Can Maria (Sound of Music) be black? — Page 2

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

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"so why is considering a person's race wrong in this kind of situation?"

because it's Illegal,

and as for the person who said Maria shoudl be white just as Aida should be black.

If that is so then you must have a problem with Natalie Wood as Maria, do you?

And it's colorBLIND casting, that means you're asking that of the audience as well.
And regardless of the legal grey area that Michael Bennett and other pontificate about, it's all just another word for rationalization of racism, don't buy into it, it has no real basis.

It is UNETHICAL and IMMORAL to not cast the best applicant based on the color of their skin, end of story.

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Go for it.
Cast the best actress.

It is UNETHICAL and IMMORAL to not cast the best applicant based on the color of their skin, end of story.
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No on all counts. Not immoral, not unethical, not end of story. You're not putting the actor onstage, you're putting a character onstage. You know what you want the character to look like. If you don't like someone's look, then that's that.

"Sorry, I wouldn't buy it. No more than I'd buy black Laurie in 'Oklahoma' no matter how good they were."

That's exactly what makes you a racist.

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CALLING KENNETH ENG

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I feel like I'm watching theatre of the absurd as I'm reading this thread.

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I almost spat out my pasta. MY WHITE PASTA.

WHITE.

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OMG, you RACIST! PASTA RACIST!

Did you not even consider the tricolor? Of course you didn't!

Shawk: I have never before been tempted to make someone's post my sig, but this one did it.

Thank you. I have advised the tricolor pasta to seek legal representation in this matter. Stay tuned.

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Fenchurch, you are making yourself look very rash and uninformed.

Saying a person is racist because they do not believe a black Maria would work in context of the show is absurd at best, insulting at worst.

As MichaelBennet said, it depends upon the rest of the cast. If the rest of the cast was cast colorblind, then I say go for it, as the production is already knowingly ignoring that specific aspect of the historical context. But if the rest of the cast is white, and just Maria is black, then, yes, it could be a little jarring considering the show.

They live in Austria. Historically, Maria is white. To have her be the only one in the cast not white, though there is not a huge problem with it, it may cause a problem. Especially considering the plot (Nazis and everything).

It would be kind of like casting a production of Ragtime all traditionally, but then casting a white man as Coalhouse. Sure, the show would go on, but it would just throw everything off, because of the context, both of the show and historically.

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Updated On: 4/24/07 at 12:47 AM

Would Porgy and Bess work with a white performer in one of the lead roles?

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Michael Bennett I really liked your backstory to how it could fit!!

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