Color Blind Casting — Page 2

I have no problem with color blind casting.... Hell I just finished a production of Cinderella where the King was African-American, the Queen was White and the Prince was Asian-American...

But what would you do if it were 1985 and you are running auditions for the kids in Sound Of Music, and you get an African-American who is a pushy stage mother insiting that her child be cast? I had to calmly remind her that none of the VonTrapp kids are A-Am.

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I do think there's a difference, however, between a fictional story, and one where the actors are portraying real people. (We know that Rose Hovick and her kids were white...)

This is true Walt. I wasn't thinking about the fact that Mama Rose is based on a real person, just that race doesn't matter in the context of the story being told.

Well, then. Shouldn't THAT be the litmus test? Instead of her skin color?

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I mean, I'd KILL to see LaChanze take on Rose's Turn, though...

Ooo, she would be fabulous. It could work. The average theatre-goer probably doesn't know who Rose Hovick was anyway...

I'm partial to Lillias White's Rose. Should I ever get to see it.

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T-Diva - I saw a multi-racial SoMUSIC. The Mother Superior was Black, and she RIPPED UP "Climb Every Mountain".

But the Black Nazis were a bit of a stretch . . .

Obviously Color Purple has everything to do with race. And I doubt Oprah would ever let them even attempt to slip a white girl into the role.

My school just did a production of "The Playboy of the Western World" and our Christy Mahon was black. Nobody really thought it was weird, until we realized the play took place in Ireland in the early 1900s. But none of the audiences seemed to mind, since the story was universally and wasn't specific in it's mention of Ireland.

I think Norm Lewis is going to be glorious in Les Miz. Have you heard the man sing?! It's like heaven is pouring out of his mouth. I really hope they record this cast.

OK, here's a question... does it make any difference to y'all whether it's a white actor playing a non-white role or vice versa?

Walt-
It depends on the role. When race is not a factor into it, and the change won't detract from the production, then non-traditional casting should be fine. However, as I also said, a white actor could not play Coalhouse Walker Jr.

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With shows like les miz, i think the most important thing is to keep races consistant. for example, while both are great, daphne rubin vegais latina, while ali ewoldt is asian... so the mother daughter thing doesn't work... but otherwise, color blind casting is ok, i think...

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If it's one little lyric/dialogue that's keeping a person from playing the role, then I think this world is corrupt.

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At least in my oppinion this is what I feel about the difference in Racial Casting in Les Mis and Color Purple.

The Color Purple is all about race. Some may disagree, but the poverty that the characters endure is simply beacause they are of a certain race at a certain time in American History. If the characters are poor and white(during the same time period) they would still on some level in American society have more rights to achieve their goals and objectives. Not to mention how much of the color purple is about African American culture, Music, Dance, and faith, at a difficult time for all Americans (the depression). The song Africa wouldn't have as much importance let alone signifigance if the cast was mixed or caucasian.

Les Mis...is about the French. It's about the years after the revolution. So some may argue that the cast should be white, in order to depict the French as the french are. But Les Miz has already put it's stamp on the musical theater world. And for some odd reason most people don't even think when there is color blind casting in a show so prevelent and well known throught the world and musical theater community. Roles every actor itches to play, wheather black, white, hispanic, and asian. As far as I'm concerned it's about the actor and not the color when it concerns Les Mis. Because the story is not about "These people are poor because they are white" these people are poor because they live in France during a certain time. With The Color Purple, these people are poor and face trials because they are BLACK and living in America at a certain time.

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I just regained concisouness after reading that race is not integral to The Color Purple and banging my head on my desk. Oyoyoyoyoy.

Re: Sweeney. Different versions of the lyrics have been used in the past to refer to different Johannas and different Beggar Women.

The prime example being an entire song of shades of brown hair vs blonde hair. It's really not an issue.

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