mattress

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 1:19pm

I had my own 1 Wo-Man caberet act in Hollywood and played almost every females role in just about evry show at one point or another.

Norma Desmond
Momma Rose
Gypsy
All 3 strippers (at one point or another)
Mrs. Lovette
Adilade (sp? Guy's and Dolls)
Auroura (KOTSW)
Mother (Ragtime)
Ginger (Ruthless)
Maria (WSS)
Anna Owens (King and I)
Madame Buterfly
Roxy (Chicago)
Momma Morton (Chicago)

Not to mention countless Disney characters
Airel
Pochahontas
Belle
Maleificent
Cruella DeVille
The girls from Hercules

Etc Etc Etc

[Justice]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 1:27pm

Michael Bennett,

Here is a fact for you, that you may or may not know. The charcatre of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes is named Reno because Cole Porter wanted it to be androgynous...so that the character could be played by either a male or a female.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 1:56pm

Victoria in Victor/Victoria -- wouldn't that be FUNNY to put one more twist in there??? Pull the wig off at the end of the number . . . and then pull ANOTHER wig off!!!!!

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 2:03pm

Ive actually been in a production of Mattress with a male Aggravain and it was fabulous.

Also did Gypsy with a male Mazeppa.

I do think it would be FAB to see a man as Hannigan in Annie.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 2:06pm

Billy Porter actually auditioned for the revival of Into the Woods and he's been known to perform "Last Midnight" at cabarets sometimes.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 2:22pm

Lady Bracknell in Importance of Being Ernest has ben played by men on numerous occasions. Edward Hibbert (Gil Chesterton on "Frasier") did a one-man show based on the Lady Bracknell character.

I've seen Miss Lynch in GREASE done in drag.

There was a peroduction of MAME in Las Vegas in which mame, Vera and Gooch were all played by female impersonators.

There was a production fo GYPSY in Chicago with a transexual as Rose - dopes that count?

[Flight0017]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 2:34pm

Hanna: I totally agree with you, it would be so fun to see Victoria Grant played by a male. Okay, maybe a little bit confusing for the audience, but then again Victor/Victoria IS a little confusing.

A man pretending to be a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman! Our plausible diversion!