which is harder?

[CourtneyM]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 9:16am

which do you think would be harder casting for a one man show or casting for a big show with tons of people?
i know a lot of people would say the big cast but don't you think it would be really hard to cast for a one man show because you need someone who is the best seeing as how they are the only one in the show? in a show that has tons of people not all of them have to be the best ever because if they aren't amazing they are only 1 out of 20 people. i don't know what does everyone else think?

[orion59]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 11:37am

There are a number of ways you can look at this. A one person show has to rely solely on the talent of that one person but it doesn't necessarily make it harder to cast. You could conceivably have the perfect person for the part. For instance, Frank Gershin in Say Godonight Gracie, Robert Morse in Tru or Kathleen Turner in Tallulah.

A large cast show requires finding someone who is right for each role, people that look right together on stage and can compliment one another's talents in order to make the show successful.

So, I guess I have effectively not answered the question

[King Stevos]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 1:52pm

Alright,
IMO The small show is easier to cast, because, generally people auditioning for jobs, will shy away from one person shows, unless they know in their hearts that they can pull it off, and might be perfect for the role- making your job even easier- but many times the auditionees, can be wrong in their opinions- so you will get the total opposite of what you want AND those that you do want- creating AN easy job for you- since their will usually be someone that is exactly what you want or very close.

STEVOS

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 2:38pm

As had been said before, you have to look for people that are right for each role, look and sound good together and create a satisfying stage picture, but you also have to try to find people that hopefully will get along together becasue one rootten person can spoil the whole thing. I tightly knit cast that love one another to death ALWAYS manage to put on a satusfying show. Even if you have the most talented cast ever, if they hate each other, the show will suffer.

[CourtneyM]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 6:54pm

looking at it that way you are right it would be harder to cast for a bigger show because everyone has to sound and go together well.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 8:10pm

Albin's head.

[IssaMe]

Posted: 5/24/03 at 7:11am

...getting "The Full Monty" produced in Australia.

(What did you THINK I was going to say, you naughty boy!)

Posted: 5/25/03 at 7:27pm

I'm a bit muddled. "Which is harder; a big show or one person show?" Harder on who? The casting director? The producer? the promoter? Harder to market? Harder to finance? Just need some claification.

As was stated, a one person show is certainly less hassel, with less people to deal with all around. But unless you've got a great big talent and/or an amazingly good show, well, a one person show will fair badly. Another good example: Dame Edna, basically a one person show, is a huge hit because of one thing; the brilliant Barry Humprhries!! Their costs are quite modest and they gross tons of money.

Generally speaking big shows, big casts, etc. are harder to maintain and require a bigger "nut", if that's what you mean by harder.

But if you're mounting a one person show it could be harder to market and maintain if they can't break even or lose money beyond the initial investment.

Oh! I guess this is just one of those question thay can be answered by "it depends ". Interesting topic, sort of!

[JakeB]

Posted: 5/28/03 at 2:44am

I think that a show should care about every single performer in the cast enough to spend the same amount of deliberation over them than just one character. This may not be the case for the ensemble, but in a show like Witches of Eastwick + Urinetown, the ensemble are pretty important because they're all 'characters'.

[CJR]

Posted: 5/28/03 at 12:04pm

LMAO IssaMe!!!! I almost fell off my chair when I read that!

I really need to get a seatbelt for this thing if Im gonna survive posting on this board jk