Marian age???

NaNcE68 · Marian age???

I want to go for Marian in a Community Theatre show, but I think I may be too young-I am sixteen, but very mature in looks and voice. How young is the youngest one you guys have seen?

snowhite880

The youngest i've seen is 14. (It was The Music Man Jr.) it worked though, the Harold was 15, so he looked older and it looked good. Also, when i was 10 i was Amarilyss and our Marian was 16. Good Luck! Very Happy

minesayrejoice

Go for it!

SingerDoll

I want to refresh this... what is the normal age for this role? I am 23 but I look about 19-20...

LisaKitty

Marian is supposed to be early to mid 20's. Old enough that the townspeople consider her a "spinster", and think she should have been married long since. It's actually a pretty important character point. Someone who looks like a fresh young teenager won't have the right look and bearing to carry it off.

That said, I have seen community productions cast people as young as 19 and as old as early 40's in this role. It's all about playing age. If you can look and act mid-20's on stage, that's what's really important. Also, you never know what any particular director is looking for.

SingerDoll

I agree! Thank you.. its all about who and what they have available. What i have noticed is if they have a show like "Oklahoma" and they have the two male leads at ages 35 and 40 they usually dont cast the "apropriate" age for the leading ladies (about 20) but instead they go with older women (35). But i am about the right age for the role, buuut will have to wait to see in the auditions who else is auditioning for what before I can tell who they would cast.

Thanks again!

Ulla Dance Again!

Good luck with it all. I think if you have the talent, you definitely have a shot at getting the role... it sounds like you do, so best of luck! Smile

Brigantine

I played Marian when I was 21, opposite a Harold who had two children in college. Wink

I'm tall and play older on stage though, so it worked.
I thought somewhere in the script it says she is 26... or maybe Harold makes a reference to her age at the footbridge ("You're late" "But you said fifteen minutes"..." about 26 years too late"). Or maybe that was something our director put in the show, I can't remember.
But I would say older than 25. Anything under 22-23 would still be an Ok age at that time in history, I think, but getting into her official mid-twenties would earn censure from other women and earn the title old maid.

SingerDoll

hmm... I could see if that reference was made. I wouldnt make 26 but I am 23. I just found out the director is Peter Palmer, the broadway legend!
I also found out that the lead (Harold Hill) is 28 years old. We had a similiar run in, when auditioning for Cinderella but he was not cast as the prince because it seemed that he was too old for me. This could be a potiential problem, he has the voice but on stage he looks older.

Is Harold Hill suppost to be older than marion? By how much?

Brigantine

I think Harold is definitely supposed ot be older, but as others have pointed out, age in relation might work just as well as actual age. If he's 28 and you're 23, but both look older, then that should be perfect. I think Harold is supposed to be about 38-40, just my opinion. He's been a salesman for a long time. He had been a salesman for a long time when he used to know Marcellus, and Marcellus has been in River City for a while, so I think he has to look at least mid to late 30's. To be as smooth and smart as he is, and not come off as a cocky bastard he has to be older than 30. Wink

(Robert Preston looks ancient in the movie)
And like I said, I was 21 when I played Marian to a Harold who was in his 40's.

Mrs.Paroo

In our play, the script said she was about 26. And it doesn't matter so much your age itself as your age in comparison of the rest of cast. We did the Music Man Jr. and seeing as our Marian was fourteen (the oldest of us, including me, are fourteen, the youngest of which were eight and nine) she seemed old because the rest of the cast was younger with a few exceptions such as Harold and Mrs. Paroo, and some twelve-year-olds as the Mayor, Eulalie, Marcellus, ect. If you seem old enough in contrast to your fellow actors/actresses, it should work just fine (that's my opinion anyways)

NaNcE68	Marian age??? I want to go for Marian in a Community Theatre show, but I think I may be too young-I am sixteen, but very mature in looks and voice. How young is the youngest one you guys have seen?
snowhite880	The youngest i've seen is 14. (It was The Music Man Jr.) it worked though, the Harold was 15, so he looked older and it looked good. Also, when i was 10 i was Amarilyss and our Marian was 16. Good Luck!
minesayrejoice	Go for it!
SingerDoll	I want to refresh this... what is the normal age for this role? I am 23 but I look about 19-20...
LisaKitty	Marian is supposed to be early to mid 20's. Old enough that the townspeople consider her a "spinster", and think she should have been married long since. It's actually a pretty important character point. Someone who looks like a fresh young teenager won't have the right look and bearing to carry it off. That said, I have seen community productions cast people as young as 19 and as old as early 40's in this role. It's all about playing age. If you can look and act mid-20's on stage, that's what's really important. Also, you never know what any particular director is looking for.
SingerDoll	I agree! Thank you.. its all about who and what they have available. What i have noticed is if they have a show like "Oklahoma" and they have the two male leads at ages 35 and 40 they usually dont cast the "apropriate" age for the leading ladies (about 20) but instead they go with older women (35). But i am about the right age for the role, buuut will have to wait to see in the auditions who else is auditioning for what before I can tell who they would cast. Thanks again!
Ulla Dance Again!	Good luck with it all. I think if you have the talent, you definitely have a shot at getting the role... it sounds like you do, so best of luck!
Brigantine	I played Marian when I was 21, opposite a Harold who had two children in college. I'm tall and play older on stage though, so it worked. I thought somewhere in the script it says she is 26... or maybe Harold makes a reference to her age at the footbridge ("You're late" "But you said fifteen minutes"..." about 26 years too late"). Or maybe that was something our director put in the show, I can't remember. But I would say older than 25. Anything under 22-23 would still be an Ok age at that time in history, I think, but getting into her official mid-twenties would earn censure from other women and earn the title old maid.
SingerDoll	hmm... I could see if that reference was made. I wouldnt make 26 but I am 23. I just found out the director is Peter Palmer, the broadway legend! I also found out that the lead (Harold Hill) is 28 years old. We had a similiar run in, when auditioning for Cinderella but he was not cast as the prince because it seemed that he was too old for me. This could be a potiential problem, he has the voice but on stage he looks older. Is Harold Hill suppost to be older than marion? By how much?
Brigantine	I think Harold is definitely supposed ot be older, but as others have pointed out, age in relation might work just as well as actual age. If he's 28 and you're 23, but both look older, then that should be perfect. I think Harold is supposed to be about 38-40, just my opinion. He's been a salesman for a long time. He had been a salesman for a long time when he used to know Marcellus, and Marcellus has been in River City for a while, so I think he has to look at least mid to late 30's. To be as smooth and smart as he is, and not come off as a cocky bastard he has to be older than 30. (Robert Preston looks ancient in the movie) And like I said, I was 21 when I played Marian to a Harold who was in his 40's.
Mrs.Paroo	In our play, the script said she was about 26. And it doesn't matter so much your age itself as your age in comparison of the rest of cast. We did the Music Man Jr. and seeing as our Marian was fourteen (the oldest of us, including me, are fourteen, the youngest of which were eight and nine) she seemed old because the rest of the cast was younger with a few exceptions such as Harold and Mrs. Paroo, and some twelve-year-olds as the Mayor, Eulalie, Marcellus, ect. If you seem old enough in contrast to your fellow actors/actresses, it should work just fine (that's my opinion anyways)

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Marian age???