[Marlee]

I'm auditioning for Oliver! soon, and I was wondering which one to go for. I think someone told me that Charlotte doesn't sing, which is okay with me.

Which one do you think is a better part to go for?

[Salome]

Bet is a non-speaking role who sings in 2 songs.

Charlotte has less scenes but has more lines and is a better role.

[Nettik]

I think one of the actors in our Oliver! put it best:

"Bet is the strangest principal role I've ever seen in musical theatre. She's prominently featured in just about every scene, but she doesn't have a single line of dialogue and she has very minimal singing."

So, Bet's in more scenes, and she typically gets to do some pretty good dancing as well as the minimal singing.

More here: http://musicals.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46329



But Charlotte, while only being in two (?) scenes and has no singing, has to be played by a strong actor. She has to be able to be quite flirty to Noah, yet be able to flick on a switch and scream at Oliver, then go immediately back...

Oh, and Charlotte gets to throw water on her mother in the musical.

More here: http://musicals.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46329

[Salome]

bet isnt in almost every scene. she is in 4 scenes.

[broadway babii x0]

i'm Bet and I'm in Consider Yourself, Fine Life, I'd Do Anything, Oom Pa Pa, Who Will Buy, and one more we haven't blocked yet, I completely forget what scene it is; it's in the second act, it's with Bill Sykes and he says "Go away Bet." and that's all I remember, lol.

[Nettik]

"As Long As He Needs Me" is the song that comes after that, "My Name" comes before that.

[fjays]

Well, Bet has no personality whatsoever and sings a very minimal amount.
as in, only a few lines.

Charlotte, however, has around 20 lines, and is a very strong character.
and although she's only in two scenes, they're pretty good scenes.. In fact, she sort of even wrestles with oliver. Nice, ey? Not forgettable at all!

But, you know, I may be a bit biased

[Salome]

[zombiefl12]

In the Oliver production in our area, Bet was in Who Will Buy and Consider Yourself as well. Now in Who Will Buy, she had no personality whatsoever and very well could've just been an ensemble double, but in Consider Yourself, she did a pickpocketing of several people throughout the song, showing that the actress clearly was supposed to be Bet, not just a random passerby.

[Tumnus1031]

Our Bet was in all the standard stuff, and she was in Consider Yourself. She was in her Bet costume, but I don't think our director had any specific role for her in that scene...we just needed more "adults" in the chorus.

In our show our director also changed the line that Bill says: "Go home, Bet" and gave it to Nancy instead. It really made more sense; Bill left Nancy behind at the bar, Bet hid from him and came out to comfort her, but Nancy just tells her to go away. We also gave Bet the line "It's Nancy! He's murdered Nancy!"

She ALSO had a bow with Nancy and Bill, but that might've just been because she was a senior.

[fjays]

[Tumnus1031]

Haha, I was the only one who actually cared. The guy playing Bill was actually one of the nicest people ever and the girl playing Nancy had bonded with Bet over the course of the show.

If they WERE bothered by it, they didn't show it. The girl playing Bet even said she felt uncomfortable bowing so late...I think. Either way, I found it extremely odd but didn't let it bother me. It was the earliest bow I ever had and I was focused on the fact that the two kids who played Charlotte and Noah (they were Fagin's gang as well) came out as orphans and bowed first with the rest of us instead of bowing with the other Sowerberrys.

Our production was just screwed up in general.

[Salome]

fagin gets final call followed by oliver.. nancey..then bill..bumble and corney...brownlow,dodger and the sowerberries. bet oesnt even fugure into the principal call.

[Tumnus1031]

[Nettik]

In our production, Bet bowed with Bill Sykes.

Then if I remember correctly, it was Dodger, Nancy, Fagin, then Oliver.

[Salome]

[quote="Tumnus1031"][quote]

Sorry, but in musicals, characters who lead the big chorus numbers and get to sing in several songs usually bow before characters that don't sing at all.

quote]

um.. no regardless of what they sing the more integral role bows closer to last.

Jeff Douglss in Brigadoon doesnt sing at all and he gets 2nd to last call.
Finian..the LEAD in Finian's Rainbow doesnt sing at all either. Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady doesnt sing and always gets 4th to last bow after higgins,Liza and Alfie.


there is a reason for a curtain call you know its just not a vanity thing.

[ActingDude17]

I've got to back Salome on this. Brownlow is a better part and thus should get a later bow than Dodger.

Maybe I'm just biased because my dad was our Mr. Brownlow when I was in Oliver!.

Back on topic: I think Bet is a bigger part. She's in more scenes and has some singing in "I'd Do Anything". Charlotte has no singing whatsoever and her scene is the Noah/Oliver scene, where she isn't even the main focus.

[Salome]

Exactly... brownlow is a larger role and more integral to the show.

as for Bet...bet is never the main focus either..plus she doesnt have a single line in the show. Charlotte is a much better and well developed role.

[ActingDude17]

[What Is This Feeling?]

If I were a girl, I'd rather play Charlotte. If I could choose. But I'd accept Bet though too.