Posted: 6/10/26 at 7:28pm
As I already said, color blind casting is ridiculous. Color conscious casting is much better. Unless you want Jeremy Jordan to play Usnavi at City Center?? It's about historical accuracy and authenticity, and none of you actually care about POC, you just care about optics.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 3:30pm
so with regards to A Few Good Men, I am still hearing Bradley Whitford is definitely on tap for Col. Jessup, but as far as Lt. Kaffee (the Tom Cruise role) I just heard some several major names floating around including but not limited to Paul Mescal, John Gallagher Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Jacob Elordi.
I guess the reason why they haven't announced this production to begin with yet is partially because of that other lead role
Updated On: 6/12/26 at 03:30 PM
Posted: 6/15/26 at 10:58pm
Apparently John Rapson also departed the production last night, per Ragtime’s social media. Any word on who’ll be replacing him? Seeing the show this Friday and am curious. I thoroughly enjoyed him in Sweeney Todd and was interested to see what he could do with his featured role in this show. Probably a swing replacement for now, no?
On another note, I’m excited to be seeing one of Ben Davis and Morgan Marcell’s first performances as Father and Evelyn Nesbit. Should be a fun night at the theatre!
Posted: 6/16/26 at 8:39am
I wish I could remember the name of the actor replacing John Rapson. He posted on IG last night about returning to Ragtime.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 8:52am
Voter said: "As I already said, color blind casting is ridiculous. Color conscious casting is much better. Unless you want Jeremy Jordan to play Usnavi at City Center?? It's about historical accuracy and authenticity, and none of you actually care about POC, you just care about optics."
Color blind casting isn’t ridiculous. It actually allows actors of color a fair chance to be seen in roles they otherwise would not have because ya know that thing called racism. If the role itself has cultural specificity, and I’m not just talking accent work, that pertains to the characters skin or race as part of the narrative, then I don’t think colorblind casting is appropriate.
Usnavi is bilingual and the entire ITH narrative is around an ethnic group. Ariel is a mermaid and somehow people started race wars when a Black woman played her in a movie. Celie is called ugly and Black, so no a white woman shouldn’t play her.
We’re all smart enough to know where the line is. But just bc something was originated white doesn’t mean it must always be that way. And the theater should be the one place we can all play with our imagination.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 8:55am
Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 9:50am
Nick Gaswirth is replacing John Rapson and he has been involved in the production since City Center
Updated On: 6/16/26 at 09:50 AM
Posted: 6/16/26 at 9:52am
iluvtheatertrash said: "Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one."
And?
Posted: 6/16/26 at 10:27am
hyangsoo said: "Nick Gaswirth is replacing John Rapson and he has been involved in the production since City Center"
Thank you!
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:10am
iluvtheatertrash said: "Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one."
It certainly doesn't follow that a character based on her can't be played by someone who isn't white, though. No one would insist that any actress who played Maria should have the same height or eye color, would they? (Unless those attributes were somehow central to the show's theme.)
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:13am
malcs98 said: "so with regards to A Few Good Men, I am still hearing Bradley Whitford is definitely on tap forCol. Jessup, but as far as Lt. Kaffee (the Tom Cruise role) I just heard some several major names floating around including but not limited toPaul Mescal, John Gallagher Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Jacob Elordi."
Two of those guys are, conservatively, on 1,000 casting ideas lists right now. A play can only make one offer at a time - so someone being under consideration or getting avail-checked doesn't mean much.
I wouldn't be shocked if this ends up with an Andrew Burnap or John Gallagher type (aka a good actor with limited-to-no draw).
Updated On: 6/16/26 at 11:13 AM
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:15am
kdogg36 said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one."
It certainly doesn't follow that a character based on her can't be played by someone who isn't white, though. No one would insist that any actress who played Maria should have the same height or eye color, would they? (Unless those attributes were somehow central to the show's theme.)"
They literally are. A black woman in 1930s Austria would not be present in society the way Maria is.
Ensemble1698878795 said: "Color blind casting isn’t ridiculous. It actually allows actors of color a fair chance to be seen in roles they otherwise would not have because ya know that thing called racism."
Did you not read what I said?? There's a difference between color blind and color conscious casting. I fully support color conscious casting.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:16am
iluvtheatertrash said: "Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one."
Well, the real Maria and Captain Von Trapp were married over a decade before the Anschluss and they also didn't flee Switzerland by foot over the Alps to escape the Nazis.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:28am
Voter said: "They literally are. A black woman in 1930s Austria would not be present in society the way Maria is."
Get over it.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:35am
TotallyEffed said: "Voter said: "They literally are. A black woman in 1930s Austria would not be present in society the way Maria is."
Get over it."
Me when I can't have an intelligent conversation.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 11:39am
Voter said: "They literally are. A black woman in 1930s Austria would not be present in society the way Maria is."
I acknowledge your point, but I just don't see race as a salient theme in The Sound of Music. Yes, Nazis are the enemy, but unlike, say, Cabaret, the racial or ethnic identities of the characters are not at issue in the plot. That being the case, I'm happy with talented performers of any background being cast for this production.
Posted: 6/16/26 at 1:16pm
Alden Ehrenreich would be a great Kaffee, but surely he already has something else lined up.
Posted: 6/17/26 at 6:22pm
DottieD'Luscia said: "I wish I could remember the name of the actor replacing John Rapson. He posted on IG last night about returning to Ragtime."
John Rapson was outstanding in Ragtime!!! I enjoyed his performance(s) immensely
Updated On: 6/17/26 at 06:22 PM
Posted: 6/17/26 at 6:33pm
ELP said: John Rapson was outstanding in Ragtime!!! I enjoyed his performance(s) immensely"
If you're in CT, he'll be in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd at Westport Country Playhouse July 14- August 1
Posted: 6/18/26 at 8:35pm
Has anyone else noticed the final performance on the 16th of August has been pulled off telecharge?
Updated On: 6/18/26 at 08:35 PM
Posted: 6/18/26 at 8:44pm
Call_me_jorge said: "Has anyone else noticed the final performance on the 16th of August has been pulled off telecharge?"
Ur right....very interesting
Posted: 6/18/26 at 8:55pm
kdogg36 said: "Voter said: "Marie being black makes 0 sense dramaturgically. But neither did any of the casting in Cabaret, I guess."
Are you saying that only white people should be in this production?"
If JAR is Maria then yes the rest of the cast should be all white in this production!
Posted: 6/18/26 at 10:06pm
Call_me_jorge said: "Has anyone else noticed the final performance on the 16th of August has been pulled off telecharge?"
Yes. I have tickets for that performance, but haven’t gotten a notification from telecharge on if it’s been cancelled or anything. Wonder if they’re holding seats back for donors?
Posted: 6/19/26 at 5:32am
I also have a ticket for August 16th which I purchased at the box office last week.
Posted: 6/20/26 at 3:13pm
iluvtheatertrash said: "Maria Von Trapp wasn't "originated by a white woman", she WAS a white woman. A real living, breathing one."
It was highly improbable and virtually non-existent to have Black nuns within Austrian convents during that period
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