Men wearing dresses have been a comedy staple in both Britain and America since the play "Charley's Aunt," which was first made into a film in Bugs Bunny has even dolled himself up to outwit and mock-seduce Elmer Fudd.
As long as women have worn dresses, male actors have been borrowing them to get a laugh. Take Martin Lawrence. In the "Big Momma" movies, Lawrence follows a time-honored tradition of male characters who are forced to go "undercover" as women, either to elude the bad guys or to win the heart of a real, yet surprisingly clueless woman. This wolf-in-sheep's-clothing ruse powers "Some Like It Hot," "Tootsie" and countless fraternity films in which the brothers depilate and rouge themselves ineptly, of course to pass as women.
In the more thoughtful movies, drag can be a vehicle for personal growth for the men, who, after initial outrage at the way they are treated as women, remain sensitized even after they wipe off their lipstick. However, the women in these films never experience the same fulfilling character arc.
It's the men who emancipate them from their second-class status; in "Tootsie," Michael's alter ego, Dorothy, lobbies for gender equality in the workplace. Though much of the visual comedy comes from the man's struggle to adopt "feminine" ways, the female love interest never seems to question the gender of her new best friend, and accepts the switch unquestioningly once the "gal pal" unmasks himself as a potential suitor.
I'm not very bright. So why not just cast a woman in the roles in the first place—Rosie O'Donnell would have made a great Edna. It's like they're killing us two ways. The actor and activist tells EW that she feels the gravitas of the queer legacy that came before her as she prepares for the upcoming national tour of Hairspray as she steps into heels previously occupied by Harvey Fierstein who won a Tony for playing Edna on Broadway and pioneering drag artist Divine who originated the part in the classic John Waters film.
Nina West as Edna Turnblad for the national tour of 'Hairspray. I feel the enormity of it. But I also feel incredibly at ease about the whole thing, as I know I'm supposed to bring my own version and self to Edna. That's what each of these men did, and I'm lucky enough that I get to do my own version of Edna now. With 21 years of experience as a drag artist and community advocate, ranging from a glowing run on RuPaul's Drag Race season 11 and raising millions of dollars for the queer community, Nina says her comfort in slipping into women's clothing adds a tangible familiarity with aesthetic parts of the character.
But while the role has traditionally been played by men in drag, Edna herself "is not a drag queen," Nina stresses. And her performance will emphasize that. Jeremy Daniel Photography Andrew Levitt a. Nina West plays Edna Turnblad in the national tour of 'Hairspray. She is a woman, and my job as such is to bring her to life. I think that is where the roads of Nina and Edna differ," Nina says of the "complicated, flawed, and perfectly imperfect" woman she'll portray.
Does Nina inform this process? Will the audience see Nina West? I don't think so. Hairspray 's national tour kicks off Friday in Yakima, Wash. A full list of dates can be found on the show's website. Ricki Lake just wore her original Hairspray dress for the first time in 34 years.
Read Alaska's juicy tea on Drag Race season 5 and that time a queen burned down her home in memoir excerpt. Stubbs Inez Stubbs. Jones Lou Ann Levorowski Noreen. Spritzer Matron Mr. Hairspray Hairspray Hairspray Live! Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account?
0コメント