The male equivalent of Mama Rose?- Page 2

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:46am

Search for my thread "Men in Musical Theater" - I started it because basically there is no male equivalent to any of the large female roles: Evita, Mamma Rose, etc. I wish some composers would write a great male-lead musical, but i doubt it will happen. Women have always been considered the "divas" in musical theater. And I doubt that will change. For now, men will have to settle with the lead in The Wedding Singer or Spring Awakening.

[uhkthxbye2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:49am

I don't know if I agree about Melchior. I mean, yes, definitely a difficult role to play, and lots of emotion and journeying involved, but I don't think to the extent that characters like Rose and Sweeney have it.

And I do agree about Rose being the best theatre role. Why did I have to be born a man?

...... Um. TMI ...... Anyway. ::runs away::

[LostLeander]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:53am

Screaming does not equal epic.

What a silly comment.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:58am

I disagree that there's no male equivalent.
Guido Contini, Sweeney Todd, Tevye (the first one that came to mind, actually), Javert are some of them and to a lesser degree Joseph Taylor Jr, Mack Sennett, Henry Higgins, Giorgio, George Seurat, and Will Rogers.
I don't get the complain that there are no larger-than-life male roles.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:59am

uhkthxbye2 - that was sarcasm. You missed my point. My point was that men in musical theater are given the "crap" roles while the women get the big/superstar/epic/tour-de-force roles.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:02am

The role of Melchior may be emotionally intense, but it's not quite as complex as that of Sweeney or Rose. The reason people keep coming back to these roles is because they offer so much for interpretation. I'd also add the role of Judas from JCSS, and I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet--Billy Bigelow from Carousel! A male diva role if there ever was one.

Not to mention the main guy in The Most Happy Fella, who's name I can't remember. If we're counting comedic roles, J. Pierpont Fitch and Max Bialystock are two enormous roles.

Harold Hill from The Music Man certainly counts. Floyd Collins from the show of the same title.

It is hard to think of male parts that are as vocally demanding though... Sweeney, Floyd, Jesus & Judas, Che Guevara...

I've never really understood why Mama Rose is considered such an enormously demanding role. She has a lot of charm songs and two big numbers and not everyone has to sell them Merman style.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:03am

I was thinking LEAR when I saw this thread, but it's not a musical.
Yet, Shakespeare can be very Musical and difficult on the voice.
Sweeney comes close.

[uhkthxbye2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:04am

Rentboy, don't worry, I know - I was replying to overthemoonboy.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:05am

Did anyone say Bobby in Urinetown yet?

[beyondblessed]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:07am

What about Fabrizio from Light in the Piazza. Any actor playing that role has a huge challenge. It's vocally demanding and the actor has to convey a ton with very little english. I suppose not at much of a leading role as Momma Rose, but I feel as though it takes a tour de force to pull it off.

Personal note : Italian makes you more sexy.

[TapTapTapioca]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:23am

Bobby in Urinetown? Ummmm.


The first role that came to my mind was Tevye.

[friedrichVT]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:25am

A comedic turn,Herbie Cram in Do Re Mi. He has a huge role,is as Ferocious as Rose and it culminates in a very dramatic "Rose's Turn-esque" All of My Life at the end of act 2.
Updated On: 7/29/07 at 01:25 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:05am

I'd say men get the comedic lead roles, while women get the more dramatic roles. For example, Christine Ebesrole in Grey Gardens and Norbert Leo Butz in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:07am

^ Sweeney Todd and George Seurat don't strike me as comedic roles. And they can be equivalent to Mama Rose.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:08am

Exactly! RentBoy your argument has no basis.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:10am

How about John Adamsin 1776? That's a very emotional show, and that dude rarely ever leaves the stage.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:22am

I agree!

Can it be for an 18-yr-old, very short, slightly chubby bass-baritone who reads younger?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:24am

Floyd Collins has to sing tenor Guettel stuff, while basically lying down throughout the entire show. Yikes.

Fabrizio's tough vocally, but I wouldn't say that emotionally it'd be a huge challenge.

[TabooPhan1]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:36am

I would definitely agree with Albin from La Cage, Sweeney is pretty challenging (although as a tenor, there's really no hope for me to ever play him...just a personal note, not saying that that doesn't mean it's not an amazing role).

I definitely do NOT agree with Harold Hill and ESPECIALLY not Billy Bigelow. Iconic characters, yes. Difficult? Not particularly. I know I'll get attacked for this one, but I recently saw Carousel live for the first time, and when I was coming in from intermission I looked at the sign that said there would be gunshots in the show and hoped they would be directed at me...

I think it's very difficult to name a male character that goes on the same journey as Rose. I think the main problem is that the emotions that Rose goes through are very much related to her maternal relationship with her daughter, so it's difficult to match that. It's a little disappointing as a male actor that there really isn't a part to play "before you're gone", but who knows what the future holds?

I should also mention that while a beefy dramatic part is to be envied, comedic roles are nothing to be scoffed at... as a matter of fact, I rather prefer them.

[GClef2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 3:35am

Definetly NOT fiyero

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 3:49am

Of course Fiyero, since Elphaba is the present-day Momma Rose, Fiyero is the male equivalent, right? right? ....

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 4:44am

In my opinon, Sweeney Todd is very, very similer to Mama Rose. Both are dynamic, driven charecters that have a passion that far expands their physical selves. Rose has the passion to be a star, but due to her situation, needs to live vicariously through her daughters and ultimatly shuts out Herbie because she cannot let go of her past desire to be a star. Sweeney is driven by his passion for revenge on the man who wronged him and his family, and that passion manifests itself. He even kills Lovett because he also cannot let go of his past. Both have emotional breakdowns (Roses Turn and Epiphany) but in the end, neither are really changed.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 6:32am

I've been thinking about this since RentBoy's thread and come to the conclusion that Tevye is probably the closest we have. Although Phantom and Valjean are surely close as well. And there are plenty of other possibilities mentioned in this thread!

I also stand by my statement from that thread that it is silly to reckon there are no male roles of real import, because there are TONS out there. I guess diva behaviour is the only thing that impacts on young minds and not amazing roles and incredible performances. Sad, really.

Updated On: 7/29/07 at 06:32 AM

[Jon]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 8:42am

There's alrady been at least one male Momma Rose - genetically male, that is.

Transsexual performer Alexandra Billings played the role around three years ago in Chicago.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 8:57am

Max Bialystock had to have been a killer role. Lots of singing and outsized energy, and then to have to sing "Betrayed" so late in the show?