Can Maria (Sound of Music) be black?

[PerforMeg]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:04pm

Hi all...this may seem like a dumb question to some but here it is...I'm casting a production of The Sound of Music and we have a beautiful and talented young woman who sang and read for Maria and she is very good. However, she is African American.

On the one hand we have the color blind casting that has become prevalent in this country, which is wonderful and I'm all for. I was ready to cast her when other members of the creative team objected due to the historical context.

I have thought about that, and wondered how much it would throw people...my initial thought was if she was good then it might be distracting at first but then people would look past it and enjoy her performance. But I don't know...is it too big of a risk that the audience would be put off by the historical innacuracy?

Thoughts?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:06pm

I think so. Race isn't a central theme in The Sound of Music, so having a black Maria wouldn't matter.

[gcal]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:06pm

The Sound of Music is far from historically accurate. People are USED to seeing a white Maria, but there is no legitimate (text-supported) reason that she has to be. Her race isn't an issue in the show, it shouldn't be an issue in the casting

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:09pm

Go for it, you will never regret casting the best singer/actor over someone who simply looks the part in a traditional sense. Just out of curiosity, what level of theatre is this? School? Community? Professional?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:11pm

If the girl you read is the best person for the role then she should be cast.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:13pm

Race isn't a central theme? Ummm...you might want to read/see Sound of Music again.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:17pm

Race is a very big theme in the Sound of Music but not a central theme.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:21pm

I think a black Maria goes against the historic nature of the piece.

[jg4892]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:22pm

I think in this case, the audience will be most interested in seeing whoever's the most talented playing the part.

[misschung]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:27pm

What type of production is it?
It might seem a little quirky to have an African American Maria heading the Von Trapp family amid Nazi Germany. Is the rest of the cast racially diverse as well? It would be a shame to cast someone with lesser talent based on looks - I guess its really your choice

[Julian2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:28pm

Sound of Music is one of those shows where race isn't looked at directly (Well, its is and isn't), but it is quasi-historical, so its a tough call.

Not very familiar with the stage show, so I'm not really sure. However, if you do end up casting her, its really the rest of the production that will be the tricky part. For example, do you have your nazis sneer at her a little because she's not arayan? Or is her skin tone light enough to get away with out that? What about when she's under the lights? Make-up? Having not read the show script, I don't know, but it sounds easily fixable wether its an elimination of the issue through theatre magic, or just some different line readings. It all depends on the rest of the production IMO.

I think it could be done.

I'm sure there are other posters who can help more.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:28pm

There have been professional productions that have cast black actresses as Maria -- so its not unprecedented.

Certainly talent should a main consideration when casting the role but I can understand both sides of the arguement -- because of the historical context of the show, and the audience's familiarity with the Nazi agenda - its impossible to do "true" color blind casting, because there is no way to have an African American Maria without it in some way altering the subtext of the story (Is Maria's race a reason why the other nuns don't like her? Is her ethnicity the reason the Captain turns down his Nazi post?). And then it becomes an issue not only of historical accuracy (which isn't that important) but honoring the intention of the authors. Certainly, Rodgers and Hammerstein often wrote about prejudice and racial intolerance -but that was not their goal in crafting THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

For Maria's race to not suddenly be a big "white elephant in the room" IMO, you would almost have to color blind cast the entire production (as did one of the professional productions that used an African American Maria - which featured multi-ethnic children).

Did you cast this actress in the production at all? Are there other ethnicities in the cast?

Updated On: 4/23/07 at 09:28 PM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:31pm

Also was she the best Maria that read?

[misschung]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:32pm

For Maria's race to not suddenly be a big "white elephant in the room" IMO, you would almost have to color blind cast the entire production (as did one of the professional productions that used an African American Maria - which featured multi-ethnic children).

exactly

[keen on kean]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:37pm

Clearly there is no right answer here. I think the good news is that the story is so familiar and Maria's songs are so associated with her character on stage that at least the audience isn't going to be confused about who the African-American actress "is." On the other hand, multi-racial casting - especially if some of the other nuns, for example, or the Mother Abbess are also African-American - will ease any intial reaction because the early scenes don't include the von Trapps. I think the idea of multi-racial children is more problematical, unless the Captain is black since he had only one prior wife and the resulting mix of races might be bewildering.

[eb412]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:37pm

i dont think it would be distracting...marias race is not the issue of the story...in fact i think it might be distracting to have the nazis sneer at her...it would only highlight her race. i think its cool to have a black maria (though if she is not the best....cast whoever ist!) because in a way it highlights how captain von trapp is all about equality. the nazis know already that captain von trapp is againt them and him being with maria highlights that he is going against them.

[jg4892]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:39pm

I really doubt this audience will be reading into the racial context that much, and will probably just want to enjoy the show with the best actress.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:48pm

You should NOT hesitate to cast this actress as Maria if she is the best person that auditioned.

To do otherwise is racist, plain and simple.

The Sound of Music does not explicitly mention race as a factor in any decision that Maria makes or that anyone makes regarding Maria, therefore it is not an issue.

Now that you have posted this, however, you leave yourself open to a possible lawsuit should you not cast this woman as Maria. Should you decide not to cast this woman as Maria, she certainly could have a case since you've just admitted that her race may indeed be an issue for you.

But you shouldn't have anything to worry about if you do the right and honorable thing, and cast the part with the best actress, if another caucasian actress appears magically and does a better job, then by all means go with that that actress, of course.

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:55pm

There is nothing wrong with casting black people in shows, but in this case I wouldn't. This show focuses on Nazi Germany/Austria and if you cast a black woman in the role, it will make the history inaccurate. Not casting her for this reason isn't racist at all - it is just being loyal to the story.

[Julian2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:01pm

"...in fact i think it might be distracting to have the nazis sneer at her...it would only highlight her race."

My point is, race is roundaboutly an issue in The Sound of Music due to the Nazi "super-race" concept. I think its very do-able, but there has to be a decision made wether to ignore her race within the context of the show, or direct it such away (which can be done subtley) that the audience knows that you know, or do as MB suggested and do more colorfull casting (Knowing full well this may create further story problems and best vs. race confusion). Some may not care, this is The Sound of Music after all, but some austute audience members may be perplexed if their attention becomes drawn to it.

But, there's always those three little words, suspension of disbeleif.

Updated On: 4/23/07 at 10:01 PM

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:03pm

"There is nothing wrong with casting black people in shows, "

It's nice to know we all have your permission.

Sorry, but you're wrong, and your argument wouldn't hold up in court.

[misschung]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:06pm

About the whole lawsuit issue - there is such a fine line between racial casting and being racist. I don't think the OP was hesitant to cast this woman because she was black, but because a black woman playing the part of Maria makes inevitable changes to the production. Not that it can't be done - and it has been before - but what exactly would constitute a lawsuit in this situation? I mean I have seen productions of Anything Goes where a more physically fit person was cast over a girl who was very overweight - both of them had great voices, but the heavier girl was stronger vocally. I mean image is an important part of the business, so why is considering a person's race wrong in this kind of situation?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:07pm

Fenchurch --

You've been watching too many episodes of LAW AND ORDER...

Theatre/Film/Performing Arts are not bound to the same laws regarding racial equality that your local businesses are. If they were you would hear about discrimination lawsuits all the time - it simply doesn't work that way. How you look is considered part of your qualification for the "job" as it were. Otherwise you could sue if you weren't cast for having the wrong hair color, being the wrong height, being too fat, etc -

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:09pm

Maria's character is written into the script as white. She should be cast white -- Just as Aida should be cast black.

[misschung]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:13pm

thanks, Michael. I figured as much, and yeah - you put your weight, hair color, ethnicity, etc on your headshot. So wouldn't it make sense that if you dont meet the requirements for a specific part, that you just wont be cast?

I mean talk about lawsuits - when else do you see an advertisement that says "seeking Asian American female, must be in great physical shape" (which I just read yesterday) lol