[wikedluva]

Just wondering everyones opinions on whether or not you think height matters in Musical Theatre.

[Violette]

Yes, I think so in some circumstances. Sorry, I know it shouldn't but I just expect some characters to be a certain size compared to others.

I was thinking whilst watching the touring Evita that I can't imagine Seamus Cullen playing any other character (in anything) apart from Che because he was a tiny man compared to everyone else on stage but as Che moves around so much he's not often comparable in height to the others.

And I know this is heightist but I don't want Eponine in Les Mis to tower over Marius, I prefer her to be short, yet I don't care how tall Cosette is. Thinking about it, I also don't care how tall Marius is, just as long as Eponine appears small!

[Michael H]

Often it's not too bad being shorter than average, as the actor can look up and have his eyes caught by the lights.

People generally look taller on stage most of the time anyway.

Occasionally, it can look odd if a leading lady towers over her co-star.

[Haz]

It does matter yes... but for as many roles as you need to be over a certain height, there are others where you need to be smaller.

For example... Boq in Wicked has to be 5'7" or under, whilst Fiyero has to be 5'9" or over. Sucks if you're a bloke who's 5'8".

[tansyloo]

In some cercomstacies it does matter. Like if an evil charecter is aboustly tiny compared to the other charecters it dosent seem to intimidating If someone is playing a mom and there is a daugther it might be a bit strange if the daughter is towering over the mom But I would say that it would be better to be taller than smaller on stage

[armadillo]

Plenty of villains both in real-life and in fiction are short - it's rather a cliche in fact. And plenty of daughters are taller than their mothers (I'm several inches taller than mine and must have been her height by the time I was 13 or so - surely that's not unusual?). Joanna Riding had no problems as Judi Dench's daughter in A Little Night Music (I think they might have added a line about how much she'd grown).

Not a musical but Juliet Stevenson and Anton Lesser made a great couple in an NT Private Lives despite there being about 5 inches difference in their heights.

[xXAngelofMusicXx]

So height doesn't really matter except when the character criteria (eg.Boq in Wicked is a munchkin or hobbits in lotr) or staging (eg. Glinda's bubble) makes it matter. If a performer is talented, I should be too into the show to sit there thinking...'wow, she's so much shorter than him! What an unrealistic couple!' or 'her daughter is so much sorter than her, that can't be right', as height differences happen in real life, it's only natural that this is reflected on the stage.

Besides, if youre around the needed height, or need to be made to look taller or shorter for appearances sake, there are things that can be done about that like bigger hair, or heels, or flat shoes, a character sitting/kneeling/standing more etc. Look at LMK in LOTR, not the tallest woman, she's about the same height as the James Loye who played Frodo, so they put her in those giant ice skates as she had to be a towering elf

[Belle]

Dance shows have quite tight height restrictions compared to non-dance. Cats cast their female "kittens" under 5'4, I think, and adult "cats" over 5'6. Starlight Express has similar casting types, you need to be 5'7 or over to be considered for some roles, 5'4 or under for others. Really sucks to be 5'5! There's also the aspect of cheap-ass productions where you're casting a replacement who needs to fit into the same costume.

Disney must be the world rulers for type casting tho, for character work, but then they need to make sure that "Snow White" looks like Snow White!

It does matter tho, there's something essentially comic to a romantic couple where the male is several inches shorter than the female. It's not PC, it's not fair, but the audience will laugh!