PRINCE OF EGYPT will finally premiere!

Hope everyone is ready to start counting the exact proportion of the cast ethnicities this time when they announce it. I expect nothing less than the percentage to 2 decimal places.

Rest assured we have probably already lost on the great talent that is Marin Mazzie who was cast last time - I hope everyone is happy with themselves.

Updated On: 2/14/17 at 03:57 PM

Apparently, Moses has been cast already:

Diluckshan Jeyaratnam

Updated On: 2/14/17 at 03:58 PM

Marin is so talented that they are probably not going to easily cast someone with her skills and abilities. But of course, that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

The others can be easily replaced.

Ahh, you can always count on this place to have outrage over a show not casting white people.

Marin Mazzie is a treasure, but it's absurd to say that no one else could do what she does. Especially because no one here saw her do it. How do you know she's irreplaceable?

Diluckshan Jeyaratnam is of Sri Lankan descent. He is South Asian not from Egypt or even Africa.

In terms of cultural sensitivity they might as well have cast a European Caucasian actor.

Or for being anything other than a nepotism pick on his dad's work, speaking frankly.

wonderfulwizard11 said: "Ahh, you can always count on this place to have outrage over a show not casting white people.

Marin Mazzie is a treasure, but it's absurd to say that no one else could do what she does. Especially because no one here saw her do it. How do you know she's irreplaceable?



"

RE: your first comment, what are you talking about? The only thing we can count on here is people to have outrage over a show that doesn't people of colour- I don't think anyone really cares if white people aren't cast (the issue here is not Marin Mazzie will be replaced with a non-white person, the issue here is that Marin Mazzie will likely not be replaced with an equally talented person). Of course, I do think that advocating for casting people of colour is a worthy cause - it seems to me that non-white actors are often disadvantaged here.

You're right that my main assumption (that Marin Mazzie cannot be easily replaced) is not tested yet, so perhaps we can wait and see. In my mind, there is nothing more aesthetically pleasing and powerful that (as a generalisation) the vocal ability of a powerful African American woman - so there is a chance. But Marin Mazzie is one of the greats - people like her don't turn up for casting calls every day of the week.

Updated On: 5/15/17 at 04:28 PM

Scott Schwartz and Sarna Lapine would make a good couple.

Tag said: "Scott Schwartz and Sarna Lapine would make a good couple. "



I get your point, but I wouldn't wish that on her.

Was there this level of outrage when Aida premiered a decade ago, or when it's been performed in regionals since? No matter how you cast this in terms of ethnicity and "color," I suspect the film's greatest visual will be impossible to replicate onstage: Moses, escaping the palace in his Jean Valjean moment, removes his wig and makeup, transforming visually from an Egyptian into a Hebrew.

darquegk said: "Was there this level of outrage when Aida premiered a decade ago, or when it's been performed in regionals since?"

I'm pretty sure that the love interest and Amneris are supposed to be white. Aida was kidnapped as a slave.

I was excited beyond measure...until I saw "Denmark" (literally WHY in the world would they want to premiere it there of all places??) as well as that Scott is directing it. UGH WHY. It's bad enough that Stephen (though I love him) likes story theatre format for God knows what reason, and I'm afraid that's what this will turn into, and add on that his terrible 'director' of a son is 'directing'....this might as well go the direction of Hunchback. A ****ing amazing piece that deserves it day on stage, but isn't done justice due to stupid ideas THAT MAKE NO SENSE with the end product being severely odd and underwhelming and won't get it's much deserved Broadway transfer. Just adapt it a bit for the stage, it doesn't need much, just a clever set up and design and this will be just fine! This movie is such an incredible piece of storytelling and marvel work of art that I will be even more upset about it not being good than I was about Hunchback...and I was pretty upset about Hunchback.



As for the casting...I'm about to put myself into the lions' den. I'm all for proper casting. But the one thing that we always hear is that unless the shows plot revolves around ethnicity for whatever reason, than cast whoever. This is a perfectly fine idea in theory, but ladies and gents, PofE doesn't revolves around any plot of that nature. Neither does Aladdin or Lion King. The plot isn't about "race'. The only thing we have to go by is Egyptian. And yes it makes perfect sense to not have a snow white cast. Even though historians don't know what these people actually looked like, we can certainly assume that they're weren't lily skinned considering the location and climate. So we're literally basing what the cast should look like based on LOCATION. Same with the other two shows I mentioned. And there'd be raised cane if anyone "white" were in those shows. (yes I know there have been, but Freeman as Jafar is an exception for obvious reasons) But yet, people have been applauding Frozen's colorblind casting when it takes place in....NORWAY. Some of the snowiest people on the planet (the one exception to this could be Kristoff since he's a Laplander/Sami but that's a discussion for another day). So since LK doesn't revolve around "race" shouldn't I, a white chick, have as much of a chance to be in that if I wanted to? (I don't, I'm just speaking hypothetically.) We have to remember that just because it takes in Africa doesn't mean the plot revolves around race. So TECHNICALLY anyone could be in it if they wanted. But as it does take place in Africa, it makes perfect sense to cast anyone darker skinned just as much as it would make sense to cast anyone fair skinned in Frozen. Location does matter in certain pieces. Especially in Disney pieces since Disney stories are told in earnest but also have always been honest in sticking to the source materials' country of origin (unless it's PATF and they completely reinvent it). What am I missing? This issue really is a show-by-show basis, you can't blanket the "If the plot isn't about race, then cast whoever" to everything ever written and created.

I mentioned all the above to hope to bring an understanding that this issue isn't as black and white as it's made out to be. Of course I'm for 1111000000000% for diversity in the world of theatre pieces but it still has to make complete sense to do so. Certain pieces lend themselves to this better than others for various reasons. I'm MORE than willing to be educated even more than I already am on this subject, and if you do, please educate intelligently and kindly.

I'm still more upset about Scott directing than anything else right now.