Last night I was thinking about lead actors who are in the ensemble for certain songs. I know most of the main actors in Wicked are in the ensemble in No One Mourns the Wicked and in Matilda Ms. Honey plays a parent in Miracle. So my question is do any of you know any other examples?
If you consider them leads, Marius, Cosette, Enjolras, Eponine, and the Thénardiers are all in the ensemble before their respective characters' first scenes.
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Patti LuPone (if I am remembering correctly), stated that she was on the barricade after she died as Fantine. I don't know if that "tradition" has continued.
For Gentleman's Guide, the actresses who play Phoebe and Sibella are in the ensemble in the songs at the top of both acts.
For American Idiot, the actresses who play Whatsername and Extraordinary Girl are in the ensemble numbers leading up to their characters' arcs begin.
During the Paper Mill run of Newsies, the actor who played Crutchie became an ensemble Brooklyn newsie during "Brooklyn's Here" as the character of Crutchie was left in the Refuge for a majority of Act 2.
For the current Les Miserable Bway production, I don't think Fantine is at the barricades, but she's certainly one of the women for "Turning".
It's very common, many supporting roles are often in the ensemble when possible.
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For a show that's happening now, Steve Pasquale is, for all intents and purposes, considered the lead in Robber Bridegroom. However, he appears onstage or sings in the ensemble for nearly all other songs except for maybe two of them.
I know this is probably different than the scope of the intent of the original question, but Sally and Phyllis are kinda ensemble members backing up Stella in "Who's That Woman" in "Follies".
In the two regional productions that I've seen, Migaldi and the Mistress usually is part of the ensemble and Peron ends up in the ensemble a few times in "Evita".
LizzieCurry said: "If you consider them leads, Marius, Cosette, Enjolras, Eponine, and the Thénardiers are all in the ensemble before their respective characters' first scenes."
You just have to check the actors' twitters and you'll find pictures of the actors playing Marius or Enjolras with their faces covered with dust and ready for the opening scene.I don't know much about the Broadway production, but in London Cosette and Eponine are two of the "lovely ladies", Enjolras and Marius are two of the judges in "Who Am I?", Enjolras is the butler in the wedding scene and so on.
^ you don't need a link. You have to watch the show and look at the faces.
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The actors playing Valjean and Javert are the only actors in Les Miserables that don't play any additional roles in the show.
I always chuckled at Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras) because when he came out as a beggar in "At the End of the Day" they tried to hide him by having him cover most of his face with a blanket/shawl type thing, but he was so tall and it was so obviously him that it was almost comical.
Just taking Marius as an example - he's a prisoner in the opening, then also in the farm scene, then a beggar in, then one of the factory workers, then during Lovely Ladies / Fantine's Arrest he's one of the townspeople. Cosette and Eponine are also beggars, then factory workers, then whores during Lovely Ladies.
I don't know if it's the case for all productions, but in the current Australian production of Cats the actress playing Grizabella plays another nondescript cat in the opening number.
StephieElise said: "I don't know if it's the case for all productions, but in the current Australian production of Cats the actress playing Grizabella plays another nondescript cat in the opening number. "
Many of lead characters in spamalot, excluding King Arthur and lady of the lake, played multiple roles in the ensemble.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
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LizzieCurry said: "If you consider them leads, Marius, Cosette, Enjolras, Eponine, and the Thénardiers are all in the ensemble before their respective characters' first scenes."