Some of you may think this racist...it's not:- Page 3

[Al Dente]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 4:57pm

Yes, it is and the part was played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the film, yet the only white actress to ever portray Rusty on Broadway was Orfeh. All that being said and I don't want to threadjack, that was the least of the Footloose's many, many problems.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 4:58pm

Is it just me or did Footloose not really seem like a musical...

[Al Dente]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 4:59pm

I think you meant "wasn't" right Thenar?

[XOsweet_dancerOX]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 5:00pm

there have been many people who have been white and have played Aida. Like everyone else has said, it doesnt really matter as long as Radames is a different race otherwise it won't work out as well.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 5:00pm

yea, I mean wasn't.

If she wasn't black...

[cathyhyatt]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 5:38pm

sallybrown...what area of CT do you live in? I live there also..in Trumbull..it's near Bridgeport. PM me and tell me where they are doing Aida...cuz I wanna see it!

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 5:39pm

Trumbull! a while away from where I'm at, but I'll PM you later tonight, i g2g for now!

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 6:26pm

When my school did Aida this year, Aida was asian. I'm sure anything would work for a community/high school theatre.

[InfiniteGirl]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 9:03pm

In kids' productions, anything goes - girls play boys, races go away. I mean, it's the same with West Side Story - and the question is moot there, right?

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 9:13pm

I dunno, I think I would love to see a white Aida and a black amneris. The thing is the production def made it an issue about race, whether you think it should be or not. So having said that, if Aida were white, I think that the Nubians would have to be white too and vice versa. The piece does have a racial element to it and it makes the message a little stronger if it is about race AND class. I think it would be a nice little statement on the human condition if the races WERE switched. It makes it even more universal. But that would have required them replacing the entire cast.


PS. about the Elpheba thing, the green make-up does matter actually because there aren't green people walking around. Also, unless I'm out of it, there never was a black Elpheba was there? Someone enlighten me if I'm wrong.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 9:21pm

One of the many reasons why I don't think such a show is fit for a nonprofessionial theatre- unless it has the casting resources, I don't think many theatres can pull such shows off.

Personally, I think a show like aida that, while it is fiction, has many historical elements, and should be kept as true as possible. No, there wouldn't be any blonde egyptians, but there were no white nubian princesses. Im sorry.

Sally, good luck at your callback!

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 9:24pm

ehhh my argument has always been people don't break out into song in dance most of the time either. Especially if it's at a climactic moment...so anything's fair game.

[kangaroo]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 9:49pm

Did Saycon play Elphaba?

[wickedkiwi]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 10:55pm

disclaimer: if any of this sounds racist, i'm very sorry its not intentional.

that said...it's always pissed me off to see a person of African decent playing Mimi in Rent (case in point, Melanie Brown) but thats mostly because as a Mexican i wish they'd cut the latin girls out there some slack (bianca marroquin, tho she doesnt look latin) in the broadway world (no pun intended)...

that brings me to my next point - there is practically no such thing as racial purity anymore. you look at me, i look american (from ohio, someone said once) or french, and a bunch of russians mistook me for russian. but i am almost entirely of latin decent (some scottish somewhere i think). same with supposing black is black, white is white, asian asian etc - doesn't work anymore. thomas jefferson had mixed race kids...are you saying that a cultural crossroads such as egypt (invaded by nubians, jews, greeks, romans, abbassids, turks, mongols, and british or french i cant remember - also approximately in that order) is going to have either 100% white or black looking people? doubt it.

the reason disney did this casting is the same reason why they tend to keep the lion king cast as african-american (or canadian or brit or whatever) as possible: there is a really empowering, clear-cut message for black audiences to see a black king on stage on broadway. the KING is black. for the same reason, the nubian princess, the title character, and the heroine of the story should be black. (nubians in general i think did look black, but im not sure). also its important to strike a chord in the american audience: the only significant social struggle in the US being african slaves vs wealthy (white) landowners, racial casting serves as a tool for pathos. in mexico you'd cast the nubians with aztec-looking people and the egyptians with europeans. it can't work both ways because, due to nothing more than history, people of european descent (the conquerors) tend to be on a greater social position than people of aztec or african descent (or conquered), which is why you can't reverse the racial casting. plus the egyptians are the "bad guys" of the story - i doubt that after so much historic baggage, its african-americans the US wants to play this role.

ps. black face is essentially dead. i think they still do it in opera because (face it) opera hasn't evolved much since the end of the 19th century (la boheme).

as for the white chick playing Aida, race is the least of your worries. aside from the fact that purple clashes with red (my theory on the costume change in the second act) you are 14. supposing you have the vocals down, you should concentrate on figuring out what it feels like to rebel against a father (and a nation) for a forbidden (socially, politically, heck - in all senses) affair (not like radames is free terrain) whilst leading her nation in an uneven-sided war and thus facing the death penalty handed out by the one woman in egypt who gave you a break, the one you betrayed - you get my drift...

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 11:20pm

So, in reference to your annoyance at black actresses playing Mimi, you're assuming that black people can't be Latin Americans. I'm surprised that you can be of Mexican descent and still have such a narrow-minded view of Hispanic people.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 11:36pm

Wickedkiwi is of Mexican descent - and like many Mexicans, she apparantly doesn't respect Latinos of Carribian descent - Perto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Haitians - many of whom are of African background. The slave ships went through Jamaica, remember.

Sammy Sosa is Domincan - but he is also of African background.

In fact, in the pre-Jackie Robinson era, manyh minor league ball clubs would sneak black players onto the team by having them use fake names and pretend to be Dominican or Cuban!

[mikewood]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 10:15am

In regards to why Disney keeps the king black in Lion King, it reminds me of a big debate I had years ago with the professor in my ...ahem... Pop Culture class ... yes, there is such a thing. Anyway, he was hammering Disney for the racial stereotypes of the hyenas in Lion King blah blah blah, but kept dismissing my argument when I pointed out the most noble character was indeed voiced by an African American (Granted, he's also the voice of Darth Vader...). I hated the fact he dismissed my point because it didn't fit into his argument. grrrr. Ten years later...

[Thetruth]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 12:59pm

Anything goes now.

[Kavana]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 2:09pm

MexicanKiwi:
does it piss you off to see black people on broadway period or anywhere?

PS.
Talk what you know WB
black face is not dead
theres a show coming to bway called "The Minstral Show" and the 12 men in it will all be in black face.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 4:47pm

Updated On: 5/6/05 at 04:47 PM

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 5:03pm

all i have to say is CONGRATULATIONS SB!! i'm proud of you and know you are going to be a fabulous aida no matter what race you are!

[Al Dente]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 5:50pm

Kavana, that Icon could give a grown man, ME, nightmares.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 5:55pm

Saycon plays the hell out of Elphaba....she's amazing...and she is black.

But Eartha Kitt also played the Wicked Witch - and looked good in green.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 7:19pm

Sally, How did casting go??????

[wickedkiwi]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 1:26am

again, sorry if my message offended anybody.

i really don't even KNOW where mimi is supposed to come from (the "chica" in her mom's voice message is a good indicator that she's NOT mexican, at any rate)

"offended at seeing any black performer on broadway?" don't be ridiculous...i'm just saying mimi is like what? one of the 3 maybe 4 broadway show roles for latin females? there aren't many casting opportunities for us out there, at least not for lead roles. it is only "offensive" in a way similar to how irish actors or something get pissed off if british or american people get the role of an irish man. something that would be truly OFFENSIVE would be say, oh i dunno, natalie wood playing maria in west side story. but thats hollywood.

and the carribbean is another thing entirely. (granted, mimi could be from there, i'd guess puerto rico, again cause of the "chica", but i honestly can't say). all i know is i LIVE in mexico, and i have seen maybe what? 3, 4 black mexicans here my whole life? the spaniards decided to use the ample native slave labor available instead of importing, apparently.