Black Sophie in Mamma Mia

[RW3]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 1:55pm

I was talking to a friend who had just watched the movie version of Mamma Mia and asked if there had been any black Sophie's on Broadway. I told her I wasn't sure. So, has a black Sophie ever graced the Winter Garden stage? Thanks!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 2:29pm

I don't think so. Donna would then have to be black as well and if not then all three possible dads would have to be black otherwise there would be no question as to who her father was... right?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 2:39pm

^ So it would then be Tyler Perry's Mamma Mia!, correct?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 3:24pm

Tyler Perry is Madea! As Donna!

[E.Davis]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 4:36pm

^^I would watch that.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 4:45pm

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 5:25pm

Well Maury would have to be there to announce who the father is.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 5:36pm

Maury should get a song!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 5:39pm

And give Donna a lie detector test!

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 6:13pm

Is this can of worms really being opened? Really?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 6:22pm

Black, no. But one of the two original Sophie covers in the Broadway company, Somer Lee Graham, is biracial.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:00pm

AEA, my post was a joke in reference to camping the show up with Madea. Please don't try to make it some racial thing.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:04pm

Sorry, Jordan, I wasn't specifically calling you out, more so the original post, because let's be real. When has any "has there ever been a role cast with an actor of a different race than what is normally cast" thread ever really turned out well?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:21pm

It's legitimate question and circumstances for a show that's about paternity.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:25pm

I'm all for color-blind casting, but considering the show is about paternity, it would be hard without having either Donna or two of the fathers being African-American. It's a plot line, so it's hard to avoid. It's like having an Asian Coalhouse and Sarah - it changes the whole plot.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:35pm

What's wrong with having Donna and/or the two fathers being African American? I remember when there was a African American Elphaba, Fiyero, and Wizard (Ben Vereen) at one point in WICKED.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:42pm

There's nothing wrong with it so stop clutching your pearls. Nobody said there was anything wrong with it. They just pointed out the obvious that the cast would obviously need the men to be black as well.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 7:42pm

You see... Aside from the Wizard... none of those are about Paternity. The Wizard can be whatever race they want because Elphaba is green. Sophie however is dependent on the fathers. Either Donna has to be black & Sophie Mixed Race, or Donna be white Sophie be mixed and ALL the fathers be black, etc.

You can sub any race in there if you want, I just used black & white.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 8:25pm

I saw an African American Sky once...not Sophie though.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 8:38pm

I'm fine with them being cast with African-American or any race actor, as long as the racial casting is consistent enough to be realistic.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 11:46pm

Brave Sir Robin2


I agree with you. Personally, I have nothing against color blind casting, however, I feel that it needs to work. I feel that Mamma Mia is a good example of why it wouldn't work. A perfect example to me of when it wouldn't work would have to be Rashad in August: Osage County. Sure, she may have done a good job in the role. But, at the same time it didn't make sense to me when she was black and every other single person on that stage was white.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 9/1/13 at 11:58pm

I'm slightly confused, and this is a sincere question. Why do you feel like Sophie, Donna, and the fathers HAVE to be white (or why them being another race wouldn't work)?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 12:05am

Nobody is saying hey HAVE to be white. What people are saying is that if Donna is black, then Sophie has to be at least mixed race if the "Fathers" are white and if Sophie is black or mixed race than either Donna or all the "Fathers" have to be black, otherwise it won't make any sense.

[mikem]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 12:12am

For me, Rashad as Violet in August: Osage County was fine. She is such a great actress that her race truly didn't matter. In that show, it's also possible that Rashad could have been the second wife and not the actual biological mother of the three daughters. The stuff loses impact if she didn't actually raise them, because the daughters view her as their mother rather than stepmother, but it's possible that she raised them starting at a very young age. Some finessing would need to be done as to why Violet's sister looks white, but it could be done. I saw the show with Rashad and Rondi Reed, and if you told me Reed was playing a character who was part African-American, I would find that plausible.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 12:16am

Rondi Reed is Ginger... If you could believe she was playing a part black woman then denial is not just a river in Egypt.