<p>Two or three years ago, we saw Hairspray (for the third time!) on Broadway and Shoshana played Tracy that day. She was terrific, but we noted that she clearly was wearing, um, padding, as her legs were quite slender compared with the rest of her.
For those who disagree about what “curvy” means, let’s remember that our view of what’s thin has been tremendously skewed by what we see daily in the TV/film/print ad medium. As I said, a size 8 or even 10 used to be considered slender, and now the norm for a model is a 4!
If you want to see the size that models really are, check out Project Runway one evening and watch as the competitors are helping their models get dressed. These women are super skinny … not fit (they don’t seem particularly muscular!).
When we see that so often, we begin to think it is how women are supposed to be.
L</p>
<p>What you have to keep in mind about high fashion/runway models is that they are not hired to be flesh and blood women. They are ideally (in THEIR world) walking hangers. Unless they are underwear or swimsuit models, nothing about their bodies is supposed to draw the eye, the attention, from the clothes, as fitness or curves of any kind would do.</p>
<p>Good point, theatermom. That said, however, there is no question in my mind that the average person has gotten heavier and the average model (runaway or print model) and film actor (female) has gotten thinner. Maybe I can find statistics on that. If I do, I will post them here.</p>
<p>We just saw the tour of Wicked and there were several ensemble singers (female) who would be considered ‘full figured’ - (bigger than Tracy in Hairspray). The dancers were all fit to thin looking, but I think that is more to be expected since it is demanding dance. I did notice that none of the men were large however. We wre not that close and the costumes are quite bulky so I can’t say they were thin, but they were definitely not big. Kendra K (can’t remember the spelling) who is Galinda, is also no waife. She has a very normal size build, moved well and look good moving but was not thin.
So I would say there was definitely a place for larger girls in this show. Sorry guys out there, I can’t say the same for the men.</p>
<p>Samia525 - In response to your question about Sara Ramirez - she is currently on Grey’s Anatomy (a great show!) - her part gets a bit bigger each week - looks like she and George (T.R. Knight) are going to hook up …!</p>
<p>on the topic of weight and MT schools –</p>
<p>i am a bigger, curvier girl than most auditioning for schools. i’m not huge by any means, but i have meat on my bones and quite a curvy figure (i am also 5’10"). last year at one audition, i was told by an adjudicator that “we usually don’t accept girls of your size. we just don’t see the potential for success”. </p>
<p>like some others, i decided NOT to audition for certain schools because of their reputation (sometimes even as published by the institutions themselves) of not tolerating body types that are less-than-perfect. it just seemed like it would be akin to walking into their audition and not being able to carry a tune.</p>
<p>Sporti2005-I am in complete agreement with you. And those schools do not know what they are missing!! Here’s the interesting thing…those schools who clearly make it known that they only want that certain frame, hair, complexion…well, they kind of “turned off” my d-who, by the way, is 5’4, weighs 100 lbs with great brown curly hair and great complexion!!! Surely, she is not the only one who feels this way! It just amazes me when I hear of instances like yours…“usually don’t accept girls of your size…” Their loss and you will go far. 5’10"…do you know what I would do for some height like that? Oh well, my two cents…for what it is worth!</p>
<p>notfromme–</p>
<p>haha, sometimes height isn’t the best thing. i just auditioned for a professional production of urinetown and there was a little interview after. the directors were looking over my resume and asking me questions. they saw my height and asked “5’10”? really?" and i said yes. they said “that’s too bad. our bobby strong is 5’8” and we were really considering you for hope, but he’s already cast and you’re taller than he is." ah well.so there are definitely cases where the height is a bad bad thing!! </p>
<p>did they make comments about your d’s appearance as well?? she sounds so cute!</p>
<p>Sporti,</p>
<p>My d is on the tall side as well at 5’7" and not curvy at all…pretty thin. I have wondered what kind of an impact it will make on her auditioning. She is usually as tall as the leading men she gets cast with. When she was Ariel in Footloose, the father and mother that were cast were both shorter than she was and Ren was the same size as her. The director made a big effort to keep my d and the dad some distance apart on stage or have one sitting and one standing so it didn’t look funny. </p>
<p>A friend of hers auditioned last year for MT programs and is 5’11". She is incredibly beautiful and thin as a rail (has done some major modeling) and also super talented!!..she was rejected from quite a few schools but did end up being accetped at Cap21 and Elon. I wondered how much her height had to do with it! She is at Elon this year and loves it! </p>
<p>I wish you luck and hope that you find the place that sees you for your talent!</p>
<p>Sporti,
Nothing negative was ever said about my d’s appearance during the auditition process…at least she did not tell me if they did! We know a couple young ladies who went through the audition process last year that are not petite-average size! One auditioned for only one school, and they took her with a talent scholarship. The other auditioned for a few, and ended up at one of the top schools…both MT. There are some top programs out there that look for talent in all sorts of packages!!!<br>
I have no doubt you are beautiful, bright and extremely talented with the world at your feet…and someone will snatch you up and you will shine!!<br>
Wishing you the very best-I am cheering you on!! (go sporti, go!)</p>
<p>notfromme – </p>
<p>we’ll see in…12 days now whether or not someone will snatch me up!! (i only had anough $ to apply to BoCo this year after being rejected from 6 schools last year).</p>
<p>fingers crossed!
maggie</p>
<p>Fingers are crossed! We are waiting to hear from that one too!!</p>
<p>Sporti, my d has the opposite problem. She is about 4’11 and that worked REALLY well when she auditioned and got the part of Annie at 14 and 15 years old. Now it’s not so great; she looks too young for her age and too old to play the “little girl”. Most guys tower over her, so that’s not good, either. I know Freelance’s d, who goes to CCM, is also very petite. It’s always something…</p>
<p>height/parts</p>
<p>Add my daughter to the list of “height-challenged”. It has gotten her roles, and lost her roles, and will continue to do so, I am sure. God bless those 5’6" - 5’8" tenors! She really would prefer NOT to play 10 year olds for the next 20 years!</p>
<p>i guess the grass really ISN’T greener then, huh?</p>
<p>…except for all those lucky 5’5"-5’8" girls who seem to be just the right height. hahahah, i’m kidding, of course. i’m sure they’ve all been “not what we’re looking for” for parts, too!! </p>
<p>of course, sometimes the height is nice. i was Asaka in Once On This Island last summer – so it worked to be really tall when i was the Goddess of the Earth!! but playing rizzo when kenickie is a little shorter is sort of…weird, i suppose, haha! hopefully they’ll be able to find a tall perchik so i can still be considered for hodel in the pro. production of Fiddler i just auditioned for!! </p>
<p>fingers crossed for that, too!!</p>
<p>maggie</p>
<p>Height/age is also an issue. My D is in that wonderful 5’6" range, except at 14 to is too big for children’s parts and too young for adult parts, and there just aren’t very many teen parts. This may be a real plus when she is auditioning for colleges in a couple of years, but now iots a real struggle.
All I can tell her is, you are the height you are, so you might as well just make the best of it.</p>