To each their own. I don’t see this as a problem. Tony Yazbeck as Cary Grant makes more sense to me than Norm Lewis. That’s just adding in a layer of something that the creative team probably doesn’t want or need.
It’s all fantasy sure. But you aren’t going to cast Audra McDonald in Grey Gardens (I mean, I’d totally buy a ticket) because they are real people. Or Ruthie Ann Miles in “Lady Day.”
Hamilton is making a statement, so it’s not a great example.
"And yet when roles are whitewashed we are somehow supposed to suspend our disbelief that the white actor with makeup looks Chinese, Persian, Argentinian, etc."
I think this is a bit of a red herring really - it is almost unheard of to whitewash a role that was written to be of Asian decent on Broadway in 2020 and I don't think audiences would accept it. I agree they could have cast non-POC in the roles, but equally given they are based on real people, they also could not. I would hope they didn't turn down a POC in one of the roles because they are 'not white'. Because no one is 'in the room when it happened', it's hard to know for sure - but I just trust and assume in 2020 with how racially conscious we are especially in our community of all communities this would not happen. Is anyone here going to say explicitly they are accusing James Lapine of racism? If you believe so, say it.
As for earlier comments about "The Book of Mormon" or "The Lion King" - sheesh. The ultimate goal in my opinion is that people aren't type-cast in certain shows because of their race. If you are an asian actor and confined to doing revivals of The King and I or Pacific Overtures your whole life I would be very upset. A better goal is to be someone like Pearl Sun in the N2N tour who played Diana because she was so talented not because of her race. I hope & assume we are aiming for more of this, which to be honest if I look at the N2N DC cast it feels like we have made great progress.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I'm Asian-American and I know what Cary Grant looked like. Casting, say, an Asian-American as Cary Grant wouldn't seem radical to me. It would seem like pandering. I don't need to be pandered to, and I'd really rather not picture producers patting themselves on the back by pretending they did something radical by deliberately casting against type.
There are plenty of Broadway parts where casting a white or not white actor wouldn't matter, but a 20th century matinee idol isn't one of them.
Hest88 said: "There are plenty of Broadway parts where casting a white or not white actor wouldn't matter, but a 20th century matinee idol isn't one of them."
Y'all know that Tony Yazbeck is part Lebanese, right?
Anyway, I'll be interested to hear more of the score. Right now it's sounding a little like War Paint, Bombshell, Road Show, etc. Like contemporary musical theater with a little bit of an MGM movie musical filter. I'm curious if the three lead characters will have their own musical languages.
I guess it’s hard to judge from a 10 second clip but it sounds rather pedestrian to me so far. Sunday in the Park With George sounds more bizarre and closer to an LSD trip than the clip!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Kitt writes such painfully boring and pedestrian scores that I'm a bit worried about this. Wish they had gone with Tesori. A Tesori/Korie/Lapine collaboration would've been great. Kitt makes me nervous.
I'm a fan of Tom Kitt's songs. His pop-rock scores are often so melodic and catchy. I especially love ''Next to Normal,'' ''High Fidelity'' and ''If/Then.'' I've got high hopes for ''Flying Over Sunset.''
I just realized it's 1 month until the first preview!!!! Looking forward to seeing this!!! It's the first time I'm seeing a Broadway show on its first preview!
Besides ''Flying Over Sunset,'' what other recent musicals have opened cold on Broadway? That is, that they didn't transfer from Off-Broadway or had out-of-town tryouts. It seems rare or is it?
Wow! We truly don’t deserve Carmen Cusack on this planet
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
Wow. I've enjoyed Kitt's work more than most but that's one of the most beautiful songs he's written.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
It all sounds fabulous. I also saw on Instagram the beginnings of what I think is a tap number for Tony Yazbeck, but I haven't found the full video posted anywhere. The whole show seems very clever.
I know the show is set for a limited engagement through June 28th, but they've been pretty quiet about that- for awhile I thought this had an open run. What are the chances this extends, especially with good critics/Tony's buzz?