LEMPICKA Previews- Page 13

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 1:21pm

colorblind casting can be confusing, lesson #332.

the Baron was Jewish; there were very few Black Jews in 1940s Europe, and Tamara's second husband was not one of them. i could care less who is cast to play who, but its interesting that for all the hubbub about authentic representation, you here have a Latina woman playing a Polish Jew, and a Black actor playing her white Jewish husband, without nary a peep. 

Rafaela is an invented character, and meant to be a composite of Tamara's lovers. She did not exist. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 3:08pm

Jordan Catalano said: "So then the musicals thing about “learn about the woman you never knew about” is also a moot point if they’re not even going to be accurate about the people she had relationships with."

I do think this has been something that bothered me that I couldn't quite put my finger on til now. A quick glance through Lempicka's Wikipedia page shows that a lot of events are not as they've been depicted and the characters don't line up to the real life figures (her mentor in art is also different). I can understand creating some composites or changes for the purposes of streamlining the plot, but to use Rafaela as an example, why include Suzy as a character in the show as well with no mention of THEIR relationship (or that of her affair with the Baron's for that matter as well). And the Adam and Eve painting wasn't made with the purpose of the expo that was depicted in the show, and the models were also notably not that of her lover and husband.

So it almost feels disingenuous for the show to be changing so much of the major events of her life, and it's not quite to the extent of Sunday in the Park where that show speaks to something larger than George Seurat himself and merely uses his work as a lens to examine it.  But this show has also claimed to be about telling her story and then it turns out that much of the story it's telling is a fairly large departure from the truth. I suppose the fact that she had divorced her husband in 1928 would've ruined the idea of the "two great loves" she had, but wouldn't it have been better to have framed the story another way anyway? (Especially since no one seems convinced her husband in the show was truly one of her great loves)

As for Rafaela, she's certainly based on a real model and lover that Lempicka captured in multiple paintings, though she could certainly be a composite character as well, but saying she didn't exist is also false when there has been record of Lempicka speaking about her (in a similar way that she's first presented in the musical) so the writers of the show definitely drew inspiration from a real life figure. 

[two ladies tickets]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 3:12pm

As other people have stated the reviews will most likely be mixed to negative. The Tony nominations come out on April 30th. Hopefully, they have enough of an advance to keep running until then. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 3:30pm

I personally don’t feel the love triangle to be half-assed whatsoever.  Tamara married Tadeusz as a teenager and self sacrificed her body to get him out of prison.  They had to flee Poland for Denmark and ultimately Paris. I don’t think the musical needs to give equal time to the Tamara-Tadeusz love to legitimize her love for Rafaela or her bisexuality. Tamara and Tadeusz eventually got divorced. Of course now I am remembering all the flack that Francesca got for cheating on Bud. Right, good girls don’t do things like fall in love with other people. Good grief.

Rafaela was white. See paintings.

The Beautiful Rafaela

The Dream (Rafaela on green background), July 1927  - I love now noticing her wearing possibly the most beautiful bracelet. 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 3:54pm

I just watched an Instagram video of the composer crying into their cellphone and saying “We’re just high schoolers trying to put on a show.”

Says it all, really.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 4:07pm

Melissa25 said: "I personally don’t feel the love triangle to be half-assed whatsoever. Tamara married Tadeusz as a teenager and self sacrificed her body to get him out of prison. They had to flee Poland for Denmark and ultimately Paris. I don’t think the musical needs to give equal time to the Tamara-Tadeusz love to legitimize her love for Rafaela or her bisexuality. Tamara and Tadeusz eventually got divorced. Of course now I am remembering all the flack that Francesca got for cheating on Bud. Right, good girls don’t do things like fall in love with other people. Good grief.

Rafaela was white. See paintings.

The Beautiful Rafaela

The Dream (Rafaela on green background), July 1927 -I love now noticing her wearing possiblythe most beautiful bracelet.

"

My agent friend said Carmen Cusack orginally played Rafaela in Williamstown and was absolutely terrific, received rave reviews and he actually preferred her over Amber Iman's performance. I wonder why she didn't continue in the role and was replaced?

Anyone else see Cusack back then and compare?

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 4:16pm

Because Rachel Chavkin wanted to prove how progressive she is 

[somecheapfrenchthing]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 6:13pm

Robbie2 said: "Melissa25 said: "I personally don’t feel the love triangle to be half-assed whatsoever. Tamara married Tadeusz as a teenager and self sacrificed her body to get him out of prison. They had to flee Poland for Denmark and ultimately Paris. I don’t think the musical needs to give equal time to the Tamara-Tadeusz love to legitimize her love for Rafaela or her bisexuality. Tamara and Tadeusz eventually got divorced. Of course now I am remembering all the flack that Francesca got for cheating on Bud. Right, good girls don’t do things like fall in love with other people. Good grief.

Rafaela was white. See paintings.

The Beautiful Rafaela

The Dream (Rafaela on green background), July 1927 -I love now noticing her wearing possiblythe most beautiful bracelet.

"

My agent friend said Carmen Cusack orginally played Rafaela in Williamstown and was absolutely terrific, received rave reviews and he actually preferred her over Amber Iman's performance. I wonder why she didn't continue in the role and was replaced?

Anyone else see Cusack back then and compare?"

 

Yes, I saw Carmen in 2018 and absolutely loved her performance as Rafaela. It’s hard to compare her to Amber Iman because the show and the role were so different. The song Stay didn’t exist, beautiful bracelet was very different in both style and context, her big act 1 number was a totally different too… I preferred the Carmen & Eden combo on the song Stillness (they had great chemistry overall) but that song was cut… I think Williamstown was my favorite version of the show, but it’s difficult to pick a preferred Rafaela when the versions of the character are so different. They’ve definitely tailored the role to Amber’s voice. 

 

Updated On: 4/14/24 at 06:13 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 6:38pm

Broadway Flash said: "Because Rachel Chavkin wanted to prove how progressive she is"

Oh stfu with your embarrassment. Amber Iman plays the role because she's an amazing talent. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:18pm

Apparently not as good as Carmen Cusack

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:23pm

There are so many problems with this show and Amber's performance is not one of them.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:26pm

I wonder if they offered it to anyone else before Amber. I can imagine Micaela Diamond in the role. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:29pm

If they offered it to anyone else, I’m sure it was a woman of color.  It’s been a part of Rachel’s MO

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:35pm

Anyways. 
 

This thread has made me wonder when we’ll see Carmen Cusack again. We need her back on Broadway!

[getatme]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:36pm

I was was actually thinking while I watched the show what Carmen would have been like as Tamara. I don’t adore Carmen as a performer (I find her voice is but unpleasant to listen to at times), but she has a magnetism and a star quality to her that I think would have served the piece very well.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:44pm

my god, it amazes me how stupidly racist some of our members are

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:46pm

Seriously, whatever the structural problems with this show - with its craft, its decisions about what and when to musicalize or its handling of the source material - they have zero to do with the diversity in its casting. When these digressive arguments ensue about the supposed inclusionary casting bias in a major working artist, here a director, no one wins. The Broadway theater is a beautifully representative canvas right now. In the last two years alone we've seen a Black artist play Florenz Ziegfeld and a gifted woman take over a male role in a hit musical without a blink of an eye. As it should be. How does the art form benefit from finding fault with race or gender decisions in role assignments? And in 2024, when the NYC theater is if anything a model for the culture - workplace or community - what's the issue? I'm baffled by this umbrage taken.   

Updated On: 4/14/24 at 07:46 PM

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:46pm

Liking Carmen Cusack better than Amber makes us racist?

[getatme]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:49pm

Broadway Flash said: "Liking Carmen Cusack better than Amber makes us racist?"

No, but you implying Amber was hired solely because she’s a Black woman and Chavkin wanted to show how progressive she does make you racist. 

I don’t post here often or interact with people, but I’m regularly shocked by some of the truly abhorrent things you say and then turn around and act like other people misinterpreted. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:54pm

I mean, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that she intentionally wanted a woman of color in the role.  

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 7:57pm

Broadway Flash said: "I mean, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think thatshe intentionally wanted a woman of color in the role."

can you show us in writing where she has said this? You're really going hard on this assumption that it's her "MO" but like...where has Chavkin said that this role was targeted to be played by a person of color? What interviews exist that support this claim? A lot of people on here draw conclusions about a lot of inconsequential stuff that is harmless, but you're directly implying Iman was wanted for this role specifically because she is a person of color- so go for it and tell us what you're getting this from. Do it. Seriously, go for it.

Updated On: 4/14/24 at 07:57 PM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 8:09pm

youre bickering with a troll, and the troll always wins that battle. this person said a NYT theater critic was a diversity hire, complained about Jews moving into neighborhoods, and regularly invents gossip to stay relevant. you will get nowhere trying to reason with a person like this, whereas they thrive on it. dont bother.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 8:11pm

Broadway Flash said: "Apparently not as good as Carmen Cusack"

Who was in the show 6 years ago, I know you can't tell the passage of time very well way back there in 1959 but this is sad. You're over here bemoaning that a character that isn't even real isn't white. I have a sneaking suspicion you never even knew Carmen Cusack played the role at one point prior to this discussion. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 8:14pm

Risking it all for a bad musical, yall take the bate like candy. 

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/14/24 at 8:14pm

Broadway Flash said: "I mean, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think thatshe intentionally wanted a woman of color in the role. "

I barely post here anymore, but all your jabs, everywhere about inclusive casting is so annoying.

If you don't agree with it, dont like it, think it's been forced, then cool, that's your opinion, it is VERY well known by now. So why not just focus your energy elsewhere? As somebody who works in theatre and have my own issues with the theatre (not with inclusive casting), I don't feel the need to post non stop posts about it. 

 

Nobody is saying you can't have an opinion, theatre without opinion would be incredibly boring (and it's boring enough right now), but ask yourself, why do you feel the need to keep posting about it in numerous threads? That's the bigger question, why do you think the board needs to keep hearing the same thing? To be 'controversial' for attention or maybe because you just feel you have to be the loudest voice. Whatever the reason....move on.