I think the thing about spelling bee is that none of the characters really need to be a certain race. Its really easy to change a couple of lines and its easy.
Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long shot.
I know Lisa also understudies Olive. Does anyone know if she's gone on in that role?
The one thing I find funny about her as Rona is that during "The I Love You Song" when she plays Olive's mother it must be quite a sight to see little old Celia as the product of a black man and an Asian woman.. hehe.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
I wouldn't put it past Finn and Shenken to have wanted to write something, whether lyrics or dialogue, about Marcy's being Asian, as it could have worked into a song. I'm sure they purposely took it out, though, because one line can define a character's appearance, and that's not always good. (I use the "Blonde!" line from Wicked, because that forces Glinda to have to be blonde.) Still, Chip was changed to a Jewish sort of character in the Chicago production, I believe. It all works. :)
"The one thing I find funny about her as Rona is that during "The I Love You Song" when she plays Olive's mother it must be quite a sight to see little old Celia as the product of a black man and an Asian woman.. "