Counterpoint
This article in the Sunday Times arts and leisure section bothered me. Sensitive male characters have been all over Broadway history. Really, who are we kidding, it’s nothing new. The article failed to mention that, not just hair, but other major revivals this season feature men with souls and consciences. Emile de Beque and Lt. Joseph Cable of South Pacific deal with emotional trials, especially Cable who in his weak state chooses prejudice over love. Herbie in Gypsy is no tough cookie, especially compared to Rose. In fact, Herbie is a pushover more than anything. Now I’m not saying that this is always the case (Curley and Jud in Oklahoma really don’t show their feminine sides), but even Billy Bigelow in Carousel, a brute, shows his softer, even maternal side when in his act-ending soliloquy he vows to protect his unborn child. I simply feel that they are reporting on a new trend that is, in fact, simply an old trend.
