What is a “Pantomime Dame”?
What is a “Pantomime Dame”? Tuesday January 6, 2009#spacer{clear:left}#abc #sidebar{margin-top:1.5em}zSB(3,3) I was reading about Hairspray’s final performance on Broadway, and I was delighted to learn that Harvey Fierstein returned to play the role of Edna Turnblad for closing night. If you aren’t familiar with the show, Edna is a frumpy, overweight housewife who comes out of seclusion with the help of her enthusiastic daughter. The role is meant to be played by a male performer (John Travolta stars in the film version). Of course, there have long been male actors in drag for comic effect. British pantomimes are children’s plays usually performed around Christmas time. The “pantos” traditionally involve short, comic versions of fairy tales in which a boy character (played by a girl) goes on a magical adventure. And the show isn’t complete without a “Pantomime Dame,” a female role that is played by a man. Here ar
