Look, I think we’re clearly coming at this from two different perspectives.
This production was not a success here. It is a financial failure and failed to resonate with its targeted audiences and is closing. Fact. So I’m sorry you think what they did was all on track, but the facts show otherwise.
Why? I think it reeks of inauthenticity. There currently is not one out gay actor in a principal role in this “gay play for our generation” about the ages and ages of trauma, strife, activism and plague of the gay community. That is a damn disgrace. Even John Benjamin Hickey was replaced with a straight dude.
Additionally, not having out and proud gay actors playing major roles hurt their press and publicity opportunities. Read their vanilla NYT cast interview. It’s very different to speak to actors who are approaching their work from an incredibly personal place vs. “I know some gay people and this community has embraced me since I got the part I think.” Do you think Out magazine or Advocate wants to put a straight dude from London playing gay on their cover?
The cast could have been booked on more shows, featured in more print, perhaps if these actors could relate and talk passionately about this “important work” from a deeply personal place. The hook for press would have been much stronger than “I’m straight and came from London and my agent sent me to this audition.”
A sense of authenticity really is an exciting phenomenon—can add an event like feel to a production. Look at casts like the downtown newbies in Rent, or a 17yo Salonga in Saigon, or real teenagers in Spring Awakening. Would Rent have been the gritty phenomenon had it been cast with Broadway vets like, I don’t know, like.. Boyd Gaines as Roger? Even if he could make himself look “Rock n roll?” There is an intangible quality of authenticity which can excite audiences on another level and make some shows into cultural phenomenons.
To state the obvious, the actors employed by The Inheritance are at no fault and I’m sure they give it all they’ve got.
To respond briefly to a few specific points:
Miles2Go2 said: "The Inheritance wasn’t perfect, but it still resonated with me. I mean, I included both parts in my January and February trips. I wouldn’t have returned if it didn’t move me profoundly, warts and all.
While it would have been nice to see more gay actors cast in principle roles especially given the context/content of the play, it didn’t effect me at all once I was in the theater. It didn’t cross my mind once the play began as I was affected by those actors’ portrayals. I found them utterly convincing.
As mentioned before, there are regulations that prohibit asking auditioning actors what their sexual orientation is. Also, Lopez stated they tried to attract famous publicly out actors for casting, but were not successful. I choose to believe him.
It is very commonplace in our modern times that character casting breakdowns will include such wording as “seeking an openly gay actor for this role.” From Marvel to network television. I am not aware of any legal issues that have arisen from it.
Also, the discrimination one sees in Hollywood against casting gay actors doesn’t seem to translate over to Broadway to the same degree where we’ve seen multiple examples of gay men cast in (and awarded for) heterosexual and gay roles.
There were many Broadway out gay actors who were passed over for audition appointments for this show. Out gay “Broadway famous” faces that you would know. People talk and this was common knowledge during the casting period. Others were fired from the workshop, as word was, the cast read “too gay” and folks were afraid the gayness would alienate audiences. I disagree largely with your assessment of Hollywood vs Broadway challenges.
I have to say that while I enjoyed The Boys in The Band revival, it was more a thrilling event because of the casting of an all gay cast and seeing it with an almost gay audience. The play itself is just okay and none of the performances were what I’d call award-worthy except for Robin de Jesús. Of course, they could only work with the book they were given. It was a thrilling event, not great theater.
Yes, the all gay casting made this production a very special event. Bless Ryan Murphy. If that casting could make a somewhat dull play into an exciting event, imagine how a similar approach could have made the great text of The Inheritance soar to heights unknown!
I saw Angels in America on that same trip and it will remain one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. Of course, it helps that the script is a near masterpiece and it was expertly directed. But it was also perfectly acted by the entire cast, led by Garfield’s masterful performance. In fact, I’d say he and Elaine May’s are my two favorite performances I’ve ever seen in a play.
We disagree on Garfield. I was enraged by his performance, what I would call the equivalent of him doing “gay face.” I was incredibly offended, as were many others.
During the same season as TBINB, I also saw the Torch Song revival and while I also enjoyed it and I love Michael Urie, it paled in comparison to Angels and Garfield’s performance. I was actually disappointed that of the three Tony nominated revivals (TBINB, Torch Song, The Waverly Gallery), TBINB won. In my mind, The Waverly Gallery should have hands-down won. But I felt like the voters wanted to support the event that was TBINB over what I found to be profoundly, intimately moving theater (The Waverly Gallery).
Michael Urie was the only out gay actor in Torch Song, which again, I think was unfortunate and read onstage in some stiff work. I thought Urie was far superior to Garfield I might add.
Also, speaking of Angels in America, the “woke” police practically forced Lee Pace to publicly out himself in response to the criticism of his casting. Surely, no one thinks that’s cool.
Huh? Ian McKellan outted Lee Pace in 2014. Lee didn’t address it until Angels.
Ian McKellan outs Pace
So, would it have been great if more gay men were cast in lead roles in The Inheritance? Sure, if they could play the roles as well as this cast did. Was it a deal breaker? Not for me. Do I support an equal playing field for gay actors seeking to be cast in theatrical shows? Yes. Does that mean that gay men should be cast in every gay role? No. Is every instance of a straight actor being cast in gay role an example of homophobia? Also No.
I agree with you. But in a play that is quite literally about the “inherited” struggles of generations of gay people, its embarrassing that there aren’t any gay actors in principal roles. You support that?
Again, yes in a perfect world anyone should be able to play anything. But the fact is, as The Inheritance purports, gay people have historically been shut out of many many opportunities to represent their stories and culture in meaningful work. It’s done out of, I don’t know, producers fear of alienating a broader audience, deep set self-loathing by gay folks and possibly an infatuation with straight guys, I can’t say why! But I will say that I believe it’s not right.
And audiences weren’t compelled. To spread word of mouth, or come in the first place.
I think this production missed out on an opportunity to be a true “theatrical event”—in actuality and PR opportunities— to really proudly represent the community that it purports to celebrate. (Or/and make money off of?)
Just my opinion, folks. No reason to send out the attack dogs. "
We’re just responding. Passionately.
Also, I’ve invested way too much time in the autopsy of this play to go back and find the specific post—but to the person who earlier said something to the effect of “there aren’t outward physical identifiers to denote someone being gay—so anyone can play gay roles”..
Do you also think say, Jonathon Pryce should have rightly played The Engineer in Miss Saigon if he could outwardly “appear” that he was from an Asian background? Or more to recent topics, should Scarlett Johansson have played trans in that one film she was cast in? Should any actor play any role if they can thru whatever means “outwardly appear” to represent that background? Where do you draw that line, and why?
*Side note, many Hollywood actors have said they wouldn’t accept a gay role, in solidarity with underrepresented gay actors.
Example:
Darren Cris Won’t Play Gay Again
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