Diversity on Broadway — Page 14

AHLiebross said: "Charlie Kringas Inc. writes:

Also, I think a black Eliza [in My Fair Lady] would work really well in America, given our obsession with how black people talk and what we seem to think it illustrates about their value as human beings. Honestly, it fits right in with the show's themes and I'm almost surprised I can't seem to find any mention of it having been done before.

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Charlie K, I agree with you. In fact, I've often thought about how it could be done. Higgins can be a wealthy black New Yorker, and Eliza can come from Harlem. The accents and some of the songs would have to be changed, such as Eliza's practicing the sentence, "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plane," and the locations that Higgins picks at the beginning for the people around the opera house would have to be moved to New York.

I think such a production would have a lot to say. Nonetheless, I think it would require a hefty rewrite of Alan Jay Lerner's book and lyrics.

"

Lord, this DOES sound awful.  No one needs another story with a white knight saving the sad black person's life.  

Yeah, I'm not convinced.

Mister Matt said: "This topic is always fun each time it pops up.  And no matter what the productions, casting or audiences are like in any given season, the thread will always be exactly the same.  Broadway may be diverse, but it will never be diverse enough.  Never ever.  No matter what.  But it's great to read about it once or twice a year."

Has anyone started a calendar yet timing exactly when the actual POC posters here (like me) drop out the first time, sigh heavily, come back, drop out again, and then peek through our non-white hands to see what disaster has transpired in the past several days?

Charley has a good point about Pygmalion, BTW.

The fact is, there is a difference between races. Not in the sense of a black person being worth more or less than a white person, but in the sense of casting. Differences in gender, age, looks, types and hairstyle and yes, race, in any person do matter. Shows are stories, a lot of times about a certain era, based on true events, or not, but always written with a certain intention and type/age/look of a person in mind. When I see Miss Saigon, I don't want to see a white Kim. When I see Dreamgirls I don't want to see a non-african Effie. When I see Phantom or Les Mis I don't want to see a black Valjean or Christine.

People are not blind and they don't need to be.

Christine is not a black girl. That is not the role. Historically it doesn't make sense and it is just silly. Presenting the role as a 50 year old woman or a man would be just as silly. We are talking about casting here, where even the smallest of characteristics and details matter.

People who say that I should accept a 20 year old black Valjean when I buy an expensive theatre ticket should accept a 50 year old white man as Effie White in Dreamgirls too. We are talking about casting here. Blindness doesn't work one way. It either works both ways or not.

The big misconception here is that the casting should be blind. It is the responsibility of the casting directors to fill a role truthfully and not ask the audience to turn a blind eye. Whoever plays that roles doesn't really matter. I couldn't care less if a male was cast as Ursula in the little mermaid, I would be fine with it. As long as he is believable as a woman. When Lea Salonag was cast in les Mis, I did not have to convince myself I wasn't looking at an Asian actress, because she could easily pass for a french girl in that era. I couldn't care less if Effie in Dreamgirls was played by a white girl, as long as they make her look African American and she sounds right for the part and I couldn't care less if a black girl plays Christine, as long as they make her look white with make up and she sounds right for the part. I couldn't care less if the actress was 50, as long as she looks and sounds 16.

It is not the audience that has to be blind. It is the casting that could be.

Updated On: 10/20/15 at 04:07 PM

Dave19 said: "People who say that I should accept a 20 year old black Valjean when I buy an expensive theatre ticket should accept a 50 year old white man as Effie White in Dreamgirls too. We are talking about casting here. Blindness doesn't work one way. It either works both ways or not."

You're a real person! Who figured out how to start an account and type sentences! Wow.

Ha. Either way, I've found a new person to block. Productivity?

He could also be a bot that uses not-necessarily-racist-on-their-own phrases but ones that send up red flags, like "the races." Who talks like that? In 2015? On a theatre message board?!

Clearly, some people in this discussion fail to understand the terms "racism" and "casting".

What is more racist:

1: "I insist Elphaba turns black when being played by a black actress"

2: "I don't care about the color of the actress as long as the role stays green".

Same goes for Effie in Dreamgirls and Christine in Phantom.

Dave19 said: "Clearly, some people in this discussion fail to understand the terms "racism" and "casting".

What is more racist:

1: "I insist Elphaba turns black when being played by a black actress"

2: "I don't care about the color of the actress as long as the role stays green".

Same goes for Effie in Dreamgirls and Christine in Phantom.

"

Who said anything about turning Elphaba  from green (AND NO ONE ON EARTH IS GREEN) to black? 

Showface, it's about the role characteristics. Not about the color of the actor. That goes for any role.

"How am I discrimating, troll? You JUST said a white actress in blackface is more believable than a black actress.

Disgusting."

No mister delusional. I did NOT say that.

I said that I don't care who plays a role, as long as it is the best person and believable. 

Updated On: 10/20/15 at 04:37 PM

"I couldn't care less if Effie in Dreamgirls was played by a white girl, as long as they make her look African American and she sounds right for the part "

"

Yes, that's what I said. As long as I see a believable Effie.

Your option is to give the role to someone just because the actress is black? That's racist and not what casting is about. I couldn't care less is it was a male either. As long as I believe it and don't have to turn a blind eye. No matter what the actor has to do for that.

Updated On: 10/20/15 at 04:42 PM

Dave19 said: ""I couldn't care less if Effie in Dreamgirls was played by a white girl, as long as they make her look African American and she sounds right for the part "

"

Yes, that's what I said. As long as I see a believable Effie.

Your option is to give the role to someone just because she is black? That's racist.

"

No. It's not, troll.

Dreamgirls is a show ABOUT race...you CANNOT cast a non-black person as the main characters. BLACKFACE IS NOT A SOLUTION. 

Other shows, like Les Mis and POTO have NOTHING to do with race, so a POC can be cast in these roles that have NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE...do you understand, troll? Do you? 

Dave19 said: "Phyllis Rogers Stone said: "Related

"

Is seems that I am one of the few ones here that truly doesn't care about the race of an actor.

That makes me sad.

"

You know what makes me glad, though? The fact that you're not a casting director.

Wait--are you? Because if so, guys we found the root of the issue here!

Updated On: 10/20/15 at 04:48 PM