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Her blonde hair, which was in a braid last time I saw it, is done in a neat bun. “I still can’t braid it myself, it always ends up crooked.”
It must be intimidating, playing someone like the Fullmetal Alchemist. “Oh, it is, but when I got the call back, I was so happy, it was a dream come true. Not everyone gets the chance to play someone that well-known, and the second I read through the audition scene, which also shows up in the finished musical, I knew I needed to get the part.”
Rosy has been on the theater scene for almost two decades, but is joined by a young newcomer. “Aron’s voice-work is amazing. In every show, the first time he speaks, I can hear gasps from the audience, and again in the dream sequence where he shows up on stage. It’s a comedy, but I can see that parts hit hard with people, especially parents. Max’s part is great as well, it wouldn’t work with just the voice, and he really has a way of expressing emotions with just his body, which he did have to exaggerate here.”
Some critics have described the plot as impactless and childish in comparison with the productions about the Elric brothers that came before, comparing it to the tragic and critically acclaimed Golden Braids, Metal Skin. Rosy disagrees. “It doesn’t need to be an epic tale, Golden Braids and Red Town draw from the same sources, but I know that’s not what Hirmow intended to recreate. Golden Braids was written with only adults in mind, while Red Town is a small stand-alone adventure comedy. For example, Edward’s height was a source of drama in Golden Braids, while I have a part about it that I’m free to ad-lib, and it has never failed to make the audience laugh.”
Rosy has previously played in another comedic musical, Big Cakes. “There’s a difference in comedy between the two, I’d say. Martha was a jokester, but Edward is often the butt of jokes. Like I said, I have a lot of ad-libs, and a lot of them are reactions, which is fun. There’s also more physical comedy, either on purpose or accidental when I get caught in the long coat again.”
The coat already seems like a theater costume. “It’s funny in a way, part of the reason why I was cast was my lack of height, but with the costume I feel a lot taller, a large part because of the platform shoes. It took a while to get used to them, but now I can do flips and cartwheels, and with the red coat and with my hair braided up, it really feels like I’m stepping into his skin.”
She laughs at my question on whether she thinks the real Edward Elric would approve of her acting. “I have met the real Alphonse, actually. He said that Edward would love it, so I’m inclined to believe that. I hope he will watch a production soon, so I can get first-hand tips on how to play him.”
The Fullmetal Alchemist and the Red Town is currently playing at the Castle Theater