Cutting or rewriting shows for political correctness

[Jon]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 4:58pm

A local community theatre did GYPSY last year, and they cut out the "Some People Crossover" sequence where Rose and her daughters travel around the country, recruiting boys for the act, because they theought the audience would view Rose as a child abducter! Anyone have any other good examples of productions that cut or changed parts of shows for stupid reasons?

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 5:03pm

That disgusts me.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 5:10pm

(shakes head in disapprovingly) Tsk tsk

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 5:44pm

I guess political correctness is often in the eye of the beholder. I do not understand why I'M An Indian Too was cut from the ANNIE GET YOUR GUN revival as being politically incorrect. The show is set in the distant past and I don't grasp what would be offensive to anyone, including Native Americans, about the I'm an Indian Too song. I heard someone mention that they thought they would rework the part of Ito in MAME for the upcoming revival. Huh? I don't know what is politcally incorrect about the charachter. People in that era certainly did have servants of different ethnic backgrounds, just as they do today. Would the part of Ito be ok if it were played by a caucasion? I just don't get anything politically incorrect about the charachter of Ito in MAME. However, were I an actor of Asian descent(they like other actors have a hard enough time finding work), I would be distressed to have the part of Ito altered to a different heritage.

[iwearshoes]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 5:51pm

i completely agree w/ annie get your gun, i saw both versions and liked it much better with the song in it.

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 5:56pm

Updated On: 2/7/06 at 05:56 PM

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:35am

Iwearshoes, thanks for your affirmation of my thoughts. It is much appreciated. :)

[Jon]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:33pm

I think "reworking" the role of Ito in MAME means allowing the actor to speak in a normal voice, instead of the whole "Velly velly good, Missy Dennis!" stereotype. It is possible for a Japanese-born servant to learn to speak proper English.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:41pm

I never understood the cutting of "I'm An Indian Too". Then Bernadette gets up and sings "Folks are dumb where I come from..." So basically she's saying that people from Ohio are stupid?

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 4:37pm

LOL, oh don't get me started on IM AN INDIAN TOO - why it was cut, Im not sure, but even without the song in the show - the revival was far better than the orginal and previous revival versions. It was one of the last times in recent memory that they actually REVISED when the REVIVED in perfect accordance, istead of just Reviving! I think they are trying to do the same with SWEET CHARITY, but from early reports there was to much flip/flopping of time eras and a rather disjointed feeling. But...we shall see the final product once it arrive in NY!

[pab]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 4:43pm

"In 1928, in Robeson's first appearance in Show Boat in London, he sang the original lyrics of Ol' Man River: "n*s all work on the Mississippi, etc." Later, as he developed politically, he would change the lyrics drastically and transform his theme song from a lament into a statement of militant resistance."
Link

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 2:56am

Count me amongst those who hated the cutting if "I'm an Indian too." I also don't buy the fact that AGYG-1999 was in any way an improvement over the 1966 or even the 1946 versions, and I have seen many stagings of AGYG over the years.

When reviving older shows, the books often need trimming because they are overlong and keep restating the same ideas. (were audiences that dumb in the 30s and 40s?) And some of the humour is just too dated. But rewriting to correct percieved political incorrectness seems needless and arbitrary.

[oldfashionedboy]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:48am

Let's have a production of FIDDLER where the fourth daughter runs off with a black man and the fifth daughter turns out to be a lesbian. That would give Tevye plenty to talk to God about. Updated On: 3/20/05 at 08:48 AM

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:05am

Something tells me that if Show Boat were rivived today, we'd get the original opening. Over the past decade, the word 'n*' has been appropriated by the hip-hop community to a great extent. The opening is simply not as powerful with 'colored folk' being sung. 'n*' makes it political and uncomfortable for the white audience, which is as it should be. Instead of glossing over our past, we should face it.

As for Ito, a bowing, scraping, shreiking Asian houseboy who mangles the English language for laughs IS offensive. As I've said in other posts, B.D. Wong's performance in the BC/EFA reading w/ Charles Busch pointed the way to what could be done. He was practically Yul Brenner, he was so imposing. And it was absolutely hilarious.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:29am

slightly unrelated was what Palm Springs High School had to go through to be allowed to keep their mascot "Indians".....when the new state law forbade names that were deemed "offensive. My area has much Indian land, and it was actually them that came to the aid, and the school retained the nicknam.

PC has it's place. for un-PC comments and as long as they are NOT insulting or degrading in their context, as they weren't in Show Boat, they should be allowed.

I mean friends say hey faggot to me, and I back...I'm not offended.......but it's when it's sneered or made obvious by the look on their face that it's intended to hurt, be nasty, whatever, I am in their face.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:40am

When I played Lady Larken in Once Upon A Mattress in 8th grade, they cut her pregnancy because they felt the parents would be upset by it. Makes her whole reason for being desperate to marry null and void.

[CASuperboy]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 12:51pm

I know this isn't about PC-ness, just political, but I really wanted to share. I was actually joking with some friends last night about a political college production of "Annie." Citizens revolting over a tyrant. That would be really interesting. It's a "Hard Knock Life," a revolutionary anthem?

[BWAYboi_yes]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 12:58pm

I think the changes for political correctness made in Peter Pan were very good. Though, to be honest, it's still politically incorrect.