Which role has the shortest on stage time?

[Loopin’theloop]

Swiss Miss said: "Snow White and Sleeping Beauty in Into the Woods"

This is an interesting one as there is absolutely nobody they can double with, if they are included it’s ususlly the understudies and the actor and character do nothing else on those performances - unless they are booth singing 

[a12la]

TexanAddams18 said: "The mother inThe Wolves.I was literally in shock that they spent the money for her to come out and say what, 4 sentences?"

She has like a 5 minute monologue and it's easily the most powerful and intense moment of the play.

[Bwayfan292]

The grandma in Tuck everlasting. Girls on for a song and just sings winnie. And then we never see her again untill the end

[TexanAddams18]

a12la said: "TexanAddams18 said: "The mother inThe Wolves.I was literally in shock that they spent the money for her to come out and say what, 4 sentences?"

She has like a 5 minute monologue and it's easily the most powerful and intense moment of the play."

Apologies, the only iteration I saw was very early on at NYSAF and it was certainly not 5 minutes. I'm glad the author extended it for as you said it is the climax of the show.

[chewy5000]

In THE CRUCIBLE there's a character who comes on simply to announce the arrival of another character at the beginning of act 4. One sentence. What's more, it's not like there's an ensemble for them to join for the rest of the show. Killing time backstage was so dull I forgot to take off my watch one night...

[HamilHansen]

chewy5000 said: "In THE CRUCIBLE there's a character who comes on simply to announce the arrival of another character at the beginning of act 4. One sentence. What's more, it's not like there's an ensemble for them to join for the rest of the show. Killing time backstage was so dull I forgot to take off my watch one night..."

You're referring to Hopkins, the jailor. Most productions I've seen double him with Francis Nurse or Thomas Putnam. 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. One song in the second act.

[ghostlight2]

 "Bruiser in LEGALLY BLONDE
Sandy in ANNIE
Chowsie in GYPSY"

"Those dogs are working very hard! Those roles are onstage for a lot of the show, when you think about it."

....but are they Equity?

Roy Johnson, Margaret's husband from Light in the Piazza, had only one or two scenes.

[blaxx]

There's a big difference in musicals between smaller roles and smaller tracks. A lot of those with smaller parts have longer tracks elsewhere.

[bwaylinds]

Suprised nobody has mentioned Lulu from Waitress. She says no more than 10 words yet the show would be completely different without her brief appearance at the end.

[CindersGolightly]

Bobby in “Cabaret” - especially if he isn’t apart of Two Ladies.

[GavestonPS]

A friend of mine who played Fantine in LES MIZ on Broadway said it was the easiest gig she ever had: come out for 10 or so minutes, sing the biggest showstopper of the score, and then catch up on your reading until the curtain call.

[Valentina3]

GavestonPS said: "A friend of mine who played Fantine in LES MIZ on Broadway said it was the easiest gig she ever had: come out for 10or so minutes, sing the biggest showstopper of the score, and then catch up on your reading until the curtain call."

The original staging had Fantine join the ensemble after the Act I break (was it even before the break?) There have been conflicting reports - interviews on how Patti enjoyed the free time during her time in the London cast, but then I have definitely read articles about the track the actress is supposed to cover through rest of the show. With star casting of Fantine which is very common now, I think that would be difficult to pull off in major productions now. Audiences would most certainly notice likes of Lea Salonga/Patti LuPone even in revolutionary attire.

[SomethingPeculiar]

bwaylinds said: "Suprised nobody has mentioned Lulu from Waitress. She says no more than 10 words yet the show would be completely different without her brief appearance at the end."

I think Lulu goes into the "Young Coalhouse" category. Or productions of Seussical that use a little kid as the elephant bird at the end.

And I'll echo blaxx's comment –– this conversation is about featured ROLES that aren't part of a track. There are plenty of bit parts in shows that are combined into tracks.

One that I'm surprised hasn't come up yet:  The Phantom! For a first-billed, iconic leading role, the Phantom only has ~20 mins of stage time, right?

[sorano916]

Wasn't there a third woman in "The River" that literally comes out at the very end?

[Speed]

Tom of Warwick in CAMELOT- one scene at the very end

Mrs Muller in DOUBT- one scene that's about 9 minutes long, Adriane Lenox won a Tony for it and Viola Davis got an Oscar nomination forit

Teen Angel in GREAT- one song.  that's it.
 

[GavestonPS]

Valentina3 said: "The original staging had Fantine join the ensemble after the Act I break (was it even before the break?) There have been conflicting reports - interviews on how Patti enjoyed the free time during her time in the London cast, but then I have definitely read articles about the track the actress is supposed to cover through rest of the show. With star casting of Fantine which is very common now, I think that would be difficult to pull off in major productions now. Audiences would most certainly notice likes of Lea Salonga/Patti LuPone even in revolutionary attire."

Somewhere here there's a thread where people reported LuPone's account of hiding during her "ensemble" bits.

I texted my friend. She says she was given a choice to play a boy on the barricade or not. She chose to do so, because it was a fun scene and there was no pressure, since she was disguised. She was in the show in the mid-1990s.

[jwsel]

Trix in Drowsy Chaperone appears briefly in the opening number and then at the very end to sing "I Do, I Do in the Sky" and join in the reprise of "As We Stumble Along."  That probably is a total of 5 minutes max.

How long is Berthe on stage in Pippin?  She usually appears with the ensemble in "Magic to Do" and leads "No Time at All," but that's about it.  For that brief appearance, Andrea Martin won the Tony (deservedly, imo) and Irene Ryan was nominated for best featured actress. 

[GavestonPS]

Speaking of Tony Awards for very short appearances, there's BONNIE in APPLAUSE. The performer, Bonnie Franklin, won a Tony Award and got her own sitcom just for singing the title song. The amateur productions I've seen since I saw the original have used Bonnie as a dancer in all the ensemble numbers, but I don't know if they did that in the Broadway show.

If not, that's a really short part. She only sings the verse and first chorus before the ensemble takes over the vocals.

[Lauren2]

I won't say who because I have to #KeepTheSecrets but alot of people in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

[MauraLovesMusicals]

star to be from annie? she’s on stage for max of 60 seconds and then leaves

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

I always wondered, does the actor who plays Rose's father in Gypsy double as another character? 

I would mention one character but I think even a mere mention would be a major spoiler for this recently mounted play.

[SomethingPeculiar]

MauraLovesMusicals said: "star to be from annie? she’s on stage for max of 60 seconds and then leaves"

Yeah but Star-to-Be is just part of someone's ensemble track. There are tons of tracks like that.

[DrowsyKaye]

As of the Chicago try-out, Michael McGrath has all of two scenes in Tootsie. In Act 1, he shows up for all of 2 minutes for one scene, and then doesn't appear again until midway in Act 2 for another, maybe 5 minute scene, and that's it.

[MauraLovesMusicals]

SomethingPeculiar said: "MauraLovesMusicals said: "star to be from annie? she’s on stage for max of 60 seconds and then leaves"

Yeah butStar-to-Be is justpart of someone's ensemble track. There aretonsof tracks like that."

oh, lots of the productions i’ve seen have just had her show up and i didn’t see her in the ensemble after. maybe i was just really oblivious