Shorter guys on Broadway....

#1

Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:33am

So, curious, how many guys that are shorter (5'4" - 5'8" or so) are on Broadway or have leads and such???

I never can actually tell exactly what size a guy is on the stage and not one to go studying the height of leads and such, but seems most are taller. How about shorter ones? Are there? Who? Are more parts given to taller guys (more around 5'10" - 6')??

Just curious since when casting it seems it might matter if the guy is too short or somethin... especially if a leading woman is the same height or taller.

I am not sure, just curious about this. I'm guessing the height varies, but seems being taller matters more for a guy than height matters for a girl when casting.

What do you think??

#2

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:53am

Well, if it's any help, I'm 5'7" and when I met Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce, they couldn't have been more than two or (at most) three inches taller than me. I would say the same for Nathan Lane, and I can't remember Broderick that well, but I think he was taller than that...not sure...

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#3

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:56am

I think David Hyde Piece is only like 5'8"-5'9". He was always clearly a couple of inches shorter then Jane Leeves on "Fraiser" who clocks in at 5'10".

Matthew Brodrick is 5'8" I believe.

How tall is Norbet?

#4

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:57am

I'm sure that it definitly is important in most romantic lead casting for the guy to be taller than the girl, but when you have girls like Kristen Chenoweth in the lead, meeting the right height is not really a huge problem :0)

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#5

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 9:34am

Antonio Banderas is short I believe.

#6

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 9:41am

I think Norbert Leo Butz is reletively short...

#7

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 9:43am

Antonio Banderas is 5'9" according to IMBd. Though when I refer to that site I always subtract a little bit from mens heights (women lie about their age, men lie about their height).

#8

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 9:57am

Antonio is perfect.

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" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."

#9

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 10:04am

chris fitzgerald from wicked?

#10

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 10:15am

I'm pretty sure many Marius's from Bway are on the shorter side.

#11

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 10:39am

I'm always surprised when I stop at the stage door for an autograph and discover that the actors I just saw are (many times) so much shorter than I would have believed. I think there are a lot of lead actors who are on the short side but I think that they are so incredibly talented that they can 'play' themselves to be as tall (or short) as they want. Usually within a minute or two I forget about who the actor is or what their physical features are and I BELIEVE they are the character they play. It's the one thing I love most about live theater.

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#12

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:29am

They don't like casting guys taller than 5'8" for Boq in Wicked.

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#13

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:39am

Both Ken Jennings and Jim Corti of Sweeney Todd/Urinetown and Ragtime/Urinetown (both playing Hot Blades Harry) fame are quite short.

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BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"

#14

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:47am

norbert is short... i'd say no taller than 5'5..but maybe he just seemed that way because i'm 6'3

#15

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:48am

Chip Zien, mayhaps?

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#16

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:49am

A slight estimate, but Raúl Esparza is only about... 5'6" or 5'7". Maybe 5'8", but he's certainly not all that tall. Interestingly enough, in terms of shorter guys playing true leads, before he really found his niche with the part in Chitty, and truly began to run with it, he was getting lost in the bigger numbers since he's not towering over everybody else. Anyway, the first time I saw him face-to-face, I was surprised; he's much shorter than I expected. (And the truth is, this man could have any part he wanted. In his case, it's about raw talent.)

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Updated On: 7/24/05 at 11:49 AM

#17

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:50am

You are right,most Marius are pretty short.

They have to be short, or that underground scene will kill Valjean.

#18

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:26pm

So, there is hope for me??

I would guess that Antonio is really 5'9". He was prob 4 inches taller than me when I stood next to him backstage.

Some people are really short but exude such strength and power, you don't realize it. Madonna is 5'4". And, I always thought that TV and film hid her shortness, but seeing her in concert last year, it was clearly her stage power.

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#19

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:29pm

If you look at most casting calls, they say that chorus/ensemble members should be between 5'8 and 5'11. When I saw All Shook Up, for some reason EVERYONE in that show except Cheyenne Jackson was shorter than 5'8. It was strange. Norbert is around my height (5'5 or 5'6). 5'9 or 5'10 is pretty average though.

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#20

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:30pm

In ASU, I think everyone looks a LOT shorter than they really are, because they're on stage with Cheyenne. He's huge.

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A work of art is an invitation to love.

#21

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:33pm

Hee. The one guy who's taller than everyone else onstage is always an amusing visual.

#22

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:42pm

Like Moose in Crazy For You!

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BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"

#23

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:17pm

Damn didn't expect so many posts...

Well seems most broadway guys are still a bit taller than me, exception of Nobert (dunno who that is) who is same height it seems from what someone said. Well kinda sucks for me... just because it makes it a bit tougher since looks DO matter (which includes height). Ah well... can't do anything bout it, just can blame my mother lol.

#24

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/25/05 at 1:05am

Oh and it seems also being too tall might limit you as well, just because I couldn't imagine some towering 6'7" guy on stage.

I guess it's nice to be average height-wise... oh well, if only I had a few more inches. I just gotta deal I guess, any advice from other short guys (sucks cuz I'm 5'5"... which is like real short)?? Any hope for me?? Or no...?

#25

re: Shorter guys on Broadway....

Posted: 7/25/05 at 1:27am

Well, we should remember Ken Jennings is a mere 5' 3". He's been in Sweeney Todd, Sideshow, Urinetown and more, playing all quite large parts.