[Monsieur D'Arque]

Which show has the most roles played by a single person doing quick changes?

Although many people instantly think of Little Shop of Horrors or Spamalot, most of the roles in that are tiny character pieces with one lead. In only one show does one man play eight leads.


Little Me: revival version. Martin Short one-upped Sid Caesar by playing all nine original roles, then taking in one of smaller male leads which Sid didn't play. Joining him on five smaller roles was Mike McGrath from Spamalot.


Does anyone have the score or updated script to Little Me? If so, PM me. I have the Sid Caesar original script, but am anxious to see what was added for Martin Short, since I've heard Neil Simon wrote a few jokes just for him.

[Jekkienumber24601]

No I'm actually thinking the 3 quick 15 sec changes in Little Shop for Orin. But also Sound of Music and Pimpernel. Maria and Marguerite have quick changes into full blown wedding gowns. And Marg goes from a huge red dress to that in only a minute, plus a wig change.

[jazzygirlsings]

I did a regional production of 42nd Street and had 10 costume changes...most of them were SUPER fast!

[Marcellus]

Likely Greater Tuna or Tuna Christmas.

[Ulla Dance Again!]

Beehive has a lot of quickchanges, too. And there's a few really quick ones in Cinderella, that I know of.

[Robinflamingo]

For one character, Eulalie McKechnie Shinn from Music Man has four costumes...in one scene.

[Jekkienumber24601]

I basically had one black costume in Pimpernel, while everyone else was frantically changing around me. I just laughed at them and pretended that changing my sash to a belt in 4 mins was too hard.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

[Jenem]

If I remember correctly, our Louise/Gypsy had several ridiculously quick changes during "Let Me Entertain You". I do think she suffered more than our Orin in LSOH (if we're being competitive!)

[Aimee]

[ConverseSneaker]

the narrator/mm in ITW has that quick change after the mysterious man's death.

[Luc]

[shadowdancer]

For me, it was 42nd street. after that show, everything else i did costume change wise is a breeze

[BroadwayBaby0202]

The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet) in "Show Off." It's ridiculous...what is that, like 5 seconds at the most?

[London_Mungojerrie]

42ed Street at The Royal, Durey Lane in London the girls that came through the stage floor in the final scene had to run from the wings down 2 flights of stairs to under the stage and were getting changed into the sparkily chorus girl costumes on the hydrolic (sp?) lift, on some nights they were still getting changed as they were coming up

[star2ballie]

when I was Reno, I had 4 quick changes...ay yi yi! but at least i got to wear tons of cute outfits.

[Luc]

[TheWitch]

Well if we're talking musical then Rocky Horror has a few fast ones going into the floor show. I'm nervous about those. And if you wnat to talk about straight plays too then it's the Tuna Series. (Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas, etc) Originaly all charecters were played by two men, though when done at comunity theaters and such the director some times will want a larger cast so the costume changes won't be too hard. And my God are they quick. I mean litterally the same actor walks offstage as a hick radio talk show host and in two seconds walks back on as the female manager of the local Tasty Freeze. To me the Tuna Serries are the top of quick change shows.

[star2ballie]

[Beagle On Stage]

I'm the king of quick changes. I almost always have them. In my current production, I'm the only one with quick changes, and I have five of them. One is even the onstage kind.

And I can tell you, there are three things that can make a quick change any more stressful than it already is (and these are all things I've experienced) :

1) As soon as your clothes hit the floor, you reach for the next costume only to find that some well-meaning soul saw a costume hanging backstage during intermission and helpfully returned it to the dressing room "where it belongs." Then you hear your music start onstage.

2) When your dresser gets behind you to zip you up, you feel something give and he goes, "Uh-oh. Don't worry, no one will be able to see it." Then the stage manager spirits you away and throws you onstage.

3) The rest of the cast is still onstage performing while your change is going on. You arrive where your change is supposed to take place, and your dresser is nowhere to be seen. It's not even the side of the stage that the stage manager is on, so you're basically screwed.