john travolta as edna — Page 2

i just think that edna being played by a male makes the show more funny. If a woman were to play the role it really would be the most lame character!

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it doesn't look like we are getting anywhere, but i have to disagree, when i saw it i sat there thinking you know welcome to the 60's wouldn't be funny without a guy being played as edna. You see it is not possible for a woman to play it. it just wouldn't be funny. also it is the way the movie was made which is why it is that way now. however none of us have seen it with a woman in the role, so we cannot say, but for now lets agree to disagree.

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Mimi,

I just have a hard time seeing a man playing the role of tracy for the reasons I stated above, shes the most normal grounded character, shes supposed to be an 'any girl' -- "its time we put kids on the show that look like the kids who watch the show" -- Making that character played by a man would complicate that notion that shes just a simple girl who wants to make it big, and it would inevitably skew the chemistry of the whole show. You need a normal character in there.

If you want the answer youre expecting, Im more than capable of feeding it to you but that isnt my reason. I dont have any problem with a man playing a woman or a black person playing a traditionally white role. A 30 yr old woman can play the role cuz she answered a casting call looking for people who are often cast as teenagers. Im sure there are more than a number of men capable of singing the songs written for tracy, Marc Shaiman certainly wanted the part. But Ill thank you to not assume any more than Im actually saying.

So heres what youre expecting: The kind of affection the Wilbur and Edna share is completely different from the kind of love Tracy and Link share, and wrong or not, this will be harder for audiences to swallow with them kissing multiple times and tracy lifting her skirt and panting and such. The dream sequence wedding would cause quite a stir. The only line I see benefiting from Tracy being played by a man is "you throw like a girl!"

Happy?

if youre talking to me, my post wasnt directed at you.

ugh....not talking about Edna. I'm talking about Tracy. It's the same thing for Tracy as it is for Mark. Maybe you would've figured it out if you read my post thoroughly.

i personally think your expectations are really messed up. I think that people are way to frickin' uptight with Gender in the theatre. It's sexest, narrowminded, anti trans, and downright rediculous. Its based in nothing but traditional values fed to us by blue and pink brandings in the hospital when we are born. Its not about making it a drag role- its about playing the part. If a woman could play mark and it was convincing, I'd all for it. I'm not saying that we would try to make it obvious that a man was playing tracy- I'm saying a man could do it if he played it as a woman, and you could suspend your disbelief. GEt someone in there with the range and the look and you wouldnt notice the difference.

For instance, Lea Delaria played Eddie/Dr. Scott in Rocky. Until that point I had a firm belief that if you had anyone else in drag other than Frank, it would take away from the gimmick of a transvestite character. Well, after seeing rocky with lea, my mind completely changed. Lea was completely convincing in her role.

If someone can do it, let them do it. Don't hold your judgement to the part. Otherwise we're just creating the same kind of theatre that we've done forever.. boring. The world needs to open to untraditional casting in terms of Gender, Race, Disabilites etc.

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I doubt it. Sorry, im standing my ground on this. I think that theatrical roles are more fluid than people make them out to be.

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Yes, well obviously its a tradtion. But I think that a woman playing the role would not ruin the character or the production. It's the same as changing the sex of the actor playing the role.

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Mimi -

I respcet your argument, but, as it comes to this movie i must disagree.

AS far as the stage show is concerned, if they want to cast a male Tracy, more power to them.... but if they want the non-theatre-going publice to come out and see this movie, no way are they going to cast a male tracy

We live in a society where most people could not handle seeing the relationship between a male tracy and a male link. If they want this movie to appeal to the regular public, having a male tracy is not the way to do it.

AS far as Broadway is concerned, if your friend really has the talent to play tracy, i think that Broadway is the place for him, not the movie. Theatre audiences are more likely to accpet that a male tracy.

my personal opinion - Leave Edna as the drag role and Tracy as a woman because it gives heavier girls who wouldnt normally get a chance to play a sweet love interest the chance to do so. Plus, Edna works sooo much better as a man, not saying that a woman couldnt do it though....

the reason i bring up the movie here is because thats what this thread is about....

It started out as talking aobut the cast of the movie... and then it morphed.... i dont know... i tried to address both

Wouldn't they have to change a few things in the play if a woman played Edna? I mean, Bette Midler really would make a great Edna, but the "No, I'm not her father!" line wouldn't be quite as funny...

As for Travolta as Edna; I was very against the idea at first. Now I've decided to just wait and see how the movie ends up. If the movie is horrible (which most movie-musicals are, in my opinion), then at least we'll have something to laugh about.

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But get a reality check here, It is theatre. As i stated earlier, this is the only place in the us where you can legally discriminate! DEAL WITH IT. What is the use of this mindless posting if it is never going to happen. The character Edna will loose everything that is ever appealing to the charcter if it is played by a female. If i am the only one who feels this way then it is messed up, but if anyone else feels this way, let me know because i don't want to be defending a lost cause!

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