If opera has biddies, boys, and bitches (or witches, bitches, and britches), then musical theater has momgenues, battleaxes, and dowagers.
The difference is that in opera, it’s about voice parts (the mezzo), and in musical theater, it’s about type.
These archetypes apply to the roles that often are not the leads, but supporting or featured. Sometimes they sing solos or duets with the leading characters, or they’re featured in an ensemble number. Once in a while, they’re the characters who get one great song which everyone remembers but were only on stage for a very short period of time. (These are my favorite roles.)
The Momgenue
The term “momgenue” is not mine. It was created by my good friend, voice teacher and soprano Cynthia Vaughn, when she was cast in roles for older women. I asked her for a specific definition, and this is what she gave me.
“’sweet natured motherly aging ingenue’— usually a supporting character. Not a leading lady and not an older character actress.”
While there are mothers that are leading ladies (Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, Rose in Gypsy, Big Edie in Grey Gardens), the term momgenue pertains to supporting and featured roles. In some cases, these characters are simply there to offer the leading characters some counsel and comfort; and in others, she helps drive the story, and might show some deeper levels of her own.
Some examples of momgenues are:
- Alice Beineke, The Addams Family
- Mrs. Kaori Maruyama, Allegiance
- Dolly, Annie Get Your Gun
- Mrs. June Adams, Bandstand
- Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the Beast
- Mrs. Baskin, Big
- Mama Mizner, Bounce/Road Show
- Marge, Bridges of Madison County
- Rose, Caroline or Change
- Fairy Godmother, Cinderella
- Queen Constantina, Cinderella
- Heidi Hansen, Dear Evan Hansen
- Cynthia Murphy, Dear Evan Hansen
- Miss Jane, Floyd Collins
- Helen, Fun Home
- Motormouth Maybelle, Hairspray
- Jack’s Mother, Into the Woods
- Cinderella’s Mother, Into the Woods
- Marmee, Little Women
- Mrs. Anna Smith, Meet Me in St. Louis
- Mrs. Paroo, The Music Man
- Mama Eulalie, Once on this Island
- Aunt Eller, Oklahoma
The Battle-Ax
By definition, a battle-ax is an unpleasant, aggressive and forceful woman. The term started out as gender-independent, but was applied exclusively to women around the middle of the 20th century. The term has been associated with older female characters, but isn’t exclusive to them (see: Karen). The character is often considered unattractive, sometimes sexually predatory (“cougar”) and scheming, judgmental, and intimidating. Sometimes they think more highly of themselves and assign themselves talent that they don’t actually have.
They are often comedic characters, and if villainous, it’s often because they are misunderstood or have been hurt in some way, and are sometimes redeemed in the end. Or they get their comeuppance.
In opera and operetta, battle-axes include Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, Katisha in The Mikado, and Berta in Il barbiere di Sivilglia.
It should go without saying that these roles are generally a lot of fun to play.
Battle-axes in musical theater include:
- Mrs. Rachel Lynde, Anne of Green Gables
- Cinderella’s Stepmother, Cinderella (both R&H and ALW)
- Domina, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- Velma von Tussle, Hairspray
- Prudie Pingleton, Hairspray
- The Matron, Hairspray
- Miss Jones, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
- Cinderella’s Stepmother, Into the Woods
- Queen of the Fairies, Iolanthe
- Madame Thenardier, Les Miserables
- Aunt March, Little Women
- Ursula, The Little Mermaid
- Miss Andrew, Mary Poppins
- Katisha, The Mikado (or The Hot Mikado)
- Eulalie McKechnike Shinn, The Music Man
- Widow Corney, Oliver!
- Queen Aggravain, Once Upon a Mattress
- Sister Mary Lazarus, Sister Act
- Mrs. Meers, Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Madame Morrible, Wicked
- Madeleine True, The Wild Party
- Frau Blücher, Young Frankenstein
The Dowager (or Grande Dame)
A grande dame is a dignified elderly woman who has a certain amount of class. One could also refer to her as a dowager. Although, technically, a dowager is a widow who has inherited property from her late husband, according to the OED. For example, the late Dame Maggie Smith from television’s Downton Abbey is the Dowager Countess Violet Crowley. But wealth is not necessarily a factor for the grande dame.
While some of the characters listed under “Battle-Ax” might be of the age to be dowagers, they generally do not have the dignity, self-awareness, wisdom, or the generosity of spirit required. Their motivations may be suspect. The Dowager has the best interests of her family and community in mind.
This is not to say they are necessarily bastions of society or without fault. They can be a little quirky (Old Lady, Berthe) or cranky (Hannah) at times. However, even if a character is rich and old, if they are thoroughly unpleasant, it makes them a battle-ax and not a dowager (see Aunt March, Little Women).
In movies and television, these are roles played by Hermione Gingold, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, and Margaret Dumont.
Examples of dowagers in musical theater include:
- Grandma Addams, The Addams Family
- Grandma, Allegro
- Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Anastasia
- Evangeline Harcourt, Anything Goes
- Joyce Heth, Barnum
- Widow Douglas, Big River
- The Old Lady, Candide
- Grandmas Georgina and Josephine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Mrs. Lottie Child, Crazy for You
- Mrs. Pavlenko, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine
- Mamita, Gigi
- Madame Armfeldt, A Little Night Music
- The Bird Woman, Mary Poppins
- Mrs. Higgins, My Fair Lady (non-singing rolel)
- Berthe, Pippin
- Hannah Ferguson, The Spitfire Grill
Other Archetypes
There are other archetypes:
- Sidekicks (Paula on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
- Family members just passing through (Mama Murphy, Bright Star),
- People considered “the help” (Mrs. Hopkins and Mrs, Pearce, My Fair Lady)
- Characters that are strictly comic relief (Yente and Fruma Sarah, Fiddler)
Some of the above characters may fall into the above categories. But these are the ones that I think the classical singer looking for the niche in crossing over to musical theater can most relate to.