#26
Posted: 3/5/09 at 8:56pm
And Elizabeth Ashley as her sister? That is one WHACK gene pool.
Phylicia Rashad to take over as Violet Weston — Page 2
#27
Posted: 3/5/09 at 8:57pm
Rashad is 60. Dunagan was 64 when she played the role.
So age isn't an issue.
So age isn't an issue.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#29
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:05pm
I can't even imagine her in the role. I see her as much more of a Mattie Fae, but she's no Violet.
#31
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:11pm
Wow,
That's like Florence Henderson as Rose in Gypsy - Phyliicia Rashad replacing Estelle Parsons (the most amazing actress).
Pure Bull****. You couldn't pay me to see that. Maybe her amazingly bad choreographer sister, Debbie Allen, could direct her.
That's like Florence Henderson as Rose in Gypsy - Phyliicia Rashad replacing Estelle Parsons (the most amazing actress).
Pure Bull****. You couldn't pay me to see that. Maybe her amazingly bad choreographer sister, Debbie Allen, could direct her.
Updated On: 3/5/09 at 09:11 PM
#32
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:18pm
What's next? Britney Spears in The Color Purple? Lea Solonga in In the Heights? Angela Lansbury as Nellie Forbush? While I'm basically for color blind casting where it doesn't mean anything, physical appearance (sadly including race) IS important to many roles.
#33
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:23pm
There is the very famous incident of Tennessee Williams taking out a court order against a German productionw an African American Stanley.
Suddenly the play has a lot less to do w the author's intent and a lot more to do w race relations in general.
Suddenly the play has a lot less to do w the author's intent and a lot more to do w race relations in general.
#34
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:26pm
Updated On: 3/9/09 at 09:26 PM
#35
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:29pm
I'm sorry, I think this is just laughable. Color blind casting works "sometimes" and it's a rare "sometimes" and even then it's only a one way street. When it works, fine. When it doesn't it can be extremely confusing. I remember going to see 110 IN THE SHADE (I was unfamiliar with the piece before going in) and having NO clue how these people were related, or if they were related to each other. It was like looking inside Brangelina's house and trying to make sense of it.
Whatever happened to the Marin Mazzie/Jason Danielly PORGY & BESS, by the way? Is that next season or has it been postponed?
Whatever happened to the Marin Mazzie/Jason Danielly PORGY & BESS, by the way? Is that next season or has it been postponed?
#36
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:31pm
I'm going to have to agree that color blind casting has to make sense. If you're going to cast an african-american phantom of the opera, then go ahead and do it, it's fine,but this... no
If anyone remembers that disaster RH's cinderella remake with brandy... you would know that ethnic casting has to make sense. In that movie, Whoopie Goleberg (I just destroyed that name) and that guy who played John Jacob Aster in titanic had an asian son in that movie. And... Bernadette Peters had a black daughter and a white daughter, uh... that kinda makes no sense.
If anyone remembers that disaster RH's cinderella remake with brandy... you would know that ethnic casting has to make sense. In that movie, Whoopie Goleberg (I just destroyed that name) and that guy who played John Jacob Aster in titanic had an asian son in that movie. And... Bernadette Peters had a black daughter and a white daughter, uh... that kinda makes no sense.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
Updated On: 3/5/09 at 09:31 PM
#37
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:35pm
^^
True, but that was also a fairy tale and to quote Cinderella "It's possible"
But this is far from a fairy tale (obviously) so it would be hard to smudge the racial casting
True, but that was also a fairy tale and to quote Cinderella "It's possible"
But this is far from a fairy tale (obviously) so it would be hard to smudge the racial casting
#38
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:36pm
So I guess there will be an extra 10 mins. added to the play each night.
Back in the 60's I think it was the 60s, Hirschfeld did a series of drawings for Playbill called UNLIKELY CASTING, Carol Channing as Lady M, Zero Mostel as Peter Pan, etc.
This one is right up there.
Back in the 60's I think it was the 60s, Hirschfeld did a series of drawings for Playbill called UNLIKELY CASTING, Carol Channing as Lady M, Zero Mostel as Peter Pan, etc.
This one is right up there.
Updated On: 3/5/09 at 09:36 PM
#39
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:54pm
Anna Shapiro knows what she's doing.
Ironically, Sally Murphy (who plays Ivy Weston) played Rashad's daughter already in BERNARDA ALBA at Lincoln Center a few years ago.
Ironically, Sally Murphy (who plays Ivy Weston) played Rashad's daughter already in BERNARDA ALBA at Lincoln Center a few years ago.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#40
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:57pm
People ought to wait and see what sort of performance she delivers, instead of basing everything on race. The race card shouldn't be pulled for every single little issue.
And I'd like to add, this is fiction we are talking about, sometimes you have to suspend your beliefs and just view the play for what it is, a story.
And I'd like to add, this is fiction we are talking about, sometimes you have to suspend your beliefs and just view the play for what it is, a story.
Updated On: 3/5/09 at 09:57 PM
#41
Posted: 3/5/09 at 9:59pm
I don't think race is an issue. Aside from the one line that was noted above, I don't think it is going to be a problem.
I do think those of us who have seen Rashad's five most recent performances, each with that same characterization, time and time again, have enough evidence to anticipate that she will be delivering the same performance now for the sixth time.
I do think those of us who have seen Rashad's five most recent performances, each with that same characterization, time and time again, have enough evidence to anticipate that she will be delivering the same performance now for the sixth time.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#42
Posted: 3/5/09 at 10:15pm
Speaking of Bernarda Alba - it's the fact that I watched the show and saw how woefully miscast Rashad was as the tyrannical matriarch there that makes me have serious doubts about her ability to be a good Violet. She was marvelous as Aunt Ester in Gem of the Ocean. But...Violet isn't Aunt Ester. At all.
#43
Posted: 3/5/09 at 10:25pm
Plum, to be fair, Bernarda Alba and Violet Weston are both "terrifying matriarchs" in completely different ways.
To say that Rashad was miscast as one (which I would disagree with) and use it as a reason why she'd be inappropriate as the other isn't really appropriate in context.
I concede that Rashad does tend to play the "quietly intense" archetype quite frequently, but let us remember that Estelle Parsons's Violet was equally as terrifying as Deanna Dunagan's in a polar opposite way.
As I said, Shapiro knows what she's doing. Let Phylicia step on stage before you call her performance into question. Maybe she, like her predecessor, will find new nuances in the role that we haven't yet seen.
To say that Rashad was miscast as one (which I would disagree with) and use it as a reason why she'd be inappropriate as the other isn't really appropriate in context.
I concede that Rashad does tend to play the "quietly intense" archetype quite frequently, but let us remember that Estelle Parsons's Violet was equally as terrifying as Deanna Dunagan's in a polar opposite way.
As I said, Shapiro knows what she's doing. Let Phylicia step on stage before you call her performance into question. Maybe she, like her predecessor, will find new nuances in the role that we haven't yet seen.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 3/5/09 at 10:25 PM
#44
Posted: 3/5/09 at 10:50pm
I vote for re-casting all of the Weston roles with black actors--the Steppenwolf ensemble has several really great black actors in its ensemble. Ora Jones could be a great Mattie Fae, Jon Michael Hill could do Little Charles...who knows, May 26 is a ways away, they could already be planning that. I think it would be interesting.
#45
Posted: 3/5/09 at 10:53pm
Sorry if this sounds racist, but there's no way in hell I could suspend belief and see her as the mother and sister of all these white people... at least not without an explanation via some additional dialog added to the script to acknowledge it. This is the dumbest casting I've ever heard of!
< Patty Duke (the original Neely O'Hara) & me (March 8, 2010)
#46
Posted: 3/5/09 at 10:58pm
I think this is an example of stunt casting. The practice has kept Chicago running for years.
I've seen non-traditional casting work for many productions.
The joke of the Hirschfeld drawings was the actors weren't know for a particular type of role. Carol Channing wasn't known for serious roles and it would take a winch to fly zero.
I've seen non-traditional casting work for many productions.
The joke of the Hirschfeld drawings was the actors weren't know for a particular type of role. Carol Channing wasn't known for serious roles and it would take a winch to fly zero.
#47
Posted: 3/5/09 at 11:04pm
I am all in favor of color blind casting but I feel that it has to work. Rashad in August is a situation where it won't. It won't work having her up on the stage with the rest of the Weston family being white and having her be the matriarch. The only time I saw Rashad on stage was in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and I didn't like her in it. I do really want to go back and revisit August, but I guess I will be doing that after her stint in the show is over.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#48
Posted: 3/5/09 at 11:23pm
So is this why she's going to Jenny Craig? 
#49
Posted: 3/5/09 at 11:26pm
Bizarre...and scary.
If Shapiro/Lavey/Letts was involved in this casting then I have complete faith. If not, it's going to be a royal mess.
If Shapiro/Lavey/Letts was involved in this casting then I have complete faith. If not, it's going to be a royal mess.
#50
Posted: 3/5/09 at 11:42pm
Phylicia is as big a name as Estelle. Both had large roles on popular sitcoms and both are theatre vets. The more I think about this, the more I like it. Her eyes could burn holes through you. The dinner scene is going to be horrifying (in a good way) I imagine.
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