Changing Sexes!

stonewall · Changing Sexes!

My daughter just finished playing the "Jester" in her school's production! The casting was really odd, because she is an incredible lyric soprano who can also belt (Larken, Winifred???). but they went soley by grade seniority and she is a sophomore. On the good side was, she got to take the high notes in "Normandy" and almost blew the Minstrel and Larken off of the set, and she had a great solo in "Very Soft Shoes; the odd thing was that the choreographer had no idea how to put together a soft-shoe number so she had the poor kid doing it in 2" tap character shoes Shocked

! Now, it came off great, but what person who claims to be a choreographer lets the jazz shoes go unused for that particular number?! Question

It was great though- five minutes all to herself in front of the gold curtain in a black velvet dress slashed with jewel tones- gorgeous, but odd!

musikal_geek

Uh... cool.

Maine Music Teacha

I am currently working with a high school on Mattress and our Jester is also female. I have not seen what our choreographer has done with soft shoes yet BUT this is the 2nd time I have worked on Mattress. If I remember right Soft Shoes is a TAP number. I do not know much about tap shoes, or tap dancing...Is there such a thing as Jazz tap shoes?

The tap dancing is appropriate for this scene, however...I'm not tap shoe expert Smile

Just my 2 cents!!

MMT Smile

PS--if there are any spelling errors...well....lets just say that's why I teach music Smile

Gazelle

i have been in the show 5 times now.

i played the Jester at one point myself, and when i was the Minstrel i had a female Jester. Honestly i looove love love the Jester being female much more over a male Jester. it gave an extra something for the Wizard and Jester to go on, and especially if the Minstrel is female as well it, for some reason and a few reasons, more believeable for the jeliousy over Sir Wizard's attention.

We did Normandy, both times when i was Jester/Minstrel, taking the high notes. So Lark, Jest, and Minstrel did the whole song as such and it was beautiful. Yet if your Minstrel was a boy, and/or Larkin maybe being an alto i could see it being much different.

i agree, i think Shoes needs to be a very very Jazzy number, with a lot of fast on your toes movements. i mean she's a Jester! *shrug*

Salome

I really despise it when they make the jester and or minstrel female. it doesnt make sense at all.

Gazelle

That was really my first thought too, because i had a female minstrel and male Jester when i was Fred and it was really really biz-are!
Especially because there is alot alot alot of lines that just don't work if the minstrel is a woman, like why Larkin was "running away with that musician!" cause it is supposta be really suggestive.

But under different direction it worked the other times i was in the show *shrug*

i think it really depends on the Director AND very much on the actors. it has to fit and look right. i have seen it done with females where it was just ugh.

stonewall

Having the Jester cast as female does work, but only if you play it as really broad comedy as my D did. She acted as if the Wizard (the Queen's henchman) was deaf and carried the humor that way. A few of the lines had to be "altered" but even though it makes more sense vocally for the Minstral to be female, it requires much more shifting around of characters and lines and upsets the flow of the piece.
As for tap, no, the original WAS done as a soft shoe number, NOT as a tap (I can vouch for this first hand) but it was interesting discovering that my D COULD really tap, and fast- which is the pace you have to maintain in order to keep the number going. As for the shoes, you take 2" characters (NOT T-straps and you could use 1 1/2, but 2" gives a better "line") and simply attach preferably TelTone taps to them (they have the best sound) and then have her run off and do a quick change back into her regular character shoes when the number is finished.
As I said, it worked, but wouldn't have been my first choice.

Theatrelife101

I'm in the show right now- Half the girls in the cast are playing knights lol.

our jester and Minstrel are men, but the Minstrel's understudy is a woman.

The Very Soft Shoes dance number is a tap number in our show too.

krazykels10

My High School is having auditions for OUaM March 5, 6, and 7. Our drama department has a LOT more girls than guys. (Mainly because most of the guys in my school will only play sports.) I'm hoping that the director will make some of the male roles female because I don't think it's possible to fill all the male roles.

stonewall

Should be perfectly "do-able" as the only one of the "in doubt" roles that I think really HAS to be male is the Queen's confidanT. With a few line "switches" here and there, the Minstral's range is perfect for a girl and it turns out that the Jester is often cast that way, which, if the Music Director knows what they are doing can really make "Normandy" sound beautiful. Also, don't forget the "Nightengale of Samarkand" can be a girl also, and there is plenty of room for more Ladies in Waiting. Another off thing about the female Jester is pairing up for the dance numbers- my D always ended up paired with her "double" from the other cast! Good luck and have fun ,because the show is a blast!
PS- It helps to have someone in the audience "planted" to initiate applause after the Minstral's introduction as he/she launch right into dialogue if there is no applause break and it can really set the tone for the rest of the evening Laughing

!

PappyCat

We have a female Jester and Female Wizard, and it is working ou quite nicely. Both have extremely short hair, and the Wizard has a deeper voice, so It doesn't seem to be too big of a problem. I believe we are leaving the Wizard's part male, but playing the Jester as a woman.

As a female who played Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, I don't think switching around genders in supporting characters is that big of deal as long as it doesn't disrupt the show. (I played Cogsy as a man, obviously.

stonewall

The only trouble with ours was that my D is a lyric soprano which made "Normandy" really interesting as she really took those high notes!

stonewall	Changing Sexes! My daughter just finished playing the "Jester" in her school's production! The casting was really odd, because she is an incredible lyric soprano who can also belt (Larken, Winifred???). but they went soley by grade seniority and she is a sophomore. On the good side was, she got to take the high notes in "Normandy" and almost blew the Minstrel and Larken off of the set, and she had a great solo in "Very Soft Shoes; the odd thing was that the choreographer had no idea how to put together a soft-shoe number so she had the poor kid doing it in 2" tap character shoes ! Now, it came off great, but what person who claims to be a choreographer lets the jazz shoes go unused for that particular number?! It was great though- five minutes all to herself in front of the gold curtain in a black velvet dress slashed with jewel tones- gorgeous, but odd!
musikal_geek	Uh... cool.
Maine Music Teacha	I am currently working with a high school on Mattress and our Jester is also female. I have not seen what our choreographer has done with soft shoes yet BUT this is the 2nd time I have worked on Mattress. If I remember right Soft Shoes is a TAP number. I do not know much about tap shoes, or tap dancing...Is there such a thing as Jazz tap shoes? The tap dancing is appropriate for this scene, however...I'm not tap shoe expert Just my 2 cents!! MMT PS--if there are any spelling errors...well....lets just say that's why I teach music
Gazelle	i have been in the show 5 times now. i played the Jester at one point myself, and when i was the Minstrel i had a female Jester. Honestly i looove love love the Jester being female much more over a male Jester. it gave an extra something for the Wizard and Jester to go on, and especially if the Minstrel is female as well it, for some reason and a few reasons, more believeable for the jeliousy over Sir Wizard's attention. We did Normandy, both times when i was Jester/Minstrel, taking the high notes. So Lark, Jest, and Minstrel did the whole song as such and it was beautiful. Yet if your Minstrel was a boy, and/or Larkin maybe being an alto i could see it being much different. i agree, i think Shoes needs to be a very very Jazzy number, with a lot of fast on your toes movements. i mean she's a Jester! shrug
Salome	I really despise it when they make the jester and or minstrel female. it doesnt make sense at all.
Gazelle	That was really my first thought too, because i had a female minstrel and male Jester when i was Fred and it was really really biz-are! Especially because there is alot alot alot of lines that just don't work if the minstrel is a woman, like why Larkin was "running away with that musician!" cause it is supposta be really suggestive. But under different direction it worked the other times i was in the show shrug i think it really depends on the Director AND very much on the actors. it has to fit and look right. i have seen it done with females where it was just ugh.
stonewall	Having the Jester cast as female does work, but only if you play it as really broad comedy as my D did. She acted as if the Wizard (the Queen's henchman) was deaf and carried the humor that way. A few of the lines had to be "altered" but even though it makes more sense vocally for the Minstral to be female, it requires much more shifting around of characters and lines and upsets the flow of the piece. As for tap, no, the original WAS done as a soft shoe number, NOT as a tap (I can vouch for this first hand) but it was interesting discovering that my D COULD really tap, and fast- which is the pace you have to maintain in order to keep the number going. As for the shoes, you take 2" characters (NOT T-straps and you could use 1 1/2, but 2" gives a better "line") and simply attach preferably TelTone taps to them (they have the best sound) and then have her run off and do a quick change back into her regular character shoes when the number is finished. As I said, it worked, but wouldn't have been my first choice.
Theatrelife101	I'm in the show right now- Half the girls in the cast are playing knights lol. our jester and Minstrel are men, but the Minstrel's understudy is a woman. The Very Soft Shoes dance number is a tap number in our show too.
krazykels10	My High School is having auditions for OUaM March 5, 6, and 7. Our drama department has a LOT more girls than guys. (Mainly because most of the guys in my school will only play sports.) I'm hoping that the director will make some of the male roles female because I don't think it's possible to fill all the male roles.
stonewall	Should be perfectly "do-able" as the only one of the "in doubt" roles that I think really HAS to be male is the Queen's confidanT. With a few line "switches" here and there, the Minstral's range is perfect for a girl and it turns out that the Jester is often cast that way, which, if the Music Director knows what they are doing can really make "Normandy" sound beautiful. Also, don't forget the "Nightengale of Samarkand" can be a girl also, and there is plenty of room for more Ladies in Waiting. Another off thing about the female Jester is pairing up for the dance numbers- my D always ended up paired with her "double" from the other cast! Good luck and have fun ,because the show is a blast! PS- It helps to have someone in the audience "planted" to initiate applause after the Minstral's introduction as he/she launch right into dialogue if there is no applause break and it can really set the tone for the rest of the evening !
PappyCat	We have a female Jester and Female Wizard, and it is working ou quite nicely. Both have extremely short hair, and the Wizard has a deeper voice, so It doesn't seem to be too big of a problem. I believe we are leaving the Wizard's part male, but playing the Jester as a woman. As a female who played Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, I don't think switching around genders in supporting characters is that big of deal as long as it doesn't disrupt the show. (I played Cogsy as a man, obviously.
stonewall	The only trouble with ours was that my D is a lyric soprano which made "Normandy" really interesting as she really took those high notes!

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Changing Sexes!