I'm just curious about other ones I know other than the Leading Player in Pippin. And I'm talking about roles that are specifically stated in the script that they can either be played by a man or woman. And if there is another thread about this, can someone post the link please? Thanks.
If I'm not wrong, the role of Lillian in Nine was originally written for a man, then they fell in love with Montevecchi and made it a woman; but I think I read that it can be played by a man a named "Maurice" if it happens.
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imeldasturn said: "If I'm not wrong, the role of Lillian in Nine was originally written for a man, then they fell in love with Montevecchi and made it a woman; but I think I read that it can be played by a man a named "Maurice" if it happens."
I'm pretty sure I checked the book of the musical out from the library and it definitely listed both Liliane la Fleur and Stephanie Necrophorus were both originally supposed to be men. The legend goes that no men auditioned that the creative team liked, so they went with the odd (and in my opinion genius) idea to have the whole cast be women except for Guido, young Guido and a few of his schoolmates. It's a very cool concept that is similar to that movie The Women. I wish the movie version of Nine had kept the concept (though I understand it would have been difficult and farfetched).
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
I doubt that any of these roles are specifically stated in the script that they can be played by either sex. For example, Paula Kelly's casting as the Leading Player in PIPPIN was obviously based on Fosse's having worked with her in SWEET CHARITY and realizing her suitability, but Diane Paulus actually considered a variety of men and women for the revival, workshopping a core group of completely different types (including white males and females) before deciding on Patina Miller. What surprises me is that all of Miller's replacements have been carbon copies. But usually directors make the "unconventional casting" call, such as making The Whitmans in FOLLIES a sister act rather than a married couple, or changing the sex of the dancers in A CHORUS LINE. Apparently the script of NINE was indeed written to include male characters but Tommy Tune was so dazzled by the array of female talent he was auditioning that it led to the "eureka" moment of casting the whole show with women.
Tom5 said: "Just a guess but I think if a character in a musical or play could be of either gender that character may not have been written too sharply.
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Considering some of the roles mentioned thus far, that argument doesn't really hold up.
Perhaps people are confusing race blind roles (good) with genderblind roles, which in many cases might fall more in the category of gimmick casting. What serious playwright would like a producer to switch the sex on one of his characters?
There's a difference between Peter Pan, where the character gender remains as written whether played by a male or female (same can be said for Gary Coleman in Avenue Q) and the gender of the character changing based on the gender of the actor playing it, because the gender of the character is not relevant to the story. This could include The Lead Player in Pippin and the MC in Cabaret.
Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.
Not to be nitpicky, but in the number Two Ladies in Cabaret, it is stated that the Emcee is a man. Of course, the show does bend gender lines a lot so you could definitely have a woman in that role, but just to be specific.
Many of the characters in Charles Busch's plays can be played by either men or women, although the sex of the character stays the same - this includes Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Psycho Beach Party, Red Scare on Sunset, The Lady in Question, The Divine Sister, etc., etc., etc.