My next dumb question

College Majors Musical Theater Majors
1

<p>As some of you may have realized by now I am trying to get up to speed on music theater. Can somebody tell me what an ingenue is or maybe give some examples? A few people have told me they see my daughter as an ingenue, and I’m not sure what they mean.</p>

2

<p>Well, I think of Christine Daae in Phantom, Cosette in Les Miserables, Magnolia in Show Boat. An innocent, pretty girl. Usually, if not always, the love interest.</p>

3

<p>Wikipedia has a very good definition and it includes some examples (Ariel in Little Mermaid, Maria in West Side Story etc.) I’d link the page for you but I don’t know how to do it.</p>

<p>Not a dumb question. I had to look it up myself a year ago. Look up character actor while you are at it as well. You’ll hear people talking about both quite often and it will be helpful for you to have a mental image.</p>

4

<p>Most of the Disney princesses perhaps</p>

5

<p>The Wikipedia link:
<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenue_(stock_character[/url])”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenue_(stock_character)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And some of the songs they sing:
[The</a> Broadway Ingenue - 37 Theatre Songs for Soprano](<a href=“http://www.playbillstore.com/brin37thsofo.html]The”>The Broadway Ingenue - 37 Theatre Songs for Soprano - Broadway Books/Piano/Vocal Sheet Music | PlaybillStore.com)</p>

6

<p>Looking over that song list, I have to say that I never think of Marian the Librarian as an ingenue. Isn’t she supposed to be kind of an old maid? And Mimi? Isn’t she a little…um…streetwise for an ingenue?</p>

7

<p>The innocent, girl-next-door; think Julie Andrews in Sound of Music.</p>

8

<p>I’ve also heard people use the term “uconventional ingenue” to decribe some young female actresses or roles. I’m not sure what that means…Maybe a young girl who is a little more experienced or ready to go out and make her mark on the world? Perhaps Millie from Thoroughly Modern Millie? Does anyone else have any examples?</p>

9

<p>Think younger, unmarried, female lead…</p>

10

<p>for unconventional, maybe Fiona in Shrek, Katherine in Newsies, or Roxie in Chicago</p>