The Second Bananas

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/28/03 at 8:38pm

There is nothing a leading man or leading lady silently dreads more than a brilliant second banana. The hero's best friend or servant, the wisecracking waitress or chorus girl, the neighborhood cut-up. I was thinking how often (for me at least) the second leads have stolen the thunder from the star.

Daniel Sunjata may be the nominal leading male character in TAKE ME OUT (and yes, I know it's supposed to be an ensemble piece) but it's sweetly goofy Denis O'Hare everyone loves. And when I saw 42nd STREET, I instantly forgot whoever played Peggy Sawyer, but fell in love with the 'talentless' Dorothy Brock - Christine Ebersole. And likewise at MILLIE, Harriet Harris had the audience eating out of her hands from her first appearance behind the hotel desk (and I began to wish the show ended with Mrs. Meers sending ALL the leads on a slow boat to China) - all three actors won Tonys for their grand larceny. And HAIRSPRAY wouldn't be half as fun if not for loopy Penny Pingleton (admit it...weren't you THRILLED for Penny when Kerry announced "I am now a CHECKERBOARD CHICK!"?).
And in Broadway's past, Celeste Holm's Ado Annie stole the show in OKLAHOMA! And THE MOST HAPPY FELLA would have been una-beara-ble without Susan Johnson. Pearl Bailey stole ARMS AND THE GIRL from perky Nanette Fabray. And up until the FORUM revival, Nathan Lane seems to have absconded with every show he was in.

(When Ebersole was at CHATTERBOX some months ago, Seth asked her about doing Ado Annie in stock, and asked why she didn't want to do Laurie as Laurie has the shows beautiful ballads. Christine answered that Annie was the fun part that everyone remembers. And she was right!)

What other scene-stealing second bananas do you remember?

Updated On: 9/28/03 at 08:38 PM

[QueenS]

Posted: 9/29/03 at 9:57am

Marilyn Cooper in "Woman of the Year"
Kristen Chenoweth in "You're a Good Man, CB"
Mary Martin in "Leave it to Me"
Gwen Verdon in "Can-Can"

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 9/29/03 at 10:05am

The great second bananas of my performing days:

Jean Casto
Edith Meister
Jean Dixon
Aline McMahon

These dames were funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miriam

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 9/29/03 at 10:22am

Hello, Bea Arthur in MAME, of course!!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/29/03 at 6:03pm

Stubby Kaye in anything