Black Sophie in Mamma Mia - Page 2

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 1:36am

Maury Mia!

If Donna is black and Sophie is mixed all the fathers could be white.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 6:00am

The fact of the matter is that Mamma Mia! has played very successfully with actors of many races as Tanya, Rosie, Sky, Pepper, Eddie, Ali and Lisa. There is absolutely NO reason that Sophie, Donna and the three fathers could not be of any race. Though color blind casting works in many case, you really should only cast those 5 roles as being of the same racial makeup.

In many shows, where the world of the show and the family unit is addressed as color blind from scene one, it functions perfectly well. In the case of Mamma Mia, the entire plot, such as it is, relies on Sophie's search for her father and the reality that ALL THREE are equally likely candidates. She also spends the greater chunk of act one discovering and exploring the traits she has in common with each of the three men. Yes, it's things such as music and interests, people that she has heard tell of, the connection of the building she has lived her life in and around, but that does also have to extend to race because having one father be of a different race could very easily remove him as a potential father in the minds of a good number of audience members, negating one third of an already thin plot thread.

Would I be curious to see a company of Mamma Mia with the 5 central roles as black? For sure. Toss in some Audra as Donna with Adrienne Warren as Sophie. I'll buy a ticket. Stokes as Sam? I'll make an orchestra seat.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 8:21am

"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)?"

The inciting incident in Mamma Mia is Sophie discovering her mother's diary with the clue to whom her father might be, one of three men. If Sophie is black and her mother white, then it would be a show about Sophie inviting these three men to her wedding and looking at what race they are. If one of them turns out to be black, and the others white, then it would be clear or at least almost completely clear that the black guy is her father. But it isn't a show about that.

Of course one could have a black Sophie, as long as her mother is also black, so that it doesn't become a show about which of the three guys the mother slept with was/were black. The same would be true if the actress playing mother was black and Sophie white.





Updated On: 9/2/13 at 08:21 AM

[mikem]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 8:27am

TheatreFan4, I have no idea what Rondi Reed's natural hair color is, but I'm pretty sure the current color comes out of a bottle. (Sorry, Rondi. . .) And the plausible range of physical appearance for someone who is part black is huge.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:15am

When a black woman doesn't know her baby daddy, it's trashy talk show material!
When a white woman doesn't know her baby daddy, it's musical comedy!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:18am

Yeah, I always thought it should have been called WHORE!: THE MUSICAL

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:29am

Slutty Mom: An ABBA Character Exploration

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:31am

I think that's the main textbook used at the Jim Colyer University For Racist Academic Studies And Pig Fvcking.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:35am

"Slutty Mom" is the title of his next single.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:36am

He writes what he knows.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 11:39am

If that were the case, his next song would be "Black Leather Daddy."

Updated On: 9/2/13 at 11:39 AM