What was your first role in a musical (ever, professional or not)?
Mine was:
KID IN TOWN in THE MUSIC MAN.
Only one line: Good morning, Mayor Shinn.
I was a Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. I was six.
I represented the Lollipop Guild.
The first role (with lines) I had was Eugene in Grease.
Legitimate musical?
The King in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.
Not the strongest singer, I wasn't el oh el Still amn't.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/10
Mr. Sowerberry in Oliver!. Summer camp- I was around 10.
Hugo Peabody in Bye, Bye Birdie in junior high school. I sadly learned I didn't really have anything to sing, save for a couple of lines in "The Telephone Hour".
The next year I played Hines in The Pajama Game, that one was a lot of fun.
The Cowardly Lion in an elementary school production of Wizard of Oz,
but if we're talking roles I actually remember doing, it would be "Chester Lyman" in Barnum freshman year of high school.
I was 7, in Bye Bye Birdie, I was one of the girls in Put on a Happy Face and I wore a blue rain slicker. I hated that raincoat.
Jeb(the suitor) in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
lol
Nothing. (Yet.) In the middle and high school theatre world, you have to kiss major ass to get a part, which I guess I haven't done enough of in the past 4 years. *shudder*
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/07
Mr. Brownlow in Oliver. I was 12 years old and it was weird to see a Filipino Mr. Brownlow have a Caucasian, blonde grandson. LOL.
Ensemble in LEADER OF THE PACK (my sophomore year).
I was again Ensemble in ANYTHING GOES this year (my junior year).
Agwe in Once on This Island. Not only my first lead, but my favorite of the shows I've been in. The story is so simple yet so touching and the music is just infectious. The production itself was very tight and wonderfully cast as well. I loved singing "Rain" every night, its such an intense song and really sets the story into motion. "Pray" was a highlight each night, there was a huge tribal drum in the center of the stage with Ti Moune and Daniel on it, with the Gods and some of the ensemble circling the drum in a very tribal/almost voodoo fashion. I tried not to cry onstage each night towards the end, but as soon as Euralie finds Ti Moune's body and starts "Oh, Ti Moune" it got harder and harder to fight back tears. On the last night I couldn't help it and I had tears streaming down my face when I covered Ti Moune's body in a light blue sheet that had such a beautiful glow when the lights hit it.
So yeah, Agwe. Hehe sorry to ramble, I'm in a mood tonight.
NM - Reading the entries above is making me extremely nostalgic as well. Ramble on!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/30/09
Creeper (one of the lost boys) in Peter Pan when I was seven. I still have a video of that show, but after the age of nine, I just started getting too embarrassed to watch it or let anyone see it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
My first show was the operetta THE DESERT SONG. My one line in it was: "Look, look, the fires on the hill!"
My first role was as the puppeteer of the Audrey II in LSOH (with minor roles as a male drag queen in Skid Row and a weird guy who gets turned down at the radio interview). Exhausting, especially moving the largest puppet in the 2nd act, but SO much fun.
My first legit musical, I was 8 and played Jerome in South Pacific. I had to die my hair jet black and every kid in 4th grade kept asking when my hair was gonna change back.
Age 15, Tobias in Sweeney Todd, after the original actor (an adult) booked a tour and bailed. I was definitely thrown into the deep end, but I thought the money was good and I was completely spoiled by an amazing experience with an amazing cast in an amazing facility; I remember being disappointed that the next show I did didn't have 8 perfs a week! Oh to be an idiot fifteen year old again...
Graziella in West Side Story. I was about 13 or 14 years old?
Mae in Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party
Swing Joined: 1/30/11
Phyllis in Follies. Don't ask me why our drama teacher thought Follies would be a good musical for seventeen year olds to put on. Oy vey.
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