Is Broadway and the Tonys more diverse than Hollywood and the academy awards?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/26/16 at 11:55pm

I mean the person with the most Tony's is an African American woman. I think that's as diverse as anything. And Broadway this season and in general there are so many shows with extremely diverse casting. Just to name a few: the Book of Mormon, the lion king, Aladdin, allegiance, the color purple.

Updated On: 1/26/16 at 11:55 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 12:11am

Well, maybe at the moment, but what we have right now isn't "normal".  And those parts are relegated AS black roles, which is not really the same as being diverse.

 

The whole country still has a way to go.

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 12:11 AM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 6:53am

"And those parts are relegated AS black roles, which is not really the same as being diverse."

 

Well, the roles in "Hamilton" are not "black" roles.

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 06:53 AM

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 7:00am

There is nothing the matter with black roles.  Plus, The Trip To Bountiful, On Golden Pond, The Gin Game, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire are not black plays, yet within the past decade they have been produced with predominantly black casts.  Many of the roles in Chicago have been cast black as well.  Whether it has a long way to go or not, Broadway is a lot more diverse than Hollywood.  

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 7:00am

Without a doubt the answer is yes. I don't remember any year off the top of my head that all nominations were white people. Like you said, Audra has the most Tony's and probably will have a good shot at another one this year. I think we all agree Leslie Odom's Jr is a lock for a nomination and good shot at winning this year. 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 7:02am

"There is nothing the matter with black roles.  Plus, The Trip To Bountiful, On Golden Pond, The Gin Game, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire are not black plays, yet within the past decade they have been produced with predominantly black casts.  Many of the roles in Chicago have been cast black as well.  Whether it has a long way to go or not, Broadway is a lot more diverse than Hollywood."

 

Excellent post and I agree totally.

[Patash]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 7:50am

Just an opinion. . . I've never really thought that taking a classic play generally considered to be about white people/white experience and doing a version where the entire cast is black instead is really much progress on the racial front.  Now if some cast members were black and some were white without the effort to make sure they were all one race -- I'd consider that a bigger move forward.

 

But to the original question -- yes, I think Broadway is light years ahead of Hollywood in its diversity.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 7:52am

I think it is, too. Though the first non-white Best Actress winner wasn't until 2004.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 8:12am

No, in Hamilton it's about actors of color...not specifically black.

 

My point is only that b'way in this very moment does seem to be light years ahead....but that is not the norm to have so many persons of color represented.  

 

Yes, when you lump a decades worth of shows together, it does seem like a lot....but if we were to look at individual seasons, we'd realize how special this current time truly is in this regard.

[HighFlyingAdored97]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 9:42am

Broadway has a long way to go but it is WAY ahead of Hollywood. Musicals/plays with LGBT+ characters are able to win awards in New York City - Rent, Hedwig, The Color Purple, Fun Home, etc. - meanwhile Carol can't land a Best Picture or Best Director nomination at the Oscars despite deserving those nominations. The only time a queer film will win Academy Awards is when the lead roles are played by masculine and straight actors like Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 9:56am

"Carol" was kind of dull, frankly.  Well-acted, certainly, and Cate and Rooney deserve their nominations, but the film is one we know we're supposed to like but are always at a distance from.  I'm not sorry at all it wasn't nominated for Best Picture.  "The Danish Girl" as well.  

 

Also, if I were ever on a nominating committee, I would feel under no obligation to fill quotas of any kind.  That is not my job at that point.   I find the entire argument wrong-headed.  

[JM226]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 10:14am

HighFlyingAdored97 said: "Broadway has a long way to go but it is WAY ahead of Hollywood. Musicals/plays with LGBT+ characters are able to win awards in New York City - Rent, Hedwig, The Color Purple, Fun Home, etc. - meanwhile Carol can't land a Best Picture or Best Director nomination at the Oscars despite deserving those nominations. The only time a queer film will win Academy Awards is when the lead roles are played by masculine and straight actors like Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

 

"

your argument is based on the premise that Carol actually deserves those nominations. there is no consensus on that and i would argue the focus on a same-sex relationship has nothing to do with that. female homosexuality is, in fact, more embraced and accepted than male homosexuality in hollywood. 

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 10:14 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 10:43am

Broadway is doing well in terms of performers, certainly. But in terms of writers and composers, it is still sadly behind the times.

Cyndi Lauper was the first woman to win Best Score solo, and that was just a couple years ago. In the last 10 years, only three plays written by women have been nominated for Best Play (four if you include Wolf Hall, adapted from a novel written by a woman). Only three of the nominated plays in the last ten years have been written by a playwright of color. In the last twenty years, only ONE woman has had work win Best Play (Yasmina Reza, for Art and God of Carnage)- and no writers of color. This is the fault of producers- because women and people of color are certainly doing the work. The premiere playwrights of the generation, people like Annie Baker, Lynn Nottage, Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, are winning accolades and having works produced at non-profit, off-Broadway theatres. They have yet to appear on Broadway.

The lack of female presence on Broadway when it comes to writers/composers is particularly egregious, especially since women make up the majority of ticketbuyers.

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 10:43 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:00am

I just read that currently there are only two shows on Broadway that are directed by a woman. I wonder what the percentage is of directors in the film industry that are women. 

[Jshan05]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:08am

Call_me_jorge said: "I just read that currently there are only two shows on Broadway that are directed by a woman. I wonder what the percentage is of directors in the film industry that are women. "

I can't speak to this necessarily, but Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win the Oscar for directing The Hurt Locker. Besides for that, only 4 women have ever been nominated. WAY behind the times...

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:09am

I would agree that when it comes to actors in Broadway musicals Broadway is light years ahead of Hollywood, but outside of that catagory Broadway is just monochromatic.

From my count there have been only 10  non-white nominations for Best Score, winners Lin Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), Charlie Smalls (The Wiz) Robert Lopez (Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon), and nominees Stew (Passing Strange), Melvin Van Peebles (Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death), Daryl Waters  Zane Mark Ann Duquesnay and George C. Wolfe (Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk), Lebo M. (The Lion King), Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Tug Yourgrau (The Song of Jacob Zulu), Brandfod Marsalis (Fences Denzel Washington). Only 4 of which have occured in the past 10 years.

Lets not forget that Kenny Leon, George C. Wolfe, and Gerald Gutierrez are essentially the only nonwhite directing winners.

And if you are not a minority screen or TV star, you can forget about being cast in a play. 

The acting community of Broadway has come a long way, but the behind the scenes are just as white, but maybe not as male, as Hollywood.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:17am

And I read somewhere that only 5 Asians have ever won a Tony, though Caucasians have won 28 Tonys for their work on Asian-themed shows. Interesting if true (and I expect it is).

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:25am

"I mean the person with the most Tony's is an African American woman."

I certainly agree with everyone who has stated the theater world is lightyears ahead of Hollywood visa vis diversity (spoken as someone who makes his living in Hollywood).

But the OP's statement is factually wrong.

The top 6 Tony winners in its history are all white men:

Hal Prince

Mike Nichols

Stephen Sondheim

Bob Fosse

Tommy Tune

Jules Fisher

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 11:25 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:30am

Someone in a Tree2 said: ""I mean the person with the most Tony's is an African American woman."

 

I certainly agree with everyone who has stated the theater world is lightyears ahead of Hollywood visa vis diversity (spoken as someone who makes his living in Hollywood).

 

But the OP's statement is factually wrong.

 

The top 5 Tony winners in its history are all white men:

 

Hal Prince

 

Mike Nichols

 

Stephen Sondheim

 

Bob Fosse

 

Tommy Tune"

 

I forgot all of them. I was mainly thinking about the acting categories. 

[Kad]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:35am

Performer awards are important, but also the most superficial. The lack of diversity in *all* other categories speaks to a much deeper problem.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 11:57am

Reginald Tresilian said: "And I read somewhere that only 5 Asians have ever won a Tony, though Caucasians have won 28 Tonys for their work on Asian-themed shows. Interesting if true (and I expect it is)."

 

I believe it's 3 and not 5.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 12:27pm

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 7 Asians/Asian-Americans with a Tony: performers B.D. Wong, Lea Salonga and Ruthie Ann Miles; playwright David Henry Hwang; composer-lyricist Robert Lopez; costume designer Willa Kim, and scenic designer Ming Cho Lee, who also has a lifetime achievement Tony.

 

(You could count Yul Brynner, too. He has Eurasian heritage, but he was born in Russia, which is part of Asia, though I imagine most folks usually associate Asians with the Far East.)

 

That said, Asians have a long way to go on the Great White Way. I believe Hwang is the only Asian-American playwright who's been produced on Broadway. I don't even think any Asians have ever been nominated for Director. And more Caucasian actors have WON Tonys for doing ''yellowface'' for Leading Actor ... than actual Asians. No Asian guy has ever won Leading Actor.

Updated On: 1/27/16 at 12:27 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 12:27pm

I can think of David Henry Hwang, B. D. Wong, Lea Salonga, and Ruthie Ann Miles. There may be a fifth, but I can't think of who (or quickly find the answer via Google).

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 12:29pm

I was typing at the same time as Wayman, who has a much more complete list.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 1/27/16 at 12:33pm

I was thinking performers and not directors,writers...etc.