August 19, 2006 - We have no men!!!

Okay, allow me to further elaborate on my blog entry's title.

Last night we spent a good few hours at dinner (People's Palace ROCKS!!!) with wonderful friends over wonderful food.  The discussion moved through quite a few topics -- people that were no longer friends anymore by virtue of their being "the devil incarnate", some of the latest showbiz chismis, an upcoming production of one of our dinner companions (and her growing weary of telling the show's office staff to get the show's music in the right key), and that casting the male lead in another show is getting to be a huge pain in the ass because, we have no men.

Yes, that's right... WE HAVE NO MEN!

We have such a dearth in leading men for musical theatre.  We wracked our brains for hours and hours last night, and couldn't come up with a name.  We enumerated just about everybody, and couldn't think of even just one person that possessed the qualities and skills required for that particular role: handsome, arrogant, sexy, who can really sing (it's a pretty big role).  It was sad... those that we knew could sing the role didn't look right, and those that looked right couldn't sing it.  It was so frustrating!

I remember the first time I ever saw Hugh Jackman... it was in rehearsals for Hey, Mr. Producer in London.  He was going to sing "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma, as he was just about to open in that production at the National Theatre.  From the moment his offstage voice resonated in the house, I was hooked, and the moment he actually appeared on stage, that was it.  Tall, talented, and handsome, with stage presence and sex appeal to spare.  None of the women in the theatre could take their eyes (and ears) off him.

Yes, I use Mr. Jackman as an example, but in truth there are more like him trodding the West End and Broadway boards night after night, show after show (I've been fortunate enough to perform opposite a few of them).  For the life of me though, I don't understand why there aren't men like that here.

So unfortunately, I don't know how my friend will cast her show.  Maybe someone will drop from the sky like an angel and save her from this casting hell.  Hey, you never know; angels have been known to exist.