Protesting Scottsboro Boys Minstrel Show- Page 2

[Jon]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 7:00pm

Wicked? Wicked is a racist show, accoding to Chicago drama critic Hedy Weiss. At least, it's racist if you have an African-American actor playing the dude who gets hung up on a pole and turned into a scarecrow. That's making fun of lynching! Also, there are some people in the show who wear outfits that look like concentration camp uniforms - so it's also making fun of the holocaust.

I don't know - I've never actually seen the show.

Also, according to Ms. Weiss, "Caroline or Change" is an anti-semitic musical, because the music sung by the African-American characters is "prettier" than the music sung by the Jewish characters.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 7:01pm

Well the reviewer didn't seem to understand the intentions of the show...

[Kad]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 7:01pm

For those wondering, here's the "review" mentioned.
‘Scottsboro Boys’ is a blemish on Broadway

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 7:03pm

Jon said "holocaust". If he's not Jewish than he's an Anti-Semite.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 7:04pm

Ugh- the poor writing in that review is worse than anything the show could present.

Signed,

A journalist

[A Director]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 8:04pm

It isn't clear to me why a 19th century type of theatre was used to tell a 20th century story. By 1931, minstrel shows were a thing of the past. If Kander and Ebb wanted to use a popular style of entertainment to tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys, why didn't they use vaudeville? They used it once before in Chicago.

What Kander and company plus many people on this Board don't seem to understand is minstrel shows were little more than white fantasies of black lives. Also, social commentary was never part of minstrel shows.

Is it possible to write a serious musical about the Scottsboro Boys? Perhaps!

To those who defend The Scottsboro Boys, the musical, by mentioning The Producers, you don't understand The Producers. Mentioning Cabaret doesn't work either because the show takes place in 1930. The show use the rise of the Nazis are a backdrop to two "love" stories.

For the record, I wouldn't protest "For Colored Girls." I have seen For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf. It's a stunning. After Orson Welles saw the movie version of Guys and Dolls, he said to Abe Burrows, "They dropped a turd on your show." Tyler Perry did the same to Ntozake Shange's work.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 8:09pm

Wait- why doesn't Carabret work? Because it was in 1930? Um- The Scottsboro Boys case was in 1931... I don't think that's really a valid point.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 8:41pm

I honestly don't think a serious musical about the Scottsboro Boys would be nearly as effective. It could easily come off as Another Story of Racism, Aren't We Glad We're Past That?

[Q]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 8:48pm

"minstrel shows were little more than white fantasies of black lives"

Isn't that the point of using it in this way?

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 10:16pm

Do the protesters Stage Door? If so do they take photos or only sign?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 10:28pm

Actually "A director" minstrel shows can be documented as recently as the early 1960s. In the south they were still popular in the 30s. Really.

[notabb]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 11:44pm

What idiots.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 11:55pm

The Minstrel Show hit its height in the first half of the twentieth century, as any musical theatre aficionado will tell you. Using the minstrel show format to tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys was a bold and fitting choice by Kander and Ebb, totally fitting into the old adage of "content dictates form" that Sondheim hammers home in his new book.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:00am

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 12:00 AM

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:11am

Oh boy. So many good things to get indignant about and this....

[Kad]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:15am

These protesters are doing more harm for their cause than good by protesting this show, honestly.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:21am

This is probably the only way it gets told

Do it as a straight play & it flops. Doing it as a musical with The Minstrel Show as a framework further brings out the racism as do the songs - brilliantly I might add

The only thing I quibble at is Kander in a recent interview trotted out the old tired line that voting against"our black president" shows how racist we still are. Funny me, I thought he was just the president. Why does Mr Kander have to say "our BLACK president"? The same people who helped put him in (the independents) sent him a message. They were OK when they put him in. When they had the audacity to question his policies wham bam thank you mamm they are racists. I still respect him as a theater icon but was surprised re these remarks

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 12:21 AM

[julesboogie]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:17am

Give this a read. Its about the protest today.
Protester Blog

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:41am

Do any of us know for sure that the "protest" itself wasn't publicity?

I'm just sayin'.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:43am

Wonderwaiter...you make me think of all those old David Merrick gimmicks. "One never knows, do one"?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:45am

There are serious discussions to be had. But never, EVER trust a white person who reflexively announces something is "not racist" and doesn't want to take part in any further aspect of said serious discussions.

[canmark]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:53am

You know what they say about 'no good deed goes unpunished.' That's what you get for making an intelligent musical about a serious and important subject. Nobody ever protests those juke box musicals, do they?

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:55am

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 01:55 AM

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:16am

How awkward to all involved. Here's hoping that once the show gets more established this kind of misinformation falls by the wayside.

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 01:16 AM

[julesboogie]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 10:41am

wonder,

i was told the press showed up. i think those involved are smiling. Free publicity.