It's a pretty telling sign that this is going to be another banal pointless production of RENT to the point that the costumes are the exact same costumes as always.
This show will never be interesting, relevant, or have a POINT again until it divorces itself from its original (and very of it's time) production in order to create something new.
What going to make this any different than the taping of the final show on Broadway?
Why would anyone think it is acceptable to erase Mark's Jewish identity? And I can hear a justification that anyone can be Jewish or maybe Mark is half-Jewish (his last name is Cohen so his father is definitely Jewish, and his mother is presented as a Jewish mother in the show - unless they're planning on casting an African-American woman to play Mark's mother - further erasing his Jewish identity?). Either way, unless Fisher is planning on playing it "nebbishy" which would basically be Jew-face, Mark's Jewish identity is erased with this casting. It is highly offensive. If this happened with any other ethnicity in the show there would be protests. But somehow this is acceptable to erase Jews. This is not only offensive, but dangerous, with the rise of anti-semitism in Trump's America.
A very small fraction of Jews in the US are African-American. Mark is representative of Jonathan Larson. There are also white women who speak spanish, live in hispanic neighborhoods, and even come from spanish speaking countries, but it would be extremely offensive to cast a white woman as Mimi and then justify it by saying white women speak spanish too.
bbroadwaybb said: "A very small fraction of Jews in the US are African-American. Mark is representative of Jonathan Larson. There are also white women who speak spanish,live in hispanic neighborhoods, and evencome from spanish speaking countries,but it would be extremely offensive to cast a white woman as Mimi and then justify it by saying white women speak spanish too."
There are white Hispanics. Like Vanessa Hudgens.
Are mixed ethnicity Jews really rare in NYC? Really?
bbroadwaybb said: "A very small fraction of Jews in the US are African-American. Mark is representative of Jonathan Larson. There are also white women who speak spanish,live in hispanic neighborhoods, and evencome from spanish speaking countries,but it would be extremely offensive to cast a white woman as Mimi and then justify it by saying white women speak spanish too."
I’m so confused. Why are you labeling Jordan Fisher as an African American? Why couldn’t he have a white Jewish mother?
This production is erasing Jewish representation. Just because you can find examples of non-white Jewish people does not excuse the erasure of Jewish representation from this production. White women who speak spanish shouldn't play Mimi because that would erase the Latin identity of the character. Even if the white woman in question was born in Puerto Rico. That was not Jonathan Larson's intention - he doesn't mean Mimi is open to being anyone who speaks spanish or whose family comes from a spanish speaking country - he means the culture she comes from and Mimi is a representation of that culture in the show.
11 Jews were murdered in a synagogue in Pittsburgh last month, swastikas are being found all over this country, George Soros is being used as a tool for anti-semetic fear-mongering. To pretend that Jewish identity is not being erased because you can find other examples is to be complicit and to not look at what is actually happening in this country right now.
BroadwayNYC2 said: "The fact you think what you are saying is remotely related to a production of Rent, disturbs me. I've never read a more out of touch comment."
The fact that you think Jewish representation doesn't matter and that it's ok to erase Jewish identity disturbs me. I'm sure you would not be ok with this if it were a different culture.
The fact that you think Jewish representation doesn't matter and that it's ok to erase Jewish identity disturbs me. I'm sure you would not be ok with this if it were a different culture.
I'm black AND Jewish. You seem more than okay with erasing my identity. Good to know you don't think my family isn't Jewish-enough for you! Happy Hanukkah!
It just doesn’t seem like you’d have a problem if a Caucasian actor was playing Mark. Regardless of whether or not they were actually Jewish.
Anybody can be Jewish. Your implication here is that if someone claims to be Jewish and does not look like you expect them to, then they aren’t really Jewish.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I'm black AND Jewish. You seem more than okay with erasing my identity. Good to know you don't think my family isn't Jewish-enough for you! Happy Hanukkah!"
bbroadwaybb said: "BroadwayNYC2 said: "The fact you think what you are saying is remotely related to a production of Rent, disturbs me. I've never read a more out of touch comment."
The fact that you think Jewish representation doesn't matter and that it's ok to erase Jewishidentity disturbs me. I'm sure you would not be ok with this if it were a differentculture.
"
Jordan Fisher just wished a happy Hanukkah to his Jewish friends and FAMILY on Twitter. It seems to me that that likely means he is at least part Jewish. If that is so, then are you not the one erasing his Jewish background? If he is Jewish or part Jewish, are you saying that his representation of Jewish culture is somehow lessened because he is also part black? Is this really the the attitude you are wanting to present? You have come here acting high and mighty, but perhaps you don't have all of the facts. Him wishing his Jewish family a happy Hanukkah makes you look kinda racist, just sayin'.
My mom is a black, African-American woman who is also Jewish. She teaches Hebrew school regularly and reads from the Torah at synagogue often.
I taught at Hebrew school, had a bat mitzvah, have read from the Torah often, observe the holidays etc etc.
We could do none of what I listed above and still be Jewish.
By saying that the casting of Jordan Fisher is erasing Jewish representation, you are completely erasing my existence and all others like me. It would have meant SO much to me as a child to have a mainstream representation of blackness and Jewishness existing at the same time. As they have for me every moment of my life.
You are effectively saying that people like me have no right to represent Judaism. I highly encourage you to study more about the beautiful diversity of our community. I know many many non-white Jews who I'm not related to! And we all deserve to represent our community as much as you.
This is not anti-semitic. If anything, your response is contrary to many of the teachings present in Judaism.
Can’t believe I spent last 20 minutes googling ethnicity of celebrities. (It may disturb you like it did me that there is a whole website devoted to that topic)
Anyway, there is no evidence that Fisher is Jewish. He is adopted and went to a Christian school while growing up.
However, my googling also revealed (at least my sources) that Anthony Rapp may not be Jewish.
It says a lot about the deteriorating state of our culture and the scary reality that we're all getting so scary tribal in this country are both very evident in the above discussion.
This is how I feel about the turn this thread took: