Photo by Evan Zimmerman for Murphymade
Tootsie
Tootsie
It’s been over 40 years since the hit comedy Tootsie played on the movie screens. And for many mainstream audiences, the popular film showcased a first of its kind: an out of work male actor, Michael Dorsey, desperate for any job, dressing up as a woman—Dorothy Michaels—for auditions. It works! Michael lands a major role on a soap opera and makes Dorothy—and the show—an overnight sensation.
Flash forward to the 21st century and dressing in drag is very commonplace and far more accepted (thanks to precedent-setting shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Pose” among others). Now, Tootsie is a stage musical coming to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. And Drew Becker, who plays Michael/Dorothy, eight times a week on the national tour, explained what it’s like preparing for the dual roles.
“... I am on stage for about 95% of the show. So, I knew going into it that this was going to be a massive thing to take on,” the actor explains. “I worked with a couple coaches on finding a good healthy placement to use while speaking in Dorothy’s voice, I worked with a dialect coach to add that southern spunk to Dorothy that everybody loves from the film, and a really fun thing that I got to do was learn how to walk in heels!”
Unlike in the film, this Tootsie has to make costume changes in real time, and very quickly. 20 of them to be exact. And for those wondering just exactly what it takes behind the scenes, it clearly takes a village to make it happen and appear seamless and effortlessly.
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Simply … Laugh
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for Murphymade
Tootsie
Tootsie
“The funny image is that it looks like I run into a mini-SWAT team that surrounds me with flashlights on their heads, zipping me up, handing me lipstick, putting nails on me, trying to give me water in between scenes,” he explains. “At this point, to all of us who are involved in those quick changes it’s like riding a bike, but to somebody who is viewing the change happening in front of them, it can look like a little war zone.”
In playing Michael/Dorothy, Becker has found that there is a very basic level that everyone who sees the show connects to with Tootsie: the chance to step inside the theater for a few hours and step away from the rest of the world and simply ... laugh.
“One of the cool things about touring a show all across the country is getting to meet people who have just seen the show at the stage doors,” says Becker. “I’ve heard from many people that they have been going through some really hard times in their personal lives and coming to see our show made their whole week, month, and even year because of the amount of joy they feel watching our show. So, if you’re looking for something to do that, when it’s over, you’re leaving with the biggest smile on your face ...”
Tootsie runs June 6-11 at Marcus Performing Arts Center’sUihlein Hall. Run time: two hours, 35 minutes with one intermission. Recommended for ages 12 and older due to strong language. For more information, call: 414-273-7121, or visit marcuscenter.org.
