Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#1

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:48pm

Oh, no.
http://www.playbill.com/article/sierra-boggess-will-be-maria-in-west-side-story-concert

[RippedMan]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#2

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:55pm

I guess it's a concert, but like, did no one think about...like...race?

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#3

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:59pm

RippedMan said: "I guess it's a concert, but like, did no one think about...like...race?"

No excuse. Kennedy Center earlier this year was also a concert, but they got it right. This is just idiotic, at best.

Updated On: 4/19/18 at 07:59 PM

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#4

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:01pm

Will she be doing an accent?

[wssinsider]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#5

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:01pm

I hear that she’s freaking out about the attacks on social media. Expect a statement from her and from Royal Albert Hall. She’s dropping from the project.

I blame her manager for thinking this was a good deal for her.

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#6

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:02pm

I adore her, but what on earth did she expect?

[Elfuhbuh]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#7

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:03pm

Um...yikes.

"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire

[RippedMan]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#8

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:49pm

I get wanting to sing the songs, and I'm sure she'd sound lovely, but just do it in a cabaret setting. 

[Cat Guy]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#9

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:04pm

I just decided to schedule my annual London visit so that I can see this.  Exciting news.  Ain't nothing wrong with Sierra as Maria.  Nothing at all.

 

 

[Elfuhbuh]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#10

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:06pm

"Nothing wrong" except for the fact that Maria is specifically a Puerto Rican character, and Sierra Boggess is white. It's 2018.

"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire

[Call_me_jorge]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#11

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:12pm

This was an accident waiting to happen

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#12

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:45pm

I’m so sick of this bullsh*t. Why can people not get it through their heads that it’s not okay for minority stories to be told by non-minorities? It’s ridiculous. Cast people who are talented AND racially/ethnically appropriate for the roles. It’s not fu*king difficult. Shame on Sierra and shame on those who were involved in her getting the role.

[MargaretCrawford]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#13

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:51pm

Yikes. She has publicly expressed regret over playing it the first time too, and made it clear that she knows she should not be playing non caucasian characters.

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#14

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:07pm

https://youtu.be/hFkQPDWXldY?t=1m26s

[gypsy101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#15

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:10pm

i could maybe see her playing the character on like a studio cast recording but even that’s kind of iffy. is it that hard to cast her in appropriate roles? you wouldn’t think so.

"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."

[GeorgeandDot]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#16

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:18pm

No. Absolutely not. Nope. No. Yikes.

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#17

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:19pm

gypsy101 said: "i could maybe see her playing the character on like a studio cast recording but even that’s kind of iffy. is it that hard to cast her in appropriate roles? you wouldn’t think so."

More important question: is it that hard to cast a Latina in a role that's written...for a Latina?

[non-stop26]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#18

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:22pm

Yikes

[broadwayboy223]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#19

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:26pm

Didn't Jessica Vosk play Anita in like a couple of concert versions? I don't think Sierra is right for Maria at all, but shouldn't we also be reacting the same way to other performers who do similar things?

[JBradshaw]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#20

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:28pm

Question. Such outrage over this. Why was never any outrage over the many non Latinas that played Mimi in “Rent”?

[Elegance101]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#21

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:29pm

broadwayboy223 said: "Didn't Jessica Vosk play Anita in like a couple of concert versions? I don't think Sierra is right for Maria at all, but shouldn't we also be reacting the same way to other performers who do similar things?"

I thought I saw on Twitter that she said she had Hispanic heritage. I could be wrong, but that sounds familiar to me. If not, then shame on that team, as well.

[TheatreRocks]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#22

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:34pm

Might as well cast a white Celie or a white Kim. This is B A D.

[Elfuhbuh]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#23

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:34pm

JBradshaw said: "Question. Such outrage over this. Why was never any outrage over the many non Latinas that played Mimi in “Rent”?"

I remember people raising their eyebrows quite a bit when Kerry Ellis was cast as Mimi in the British RENT 20th anniversary concert.

Regardless, nice attempt at deflecting the issue.

"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire

Updated On: 4/19/18 at 10:34 PM

[TheatreRocks]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#24

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:35pm

And I believe Maria in Prince of Broadway was played a white woman. 

[Bwayfan292]

Sierra Boggess to play Maria in West Side Story in London#25

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:37pm

Prince of broadway was differnt though, they all played like 80 other roles.

"Why was my post about my post being deleted, deleted, causing my account to be banned from posting" - The Lion Roars 2k18