I know there is dozens of threads dedicated to female duets but I was wondering if anyone would mind listing duets intended for one female to be African-American and the other Caucasian (besides Take Me Or Leave Me because it is already being done). A friend and I would like to do something together and was wondering if there is anything like this. We thought it would be cool to do something that we can play into the race.
• Worlds Apart - Big River • Why Am I Me?/We Make A Beautiful Pair - Shenandoah* • Solid Silver Platform Shoes - The Magic Show • Old Friend - I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road** • Fran and Janie - Is There Life After High School?
* The first two songs are male duets, but could easily work for women. Why Am I Me? focuses on race. We Make a Beautiful Pair is sung by two women about their male loves, but is innocuous enough to be about a strong friendship. The two songs together might tell a story you'd be interested in telling.
** I don't know your age. This song speaks about two friends sitting in a bar and talking 'til two. I don't know if that's age appropriate for you.
The other songs aren't race specific, but with enough imagination, race can be injected into any situation. (i.e., Solid Silver Platform Shoes might show differences in race using costume choices/hair styles.)
Not sure when you say "intended" if you mean that it is textually or necessarly intended that one singer be an African American woman and one be a Caucasian woman, or if you mean that it was originally cast that way?
But you may want to look at:
The duets for Rose and Caroline in CAROLINE OR CHANGE
Gettin' a Man from SARATOGA
any duets (?) for Catherine and Dollie or any other white woman in THE GRASS HARP
Can't Hell Lovin' Dat Man Of Mine (not exactly a duet) from SHOW BOAT
any duets (?) for Jewel and Mona in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE
if you consider Amneris as a role intended for a white actress, then, as already suggested, My Strongest Suit from AIDA
if you consider Kate as a role intended for a black actress, Best Friend from THE WILD PARTY
Here Within These Walls from SISTER ACT
Go Home from THE LIFE
There might be some in the musical of GONE WITH THE WIND
His Eye is On The Sparrow - classic song sung by Frankie and Berenice (with John Henry) in the play THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING, and it's a safe bet that, if you can fine them, there are duets for Frankie and Berenice in Mary Rodgers's musical adaptation, F. JASMINE ADAMS