roles for short guys

#1

roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:27pm

As a 5'3 baritone, I've always thought my options in terms of roles were limited, until today when I was surfing yt and found a video of Hello, Dolly! with a my-height Barnaby. I realized that there are lots of roles for short guys. We may rarely-never get the romantic lead, but we do get some great roles. This is a thread where we can list what roles we could feasibly play!
Barnaby
Jack or the Baker in ITW
Almost anything in Fantasticks
Thenardier in LM
Boq in Wicked (lol)
What else?

#2

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:38pm

Og in Finian's Rainbow was the first one that jumped to my mind.

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Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent

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#3

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:46pm

Igor in Young Frankenstein
LeFou in Beauty and the Beast
Perhaps Benji in My Favorite Year
Charlie Brown/Linus in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

I'm sure there are more, I'm just thinking of specific roles I'd like to play!

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I'm kind of a sweat pant, t-shirt, no make-up type of girl. So once a year, I can get spiffy. Sutton Foster :)

#4

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:47pm

The Cat in the Hat? A midget in Side Show??? This is a weird topic.

#5

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:48pm

John Adams - 1776
Fiorello LaGuardia - Fiorello
Sancho - Man of LaMancha
Marcellus Washburn - Music Man (height-neutral)
Sipos in She Loves Me (height-neutral)

#6

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:49pm

Any character role. Randomly, take a look at South Pacific. Any of the sailors from Billis to a walk-on can be not tall. Any character chorus can use all sizes.

Then there is the Alan Ladd syndrome. Ladd, a movie star in the 40s and 50s, was about your height and a leading man. All his leading ladies were tiny--like 5'. With taller men he stood on a box.

Tom Cruise is not exactly Paul Bunyan, you know.

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"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher

#7

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:52pm

Seymour in Little Shop is supposed to be short, si?

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Because I look different you think I'm subversive.

#8

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 3:54pm

I think he certainly could be. It'd probably depend on Audrey casting.

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I'm kind of a sweat pant, t-shirt, no make-up type of girl. So once a year, I can get spiffy. Sutton Foster :)

#9

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 4:04pm

Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls
Kringelein in Grand Hotel
Britt Craig in Parade

I'm trying to think of roles that actually have lines or songs rather than just being in the chorus.

#10

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 4:11pm

Horton in Seussical if you are larger
Aladdin possibly depending on the jasmine casting]
Warbucks in annie cause Annie should be little

#11

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 4:12pm

Lol, yeah, hopefully it shouldn't matter for most ensembles. Though when I saw SP, none of the guys were short, and some ECCs even give a height minimum!

#12

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 4:36pm

I wouldn't look for whether it could/should be played by a shorter man....why pigeon-hole your possibilities? You have the chance to make almost ANY part yours...you just need to convince them!

As a side note: the year Les Miz became available for HS's to do, we took on the challenge. Much to our suprise (and most of the drama club) we ended up casting a 5 foot tall young man as Javert. He was BRILLIANT. Even the kids said they questioned our casting....until about 5 minutes after watching him rehearse. If you believe, so can your audience. Note: he never doubted his abilities for a second.

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If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

Updated On: 7/14/09 at 04:36 PM

#13

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 4:36pm

Bat Boy, sometimes
Frankie Valli
Gavroche
Any of the kids in Spelling Bee

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"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

Updated On: 7/14/09 at 04:36 PM

#14

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 5:07pm

Yeah, I was asked more than once at an LM call if I was auditioning for Gavroche. My response: sure, if I can sing the role down the octave!

#15

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 7:18pm

Nathan Detroit in Guys & Dolls could be 5'3".

Hysterium in FORUM.

Mordred in CAMELOT.

#16

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 7:33pm

Roger in Rent

#17

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 7:35pm

As someone who is 5'4' I approve this thread.

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"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999

#18

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 7:40pm

Standing around 5'5" myself, I grew facial hair when I turned 18 so I wouldn't be mistaken for someone younger. It worked, and I've kept the beard.

There are lots of roles that would function well in your type, just keep at it. Unless there's a height requirement for a part, never let that limit you. I was involved in a production of 'Sunday in the Park with George' with a 5'2" George. His height was never an issue.

Best,
~Kev

#19

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 7:41pm

Depending on you old you look or "read" on stage (or even film) you could play younger roles too.

Look at some of the roles Eddie Korbich has played.

#20

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 9:13pm

Yeah, I read very young. In fact, today I was asked by a shoe salesman if I was 12. But, if you slap a moustache and some gray hair on me I can easily pass for 40, so my reading young should only work in my benefit...

#21

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 9:15pm

There's always Tiny Alice, but you'd have to do the part in drag.

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"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#22

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 9:33pm

Richie the "Gimme the ball" guy from A CHORUS LINE

#23

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 9:50pm

Actors, in general, are a lot smaller than you think.

Being onstage, especially if its elevated, really deceives the eye. You would be surprised how small a lot of MT actors are.

#24

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 9:55pm

Boq in Wicked

#25

re: roles for short guys

Posted: 7/14/09 at 10:09pm

I agree about not limiting yourself because of your height. One option is to wear lifts to make you seem taller, if you wanted to do that.