Welcome to the Musicals Thread, the Avocado’s space for anything and everything related to musical theatre! Every month I’ll post a discussion prompt, but please feel free to comment on other topics, from new discoveries to old favorites. If you have ideas for future prompts or would like to write a feature for the thread, let me know!
“Why can’t they be like we were – perfect in every way?
What’s the matter with kids today?”
– Harry MacAfee (Bye Bye Birdie, lyrics by Lee Adams)
Last time we took a look at some notable older characters in musical theatre, and today we turn to the opposite end of the spectrum. There are real-world practicalities to consider when writing children into a show. How long can child actors be expected to rehearse and perform? What sort of material should they be exposed to, both in terms of musical complexity and thematic content (in the production of Assassins I attended, Sarah Jane Moore’s son was an offstage recorded voice)? Or do you forgo child actors altogether and hope that the adults in your cast can pull it off (hello, Philip Hamilton!)? As long as childhood remains a stage of life rife with dramatic possibility, theatre will continue to meet these challenges. Who are your favorite/the most memorable child characters/actors from musical theatre?
Fredrika Armfeldt of A Little Night Music acts in large part as a sounding board for the dreams, schemes, and reminiscences of the adults around her, as well as Desiree’s biggest fan. She also, however, has the innocence/maturity to see through their foolishness – in fact, setting the happy resolution of the love hexagon into motion with a key piece of information – while still retaining a tempered optimism. While I haven’t seen the 1977 movie adaptation, I especially like the expanded version of her (portion of a) song “The Glamorous Life” written for it. Fredrika still loves and admires her mother but betrays mixed feelings about the consequences of her lifestyle: