I feel like although Sierra has massive talent, Maria should be played by a Puerto Rican. Westside story is literally all about Race. There are many other actresses that could have played the role. She herself said that her playing Maria was "wrong" so why do it again? In order to tell the story of West Side Story properly, Maria needs to be of the proper descent. It doesn't matter if it's a concert. That's even more of a reason to cast proper race because many people will know the story, but those who do not will be confused. Imagine Motor Mouth Maybelle being played by a white actress. In shows like "Waitress", "Frozen", "Beauty and the Beast" and just about any other show out there nobody would complain about race because it is all race-neutral. But shows like "Ragtime", "Dreamgirls", "Hairspray", and "West Side Story" the performers must be cast according to their proper race. That's really all thats to it.
Updated On: 4/21/18 at 07:17 PM