Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

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The part of Billy Elliot being played by an adult woman, as Mary Martin played Peter Pan?

Hate idea, and would never attend show
33
85%
Hate idea, but would still attend show
6
15%
Neutral to idea, and may or may not attend show
0
No votes
Like idea, and think it would improve show
0
No votes
Like idea, and think adults should replace all children's roles
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 39

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Michal
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by Michal »

Well, in the Czech production of Les Misérables, the role of Gavroche was played most of the time by a youngish female actor, and I can tell you it sucked. She was over-playing the boyishness of Gavroche and to me, it looked just plain silly. But it seemed to me most of the audience didn't even notice it wasn't a boy :roll:
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LiamM
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by LiamM »

One of things that makes Billy Elliot a powerful story is that it is true, not in the sense that there was a real boy in 1984 named Billy Elliot who loved to dance, but in that boys can and do love to dance. If an adult female played Billy Elliot, it would destroy the message of the show. The message of the should would be that boys can dance only in fiction and in the real world, a female is needed to dance.
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OliverWaters
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by OliverWaters »

In the case of Peter Pan, having him played by a leggy female with an unboyish, perfect pixie cut makes it seem more like a lesbian self-discovery tale than anything else.
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ERinVA
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by ERinVA »

It is traditional for a woman to play Peter Pan, as you will note from some links in the discussion about the NBC broadcast that explain how the role was played by a woman in Barrie's original play.

There is no reason that I can see for a woman to play Billy. It's a great part for a boy, and it is also a great opportunity for talented young triple-threat actors.
Ellen



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Eltonjohn
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by Eltonjohn »

(Off topic comment withdrawn.)

Thinking of the late Robbin Williams /Doubtfire and Dustin Hoffman /Tootsie, gifted male actors in travesti seem to come across very believably (i.e. not at all as drag queens). On the other hand, Julie Andrews /Victor (?) seemed less credible as a man, like Mary Martin et al. I can't think of a female performer who stands out playing a major, opposite gender role as astonishingly well as Williams or Hoffman. But perhaps some could be suggested here.
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ERinVA
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by ERinVA »

Yes, I think your opening comment is off topic. Let's stick with the question, shall we, and save the forum issues being discussed in Members Only for Members Only.
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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kport
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Re: Adult Woman Playing Adolescent Boy

Post by kport »

The only time I saw anything remotely like this at a BETM performance was when Small Boy was played by a BG at one performance at The Straz four years ago. (One BG was indentified in the Playbill as a SB understudy.) She was fine, but her gender was evident, which rather negated the whole substance behind the role of Small Boy. In a word, it was confusing to those 'in the know', but was probably passed over by first timers.

(Now, totally O/T, but the time Small Boy was played by a very experienced Michael at the VPT last spring, when a SB was held up arriving at a Thursday matinee - now, that was a hoot!)
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