Can Maria (Sound of Music) be black?- Page 3

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:10am

I'm all for colorblind casting when it makes sense for the show. And it is up to the director to say if it makes sense or not and the audience will either accept it or they won't.

Would a white Effie make sense?
What about a black Henry Drummond?
Then what about a black Little Edie?
Or an Asian Walter Lee Younger?

Obviously, everyone will have their own opinons whether any of the above would work. And they will all probably believe pretty strongly in their opinions.

And, despite what Fenchurch may say, it does not in any way make them racist to say no to any of the above.

Updated On: 4/24/07 at 01:10 AM

[cooperross]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:12am

'Hate to break it to you, Cooperross, but there were quite a few black settlers in the Oklahoma territories, so a black Laurie isn't as preposterous as you make it out to be.'

being romanced by a white cowboy with a white aunt, unless it were an all colorblind cast it would be..even then...

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:12am

I actually did "Inherit the Wind" with a black female as Drummond. Talk about color blind casting.

[PerforMeg]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:21am

Such an interesting discussion this has sparked!

FYI for those who asked, she is excellent...a true singer with a lovely, warm personality and incredibly cute. I need to do some more research on the topic (I've been bad...I'm also working on Assassins and I've been wrapped up in researching that!) and find out just how likely it would have been.

I'm leaning towards casting her. Honestly once upon a time had someone expressed this idea to me I wouldn't have bought it either. But today when she was reading at the callbacks I became wrapped up in her reading. I just don't want people to be put off by it or even just distracted so that they can't concentrate on the show. Whether its right to pay attention to it or not, it is a fact of life that people will question it.

Someone asked before-we're a semi-professional theatre (as in we're new and we pay the actors something but not a lot). Do you think this affects the decision?

It's been amazing to me how hard its been to find a Maria, but she's so specific..shes not a generic ingenue as some people sometimes cast her. That's why I'm so excited about this girl... her personality works.

Any history buffs out there who can give me some specific sources for finding out more info about this?

(Helloagain thank you for the link!)

[sidjones09]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:21am

"The character isn't black, the actor is. She isn't Maria. She's only pretending to be Maria."

I'm sorry Effie, but this made me laugh. If the actor is black, then the character is most definitely black unless you're using makeup to suggest they are otherwise. There is no way around that. The question is does that character being black make a difference to the story?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:32am

Well Meg, you will never please all of your audience! Know that now and save a lot of grief!

Historically - its completely unlikely that a black postulant would have lived in or been able to join a white convent in Austria. But as we've said - history isn't the main issue in theatre. It's also historically inaccurate that Maria and the Von Traps climbed over a mountain to escape the Nazis.

But you didn't answer the one question I posted that I think will very much sway audience acceptance of a black Maria - are there any other ethnic performers being cast in any of the other roles?

Updated On: 4/24/07 at 01:32 AM

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 2:15am

sidjones: Do you comprehend colorblind casting at all?

That's the whole point of it.

[Matters]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 2:22am

This is a really intersting discussion, I just thought I'd throw in my two cents about it. Politics of colorblind casting aside (for the record my view on the issue is that it works for some shows and not others) I think a black Maria would work well, in some ways it could put an intersting spin on everything. They don't go much in detail about Maria's past and she starts off the show as a nun. I don't know much about the exact workings of nunneries but I'm assuming they'd welcome anyone to join regardless of race- as long as they want to devote their lives to God. In that respect its not far fetched, she goes to work as a nanny- again not far fetched...then the captain falls in love with her, that could again happen easily (its a personal thing for the captain who doesnt strike me as a racist). It could put the family in even greater danger when the Nazis show up. It would also strengthen the captain's animosity toward the nazi party because joining them wouldn't just mean comprimising his political views it would also jepordize his family....basically if I were in the audience and saw a black Maria that is how I'd interpert things. Thats just me.

[Effie]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 2:40am

sidjones, so if a woman portrays a man in a play, the character is most definitely a woman? Or vice versa? Or if an able-bodied person plays someone who is handicapped, is that character most definitely able-bodied? No. The character is what the character always was; they're just being portrayed by someone who isn't that specific thing in real life.

What I was inelegantly trying to suggest in my previous post is that in a perfect world people would focus on the fact that she's Maria, not BLACK Maria. As far as I'm concerned, race is a physical construct no different from any other. But clearly I'm in the minority. As it were.

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 5:41am

If an able-bodied person was playing a handicapped person, they'd still be presenting themself as handicapped. Therefore, your argument only works if a black actor wears whiteface.

[cooperross]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 6:20am

if an able bodied person were portraying a handicapped person..just see how quickly the representative body for handicapped actors jumped on the bandwagon to protest it in these out of control PC times.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 7:54am

"if an able bodied person were portraying a handicapped person..just see how quickly the representative body for handicapped actors jumped on the bandwagon to protest it in these out of control PC times."

Um, okay. Since there have been tons and tons of protests about able-bodied people playing Nessa in Wicked.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:17am

I think her race has to be incorporated into the production, (if only subtlely) but I think it may work. It can't go on as if everything's normal, but I absolutely think it could work.

A black Captain Von Trapp would not work though, as he must deal directly with the Nazis.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:27am

Okay, this discussion is really overdone. Historically would it be common? Probaly not, but it's not that far feteched as a possibility. And like a few posters said a while back, the story is hardly accurate. It tells us that Maria was a nice lady and that they climbed a moutian to escape. Some, well many, don't agree with this.

But, It is up to the directors. And cooperross, you do realize that there were black settelers before they were brought over on slave boats? Now, I could understand some directors having qualms about a black Aunt Eller having that much of a standing in the community. It was rare for a woman to be that respected in this time period, let alone a black woman.

Anywho, I love the idea of color-blind casting. Mainly beacuse I'm black/african-american/whatever and I like to be cast in things. , but according to the OP's post she seems to be the person for the job. That's what the majority of the veiwers will care about.

Updated On: 4/24/07 at 08:27 AM

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:31am

I personally don't think a Black Maria... I mean, we all love SoM cuz of the showy romantic catchy tunes ... and Julie Andrews :P

Anyway.. I cant help but think of 'Von Trapped' on Wil & Grace when I read this thread!
G: Karen, do I look like Maria?
K: Of course honey!... you're obviously NOT cut out to be a nun!... cuz ur a Jew!
G: Thanks Karen
K: ... and a whore ...
G: Yeah i get it!

lolz.. sorry, extremely irrelevant XDD

[Julian2]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 10:25pm

I say . . .

Cast her.

Being true to history is not important. Cast her, and then decide wether you want to ignore it completely, or reference it subtley.

But I say cast her.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 10:28pm

I saw Diana Sands play SAINT JOAN many years ago. We all know the historic Joan wasn't black.

It really doesn't matter.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 10:32pm

So what happened was she cast??

Or is she in the Postulant ensemble?

[misschung]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:34pm

Someone asked before-we're a semi-professional theatre (as in we're new and we pay the actors something but not a lot). Do you think this affects the decision?

I don't think it affects the decision, I was asking more out of curiosity

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:59pm

I recently saw a production of Guys and Dolls with an African American Adelaide...she was magnificent!

I say for the part of Maria, color of skin could be one of the last considerations. If you have two equally talented women, then cast the more historically accurate one. But, it sounds like this girl is the best woman for the job, so give it to her. Who knows, this sort of thing might be good publicity for your new theatre!

I know that there is evidence that this wouldn't be back then, and yadda yadda yadda...seriously, who cares? How many people go to a musical with historical background knowledge studied prior. Do you tell everyone who buys a ticket to write an essay on the historical significance of "The Sound of Music?" Maybe you pass out history text books to the audience to help them know what a "naughty" thing you did? chances are the answer is no. I say, if Maria's race is not DIRECTLY refered to in the musical, then who cares?

[Lottery Addict]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 1:55am

The young woman auditioned, so she thinks she can do it. If you think she is the one, hire her. If she can sing at Julie Andrews's quality, the audience will be with her. Imagine if Audra McDonald played Maria Von Trapp. I would definitely watch that.

Jesus Christ Superstar greatly benefitted from Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, and Les Miserables benefitted from Lea Salonga.

Which decision would you regret more after the fact?

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:48am

To be honest, audiences are not goin to say 'OMG! Maria's played by a black woman, I guess Im not watching it now!'
If that's the case, there's some serious problems w/ those people!
Talking about Guys & Dolls, there's been 1-2 Black Sky Mastersons in the UK, one of them being Clarke Peters! And Jonathan Pryce played the Engineer in Miss Saigon and he wasn't Asian! There has been Black Fantines/Madame Thenardiers/Eponine/Javert/Phantoms and that didn't mattered! I mean, I personally do not think that Sound Of Music is much about skin colour... yes about Race true, but I think we can let our imaginations fly ~

*random question... anyone think Jane from Tarzan cud be black?*

[hellzapoppin2000]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 1:36pm

Of course Maria can be black. She just can't be fat. We cannot have an obese Maria. That is verboten.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 3:22pm

To my many fans out there, I regret to share the epiphany I have experienced after reading this thread. As a heavy-set, 43 year old guy, I have come to realize that:

1. I will never be cast as Maria.
2. I'm probably never going to play Young Tarzan unless Tarzan is being staged at the Actor's Home and they reinforce the roof.
3. Hamlet is unlikely, they would need the complete cast of Coram Boy, including the choir, to carry my body offstage at the end.
4. Probably neither Porgy nor Bess either.
5. Alvin Ailey and the Joffrey are right out.

Hrm, should I have posted a SPOILER before letting it out that Hamlet dies at the end?

And all this time, I thought a Black Maria was a paddywagon...

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 6:40pm

Interesting discussion! I say cast her if she's the best actress for the job! After all, Norm Lewis played Javert on Broadway, so even Broadway shows cast people of different ethnicities that wouldn't be appropriate to the historical background of the show. Of course, in that case, the entire show was cast in this manner. Still, if you believe the show to be about Maria being white, don't cast her. If you think that the show isn't focused on Maria's race, cast her.