MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews — Page 48

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Updated On: 8/18/25 at 12:49 AM

TheatreFan4 said: "And if you feel the conditions a minority in an Asian country are facing then you should care about it at home.

Equality is a two way street, correct. But for every advancementtowards a minority it's not like you have to "give back" for that. Like when you take a role that got an Asian actor their First Tony for Lead Actor in a Musical and immediately give the role to a white person? It feels like they for some reason they had to "pay it back" for that Tony. Again, if they cast this show diversely from the jump instead of every person but 1 being Asian, you absolutely cast it that way FOR A REASON. That you then went back on."

"Caring about it" means "not accepting different rules for different races". Caring about the fact that white people are excluded in Asian countries does not mean that promoting the same thing here is acceptable. Global majority (Asian) people can take over roles from white people here so white people can take over roles from Asian people here too. Indeed, we should fight against the fact that that is not possible in Asian countries yet. The least we can do is showing that it works both ways here.

And if they have cast this project on race FOR A REASON, then I am very curious what that reason is. I have learned that we should not cast on race in roles where that isn't relevant for the role and storyline. Especially since the percentages are so warped on Broadway already. A much bigger percentage of the Asian population in the USA is on broadway than the percentage of the white population. So it's not about more opportunities. Also, the 2 current leads look like a white and Asian couple and most audience members think it is that way.

Seb28 said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "

I have a question for the two-faced racist people on here, who demand different rules for different races in the USA. When is the ratio warped enough to start applying the same rules and equality? Because at the moment the balance is off. Can you let me know when you are there? When it's 100% non-white maybe?



this

the ratio will never be good enough for the woke mob

because that isnt the point and it isnt their goal

if broadway ever became 100% cast non-white they would _still_ complain

and demand reparations for the previous centuries where the casting ratio wasnt good enough

never mind that the ratio of minorities to whites currently employed on broadway is far greater than the population makeup of this country

a reminder for those on here who are allergic to facts:

aapi make up around 6% of the us population

a-a make up around 12% of the us population

but please go ahead and complain about the egregious lack of opportunity in current broadway casting

its become a ‘problem’ that needs to be continually invented to satisfy the unquenchable blood thirst of the woke mob



MezzoDiva47 has spoken

bow down accordingly

I just wonder if things are feeling a bit OTT from everyone: I agree the actor doesn’t ‘have’ to be Asian but at the same time there is obviously a problem with Asian men getting leading roles in musicals that aren’t ‘pacific overtures’ or ‘the king and I’ (to me it’s unambiguous, and as I said you can see this subtlety reflected through all parts of our culture because Asian men are not sexualised the same way other ethnicities are which for better or worse is often what is required for ‘leading status’. There is a reason why, for example, Aaron Tveit and Jeremy Jordan look the way they do. And they would not be who they are without their look. It just is what it is.


So yes in the very, very rare example a leading musical role comes around that could be appropriately ‘reserved’ for Asian actors (which seems appropriate if it’s set in Asia writing by Asian writers who have intentionally cast Asian actors even if they and we don’t agree that they HAVE to, but they have done)….is it really a big deal?


I feel more passionate that this is the correct course of action for this particular population because I believe it is a very unique and specific challenge. Eg people complain that it’s hard for black people but I’m sorry they appear to be able to secure lead roles all the time and are sexualised and given leading status in the culture all the time. Asian male actors are no where to be seen until a revival of the king and I comes around and I don’t think it’s by choice. I believe they are being subtley discriminated against because they are deemed not to have the right ‘look’. So if that means handing over a robot role in one show to just try and do a little something so be it…

Updated On: 8/18/25 at 07:42 AM

YankeeDani said: "I wouldn't be making multiple accounts to upvote yourself at 4AM "Seb"

What roles in the US have Asian people taken away from white people, Seb? Please enlighten me oh wise and fair one."

Welcome to reality, where multiple people agree with the facts that I mention.

I don’t believe Asian males are over represented in leading musical roles. Happy for you to show statistics otherwise but I don’t believe it to be true when I look around and realise it almost never happens.

It's funny how some here gerrymander the stats to make their blatantly bigoted point. No, Broadway is not representing the US population. It is representing the NYC population. And please look up how many people in the city are Asian. You are in for a surprise.

BorisTomashevsky said: "Seb mentioned “Asian people on Broadway” not “leading musical roles.”

Is it just leading roles than are in question here? Isn’t that dimishing the value of the ensemble and character roles and sidekicks? Is it not enough to have any job on the most sought-after stages of the world? “I want to be a lead and nothing else is good enough for me!”

This is just one endless matryoshka doll."

... well considering literally everybody puts more importance on lead roles versus featured and definitely ensemble, yeah that's what is in question here. Again, you know this. Or maybe you don't, your dumb ass did tell the hilarious joke about casting a non-Jew as Fraulin Schneider in Cabaret, so maybe you just are that dim.

Like... "shouldn't they be happy with Ensemble?!" Is quite the take when you're insisting that Asian people get all the opportunities over white people in casting.

BorisTomashevsky said: "binau said: "I don’t believe Asian males are over represented in leading musical roles. Happy for you to show statistics otherwise but I don’t believe it to be true when I look around and realise it almost never happens."

Seb mentioned “Asian people on Broadway” not “leading musical roles.”

Is it just leading roles than are in question here? Isn’t that dimishing the value of the ensemble and character roles and sidekicks? Is it not enough to have any job on the most sought-after stages of the world? “I want to be a lead and nothing else is good enough for me!”

This is just one endless matryoshka doll."

I know what he said, that's why I was very precise in my question. Yes I am, at least, specifically referring to leading roles for Asian males and we don't need to suddenly pretend that ensemble roles are equal to leading roles. Of course they're not. This is also exactly the problem - people are happy to see asian male actors fade into the background as a bit of diversity decoration but they won't let them step into the leading roles.

I find myself in the very odd and rare position of arguing for the so called 'woke' position on this issue here but I think Boris and Seb you're doing the same thing with the opposite ideological view that annoying 'woke' people do. For example, they might stubbornly claim that every POC in every situation is discriminated against. In your case it's the opposite - it's like you're stubbornly claiming there is no discrimination and using misleading arguments (e.g. the total pool of working actors without actually being specific about this particular situation) to do the same thing. Which I have to say something about because it just doesn't reflect the reality of the situation, either observationally at who is in the roles or the struggles that asian men have just by talking to them (it's a very unique population with its own unique challenges).

It's just non-stop bad faith from Boris. Reminds me of my right-wing grandmother. No one is diminishing supporting roles, and you know that. No Asian actors are saying that only getting lead parts is acceptable, and you know that.

BorisTomashevsky said: "Great, so what will it take to end the discrimination? An Asian Fiyero? An Asian Pony Boy?

Is it a case of the hotness/leading man-nessof the character and how many times an Asian has been cast in it that will provide the answer to there being no discrimination?

And how does anyone know when discrimination has actually occurred? “I didn’t get the part…” “Damn them for discriminating against you!”

I saw Jin Ha play a very alluring Aaron Burr and a very butch soldier in Here We Are where he screwed the hot girl character in the closet. And he’s not even that traditionally physically “big and strong and alpha male”, Asian heritage aside. Where’s the discrimination there?"

No one here is pretending we know how to solve this, so it’s just about noticing when there can be small opportunities - such as this very unusual and specific case - and taking them. I don’t think there is any need to worry about extrapolating this to a wider population or precedent. The reason why people are reacting this way is not simply because a white person has replaced a POC (compared to say the Great Comet fiasco which is not the same at all as this). It’s because people thought it was an Asian show and role based on the very choices the creative team themselves made and marketed.

Let me ask you: if it was true that Asian male actors are indeed discriminated against for leading roles in a way that is widespread…..would you then support the decision? Because there is no point in us arguing about this if you would not accept the idea of it regardless.

No one is asking for an Asian flyero or Asian pony boy (but I’d ask you how often do you think these have and will happen?)…..just a robot in this show in this moment because of the choices this creative team made.

Updated On: 8/18/25 at 01:01 PM

“so it’s just about noticing when there can be small opportunities - such as this very unusual and specific case - and taking them.”

^And it’s this that is going to keep people dissatisfied and always saying their slice of the birthday cake is smaller. If people/actors “know” that these small opportunities are being noticed while casting, being considered and being kept in mind etc, and then they DON’T get the role for a reason other than their “Asian-ness”, they’ll once again scream inequality and “you didn’t take the opportunity!”. Cut and paste, rinse and repeat.
Just like how Affirmative Action is often argued to have been completely unsuccessful. If it’s not going to be a case of “we won’t consider one race more than another when we bring actors in to audition”, then it’s completely racist.

“Let me ask you: if it was true that Asian male actors are indeed discriminated against for leading roles in a way that is widespread…..would you then support the decision?”

Would I support the casting of Andrew? I’d support it less. But the 2024 casting notice is still available online, and Any Ethnicity means Any Ethnicity.