West Side Story revival?- Page 10

[LuPita2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 5:19am

I am sure there were plenty of men that auditioned that can actually act and sing that were NEVER problematic, despicable, and never participated in degrading rape/bro/frat boy culture. He does not get a free pass and his behavior will not be forgotten. He only regretted getting caught.

And lost in all this: no one, NO ONE, has ever suggested that the accusations are false. So a group of dudes were swapping nude images OF THEIR COWORKERS and texting about how they are "sluts"- this is simply disgusting behavior that should not be rewarded with more high profile roles (that, based on my seeing him in Carousel, he is thoroughly unqualified for). 

No one ever suggested it. They got caught, it was all on their phones and computers. A huge reason both men were fired was because no female felt comfortable partnering with them. He got his job back but that does not mean women who work with him want him anywhere near them. The only thing he learned was to be more discreet with his misogyny.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 5:37am

Oh lord when will someone tell this emperor he has no clothes?  If this ill-conceived, mis-cast production becomes a trendy hit I will be very disappointed.  

 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 6:59am

Well, it certainly got people talking about it at the very least.

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:24am

I don’t want to live in a world where mistakes will tar you forever. We have to be allowed to change and improve.

As long as he remains professional and his female colleagues can feel safe around him then he should be allowed to continue his livelihood.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 7:39am

It might help if he acknowledged his wrong-doing and expressed any form of regret.

[Wick3]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 8:26am

Sunny11 said: "As long as he remains professional and his female colleagues can feel safe around him then he should be allowed to continue his livelihood."

How would any of us know if his female colleagues feel safe around him? My guess is the female colleagues all want to perform on Broadway and they need a paycheck (from looking at actor's equity minimum pay, that's certainly a lot more money than working at a restaurant or doing odd jobs here and there) and will somehow make it work with Ramasar.

It's a shame Rudin put them in this situation of simply 'making it work' with Ramasar rather than giving another male actor/dancer with a clean reputation the opportunity to be Bernardo.

 

Updated On: 7/11/19 at 08:26 AM

[FlyHigh523]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 8:33am

devonian.t said: "It might help if he acknowledged his wrong-doing and expressed any form of regret."

This. As far as I know, he hasn’t made a statement or ANYTHING of the sort. Multiple people are calling for his removal before the production even starts. 

 

Posted: 7/11/19 at 8:53am

FlyHigh523 said: "As far as I know, he hasn’t made a statement or ANYTHING of the sort. Multiple people are calling for his removal before the production even starts."

This won't be an emotionally satisfying answer, but because Alexandra Waterbury's lawsuit is still ongoing, any apology or admission of guilt could open him up to some level of liability. His silence is almost certainly at the advice of counsel and he likely won't publicly address it until the suit is settled.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 9:05am

devonian.t said: "Oh lord when will someone tell this emperor he has no clothes? If this ill-conceived, mis-cast production becomes a trendy hit I will be very disappointed.

"

Outside of a controversial casting choice and a few people who are known only to people really into Broadway, a cast of mostly newcomers makes calling this "mis-cast" is a tad premature, don't you think? And since no one - not even the cast that hasn't started rehearsing - has seen a second of the concept, "ill-conceived" also seems more than a little alarmist. How about we wait and see what it looks like before we declare this Emperor naked?

[Valentina3]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 9:13am

ctorres23 said: "FlyHigh523 said: "As far as I know, he hasn’t made a statement or ANYTHING of the sort.Multiplepeople are calling for his removal before the production even starts."

This won't be an emotionally satisfying answer, but because Alexandra Waterbury's lawsuit is still ongoing, any apology or admission of guilt could open him up to some level of liability. His silence is almost certainly at the advice of counsel and he likely won't publicly address it until the suit is settled."

Which makes sense. What I don't get from a production standpoint is why touch this ticking time bomb? You already have a controversial director for this material, seems like you're trying to give a big f*** you to the very people you should be catering to, to generate and maintain goodwill, for show's word of mouth to build.

[FlyHigh523]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 9:26am

Valentina3 said: "ctorres23 said: "FlyHigh523 said: "As far as I know, he hasn’t made a statement or ANYTHING of the sort.Multiplepeople are calling for his removal before the production even starts."

This won't be an emotionally satisfying answer, but because Alexandra Waterbury's lawsuit is still ongoing, any apology or admission of guilt could open him up to some level of liability. His silence is almost certainly at the advice of counsel and he likely won't publicly address it until the suit is settled."

Which makes sense. What I don't get from a production standpoint is why touch this ticking time bomb? You already have a controversial director for this material, seems like you're trying to give a big f*** you to the very people you should be catering to, to generate and maintain goodwill, for show's word of mouth to build."

Yeah this makes sense. Pardon my ignorance on these matters, but are you even allowed to be cast in a show if you’re a part of an ongoing lawsuit? And even then... why would this director or any of the creatives involved want someone like that? It’s baffling. 

Updated On: 7/11/19 at 09:26 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 12:02pm

FlyHigh523 said: "This. As far as I know, he hasn’t made a statement or ANYTHING of the sort.Multiplepeople are calling for his removal before the production even starts.

If by "people", you mean "internet trolls", then yeah, sure they are.

 

 

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 12:19pm

Natalie Walker (@nwalks) on twitter:

“So inspiring how a 37-year-old man suspended from a minor supporting role in a show over sexual misconduct involving a woman over a decade his junior can bravely persevere and be rewarded with a major supporting role in a show alongside many women over a decade his junior. Sexual harassment is despicable regardless of age, of course, but Ramasar and his cohorts in their exchanges specifically fetishized and degraded 19/20-year-old women — so now when I see that over 20 of the West Side cast members are making their Broadway debuts, it concerns me. When you cast someone with a history of sexual misconduct in a principal role with a cast of unknowns, you are sending a message. I worry about the power dynamic of an environment that makes clear from day one how much the gatekeepers love making sure predators have a spare key.”

https://twitter.com/nwalks/status/1149023982294884356?s=21

If you look in the likes, many Broadway actors/creatives have liked these tweets. She seems to be one of the few brave enough to outright say anything, but clearly many people agree with her.

[rg7759]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 12:32pm

i really wish we could just be satisfied with the boyfriend's life being ruined. yes amar isnt completely innocent, but he doesn't deserve to be punished for the rest of his life.

and this isn't to dismiss amar, but there is an actual rapist as our 45th president. we have bigger problems.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 12:36pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "On another subject...Does anyone else find it odd that some of the Latino characters seem to be played by POC who are not Latino? Given the recent controversy around “passing” and authenticity, this seems odd.

Speaking of “passing,” Isaac Powell could easily play one of the Sharks. This casting is so confusing."

Isaac Powell is not Latino. He is half Black and half White, so by your reasoning, he would be ‘passing’ for a character that is not his ethnicity. I agree that some of the casting is odd (especially messy on the Sharks side of things) however; I really don’t know what inspired some of these decisions. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 12:40pm

ctorres23 said: "LuPita2 said: "He is sick and clearly illiterate as every single article has stated "pictures and videos were taken without consent or knowledge". Can't fix ignorant members of rape culture. But, we now know who those posters are, which is important to know for the future.

https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=Lis4cO2R91MS028v6xQ2zA=="

Everyone in this thread acknowledges that the pictures of Alexandra Waterbury were (allegedly) taken without consent, but those photos were sent by Chase Finlay, not Ramasar. It seemslike you might be conflating the behavior of the two."

This is exactly what they are doing. But who can expect a fair hearing from the magistrates of Salem? It's too absurd to continue arguing with such people.

[George in DC]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:01pm

Itonlytakesajourney said: "The Distinctive Baritone said: "On another subject...Does anyone else find it odd that some of the Latino characters seem to be played by POC who are not Latino? Given the recent controversy around “passing” and authenticity, this seems odd.

Speaking of “passing,” Isaac Powell could easily play one of the Sharks. This casting is so confusing."

Isaac Powell is not Latino. He is half Black and half White, so by yourreasoning, he would be ?passing’ for a character that is not his ethnicity. I agree that some of the casting is odd (especially messy on the Sharks side of things) however; I really don’t know what inspired some of these decisions."

 

I think Isaac will be perfect in the part.

I am really excited to see what Van Hove does with it. Whatever else, it certainly won't be boring. I found the last Broadway revival, which used the Robbins choreography,  extremely dull - Especially compared with Signature Theatre's perfect production (which also used the Robbins choreography) which was the best production I have ever seen. I can't wait to see what a different choreographer does with the music

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:28pm

No one should blame the other actors in the show for Ramasar's involvement or expect them to quit. They had no say in his casting, and they shouldn't have to give up a well-paying job for a matter beyond their control. Any displeasure should fall squarely where it belongs, with the producers and director.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:35pm

rg7759 said: "and this isn't to dismiss amar, but there is an actual rapist as our 45th president. we have bigger problems."

You know you can hate both right? It's not like hating the man in office means you can't ask for this ***hole to be recast. All sexual violence is disgusting and should have their repercussions. Stop with these what-about-isms.

Updated On: 7/11/19 at 01:35 PM

[BJR]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:35pm

Completely agree his casting sends a message.

But also, what are people actually saying should happen? Should he never work again? Should he have to leave the industry entirely? Should it follow him into another industry?Should he not work around younger women? He’s not a registered sex offender or something. He was disciplined and a judge even ruled that action was too harsh.

I ask this genuinely.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:41pm

This happened less than a year ago. It's not like this was 10 years ago and it's following him. He doesn't deserve this part, perhaps in a few years when he has apologized and he has learned from this (all he has done is deny, get defensive, and deletes/blocks comments on his Ig that don't praise him). So, let's the cut the "this should not follow him the rest of his life!!!".  Ridiculous. He should learn and grow from this experience, handing him a plum part on Broadway is not the answer.  Many, many people in the Broadway community (and people involved in the WSS film) have an issue with his casting as evident across all social media. 

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:46pm

Regardless if you approve of his casting or not, this has definitely turned off a large group of people. I wish the production and all those broadway debuts luck, but theres not one chance in hell, I will be putting my own money towards Amar’s paycheck.

[Fetus]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 1:54pm

LuPita2 said: "This happened less than a year ago. It's not like this was 10 years ago and it's following him. He doesn't deserve this part, perhaps in a few years when he has apologized and he has learned from this (all he has done is deny, get defensive, and deletes/blocks comments on his Ig that don't praise him). So, let's the cut the "this should not follow him the rest of his life!!!". Ridiculous. He should learn and grow from this experience, handing him a plum part on Broadway is not the answer. Many, many people in the Broadway community (and people involved in the WSS film) have an issue with his casting as evident across all social media."

Plus the lawsuit is still ongoing making his casting untimely and a potential liability. I believe in rehabilitation and allowing people to move on from past mistakes if they've apologized and grown from it, but in no way has Amar earned that at this time.

And I also feel it needs to be mentioned that even if you excuse his behavior there's still the problem of his God-awful performance in Carousel. It's not like they can reduce his lines in West Side Story the same way they did in Carousel.

[BJR]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 2:29pm

LuPita2 said: "This happened less than a year ago. It's not like this was 10 years ago and it's following him. He doesn't deserve this part, perhaps in a few years when he has apologized and he has learned from this (all he has done is deny, get defensive, and deletes/blocks comments on his Ig that don't praise him). So, let's the cut the "this should not follow him the rest of his life!!!". Ridiculous. He should learn and grow from this experience, handing him a plum part on Broadway is not the answer. Many, many people in the Broadway community (and people involved in the WSS film) have an issue with his casting as evident across all social media."

So, a few years? How many - 2, 5? Should he check in with this board first before auditioning for a part? Or with a judge? Or?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. And we can not buy ticket, sure! But it’s strange to speak about it like this is established fact or union rules or law. It’s none of those things. He was disciplined by his job and now has a new one. 

(I happen to think his acting in Carousel was cringe inducing so I’m not thrilled by the casting but I am thrilled by Ivo tackling this.)

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/11/19 at 2:31pm

LuPita2 said: "This happened less than a year ago. It's not like this was 10 years ago and it's following him. He doesn't deserve this part, perhaps in a few years when he has apologized and he has learned from this (all he has done is deny, get defensive, and deletes/blocks comments on his Ig that don't praise him). So, let's the cut the "this should not follow him the rest of his life!!!". Ridiculous. He should learn and grow from this experience, handing him a plum part on Broadway is not the answer. Many, many people in the Broadway community (and people involved in the WSS film) have an issue with his casting as evident across all social media."

 

Oh would you give it a rest already, dear.  You've said the exact same thing in dozens of posts.  Your outrage is duly noted.  Guess we won't be seeing you at Opening Night!