black broadway shows- Page 4

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 3:26pm

Whatever happened to Mr. Tuttle?

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 4:18pm

i'm glad you decided to post, especially about tyler perry. I am a huge fan of the Madea origional and sequels as well as all fo the others. He is a genius in my mind. I saw Madea's family reunion, this summer and about died. The talent that these people poses, is spellbounding. i didn't know that this "genre" was named the "citling circuit" but whatever it is, from what i've seen, i love it. It offers to young african american people a chance to see themselves reflected onstage in a positive light. my only problem with this is that all the music i've heard out of these shows are gospel or r&b, i admit thats fun and exciting in a down home fashion, but i want to hear and see some technical, obviously trained souds as well sometimes. Just give me something that says i worked really hard to get all those rhythems and harmonies. I don't know, maybe its just me.

will

[Thetruth]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 4:33pm

Yeah, I think that Tyler is so talented and could basically do anything he wanted. I saw his "Woman Thou Art Loosed" play and it was very technically appropriate. I mean it still only used R&B and Gospel music but it was more like what regular theatergoers are used to seeing on the stage. I think if he wrote a broadway musical it would do well. I hope he does because I think it would be a nice way to bridge the gap between "black shows" on broadway and the "chitlin circuit." If not that..then Madea should do a one woman show!

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 8:39pm

i can't remember if it is "woman thou art loosed" or "i can do bad all by myself" but that girl at the beginning who sings 'sometimes i feel like a motherless child' ooh that little heffah. She can sing with the best of them, i was really shocked at all the talent.

will

[WSS2]

Posted: 10/24/03 at 10:37pm

What happend to you is the better question.

But I guess when your wrong, your wrong!

Enjoy your NY Times!

[Thetruth]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 1:14am

Yeah, that girl can sing. Though I think she's like an adult playing a teenager. That was in the play " I Can Do Bad All By Myself" In "Woman Thou Art Loosed" (which will never be released because it was co-written with T.D.Jakes) featured a little girl who could sing really well. She even sang "Home"

Posted: 10/25/03 at 2:20am

Why is it that suddenly I am the one being attacked for my viewpoints? Never once have I come on here like gangbusters. I have discussed at length my passions and my feelings. Never have I seen such a backlash on something I have said or done.

With that said, I would like to apologize to all those that I have offended. I never felt that my opinions (as unique and individual as anyones) would cause so much feelings from people.

Now for the discussions about race and what-not. I have gotten to the point where no matter what I said, if it be opinion (which I assumed all of us were doing-- giving opinions) or an apology would be ripped into shreds. This is a message board and we read on the post the words. Not the way we say them or not the feelings with which we type them. Just the words. We give the words we read voice and we make out own judgements as to the diction in the voice.

Why am I saying this?

Because as I read over the comments I have posted, I find nothing horrendous about what I have stated. Maybe I am wrong to a degree about the whole playing a part and being whatever cplor or race or gender you want to be. It is fine if Audra McDonald wants to be Evita. It is okay if Lea Salonga want to be Don Quixote. It is fine if John Lithgow wants to be Martin Luthor King.

But I have a hard time believing it if somoene is trying to play them off as the real life person they are meant to be. Maybe it is my lack of imagination, but I doubt it as I have a HUGE imagination. Ask any of the people I do benefits for and fundraisers and events.
If someone came on and tried to play Lucille Ball in a televison/movie bio of her and Desi and she was black haired and 300 pounds, I would not be able to believe it. Unless it was done with some sort of toungue in cheek or some sort of reasoning behind it that is explained.
Therefor, in my humble opinion, if you are going to do a serious bio musical of say, Buddy Holly you cannot have a asian woman playing her. If you are to do a serious drama about Armistad it would look silly with a bunch of Woody Allen types.

Now, about EVITA. I have seen the show many times and I felt that the best EVA ever was Natalie Toro. And the reason is because I felt she was the best representation of who Eva was. I did research on her for school and I have watched documents and seen photos. Does this mean that Patti LuPone could not have done a good job. Of course, she could. Could Elaine? Sure why not... How about Audra? I am sure vocally she would be stunning and to tell yo the truth I would pay money to see it. I adore Audra very much. She is the only reason I bought the Marie Christie cast recording.

Okay, I am not sure if I have rambled and I am sure I have. And I am sure I will be ripped apart for this too. I am sorry if you do not respect my opinions but at least respect the fact that I have them and they are mine and I am willing to put them out there for all to see.


ps... I might have spelled some words wrong, please forgive me.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 11:35am

I teach A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in my Junior English classes. It never fails to grab the attention of my students and they are eager to explore the play and its complicated themes.

The school where I work has a population which is almost completely black. Several years ago the girl who was reading the role of Blanche in class asked if a "woman of color" had ever played Blanche on stage. This opened up a lengthy class discussion about how a black actress could effectively play a "Southern belle". If Blanche DU BOIS was black her sister would have to be as well. Would Stanley ever consider marrying a black woman? We all agreed that on one level it wouldn't work, but if the entire cast were black, it just might be an effective production. In that case the racial aspects woould all be cast aside in a sense of uniformity. Certainly the Dance Theater of Harlem has mounted a ballet version of this play and it has been universally hailed.

My contention is that a gifted actress could make us believe anything. I'd be willing to bet that Zoe Caldwell could play one of the Delany sisters and make us forget she's white.

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 10:59pm

dolly pop your assumption is wrong i believe... an actress is playing a role. If blanche is not black from the author's point of view then the actress playing blanche is not black (though in real life she is black). when brian stokes mitchel plays Don Q.... Don Q is not black just because the actor playing him is. If audra mcdonald plays Helen of Troy who we know historically is not black, does Helen suddenly become black because audra is. of course not. Therefore a black actress could portray a prejudice white southern belle if that's who the character is and she could say things like, "Oh don't go near them n*s they are just horrible!" if that's what the character might say. So blanche's sister could be asian or white or what ever if that is how the author or situation envisions her. Once black actors conquer this false premise perpetuated not just by insensitive producers but also by kind people of goodwill like yourself who cant help but see color first before talent. It is so interesting with the pattie lupone argument that has been mentioned in this forum. she is not agentinian but no one questions her portraying evita because of her white skin color.... which historically was the color of the real evita. Just consider this and you will open a new world of dynamic and exciting casting possibilities!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 11:05pm

Thats crazy. I know alot about Eva Peron, have read about six biographies, reasearch etc etc...... the closest anyone has come to looking like the real Eva was in the actual Movie...

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 11:16pm

boxofficejon
it is so clear that you are a good person and your viewpoints are not born of racism. I think the african american members of this forum are very effected by the restrictions placed on them not only by the bad guys but also by the innocent good guys like you who see the color of the skin and make nonviolent assumptions. Don't take their first knee jerk reaction as personal (although it seems that way). The problem is insidious more because of the innocent jons like yourself than the outward bigots. When OJ was believed to have killed a white jewish man and a white woman, you saw the next few season of TV shows minus black actors... even the token 'black friend". The sex in the city creator darren star went so far to say the the women he created "wouldn't have black friends". many black folks cheered when OJ got off not because they really thought he was innocent, but because for as long as they can remember white defendants got off in court after commiting hanius crimes against blacks (some even caught on tape!!!) It was the final sense of reciprocity that blacks were really cheering for. but that possible miscarriage of justice ended up hurting the black community as i stated above because many white producers before OJ hired blacks (talented ones) because they grew up in the civil rights era and the 60s agreeing that black people needed a chance. The newest generation of white hollywood and broadway executives and producers have not such "guilt" or "sensitivity" and don't thing twice about NOT hiring black actors. They don't see anything "wrong with this picture" when the entire cast of a bway show or tv series is white. Talent should be the criteria but unfortunately, my kind friend, it is not.
orphan

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 11:27pm

newyorkuniq
i dont think the issue is weather or not the actor playing the role is an "exact" look alike of th person they are portraying... the issue is that many on this forum have innocently suggested that if the historic person was not black that the actor should not be black. in the movies it is more important to be as close to GANDHI as possible i agree that in the movies danny glover would look silly playing gandhi. an no producer would risk millions on that. but theatre is theatre!!! Thats why some of us love it so much because anything should be possible. and i think audiences go to the theatre not to see look alikes or perfect matches in casting but to see GREAT TALENT. theatre is hard and the zenith of the actors art. if you don't cast with an eye for the best talent you will not be serving the work.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/25/03 at 11:34pm

Right...and they wouldnt cast a white girl as Effie so why a black girl as Eva??? That would just be wrong. Thats why we have typecasting

[WSS2]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 1:43am

...and you are saying that typecasting is a good thing?

[King Stevos]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 4:07am

Type casting is neither good nor bad. Which is what made Michael Shurleff so wonderfull, he would look for those people that would be weird in the role, for example Hoffman in TheGraduate. Type casting can be good for casting directors that play it safe, and it can be totally wrong for those that take risks.

On the OJ trial, if someone ever musicalized the piece...would they have to pick a side of innocence or guilt?

STEVOS

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 12:21pm

orphan, you have a very interesting perspective, and although i think the trial some things to do with performers getting jobs that isn't hardly the majority of the reason for these casting decisions. I do find it peculiar as such that america's most popular sitcom of the ninties and beyond, Friends, didn't have any black people on it untill recent seasons. side note, i don't watch it too often now but aisha is my mother!!! I'm not saying that i've seen every episode to know for sure, but i payed direct attention to this when it was told to me and i didn't find a single extra or side character.

will

Posted: 10/26/03 at 6:01pm

NewYorkUniq~
I agree with you that the closest thing to Eva was the movie however (and I should have clarified this) that I was limiting it to Theater.
I would love to pick your brain about Eva. I find her to be smashing!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 6:06pm

She really was. The latest one I read was Santa Evita which is more about what happened during and after her death with her body etc. Very good book.

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 11:55pm

nyuniq
why couldn't effie be a white girl. I know plenty of very black sounding white singers and believe me when i tell you it would be a terrific re casting to have her a white girl who grew up in the black community and is accepted as a "sista". that is common in the black community. in fact the white girl or boy is viewed as part of the family if they are genuine and real. where as the black guy who acts "white" (forgive the simplification) and hangs with all white guys is always viewed as "the black guy" to his white buddies (never truly accepted).

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/26/03 at 11:58pm

nyuniq
why couldn't effie be a white girl. I know plenty of very black sounding white singers and believe me when i tell you it would be a terrific re casting to have her a white girl who grew up in the black community and is accepted as a "sista". that is common in the black community. in fact the white girl or boy is viewed as part of the family if they are genuine and real. where as the black guy who acts "white" (forgive the simplification) and hangs with all white guys is always viewed as "the black guy" to his white buddies (never truly accepted).

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/27/03 at 12:03am

king stevos
im not sure i agee with the premise that a writer would have to pick a side in the oj story. In fact if such a venture was undertaken i believe the writer should not allow his personal viewpoints to get in the way of the story. He should stick to the facts an allow his creative license to explore both sides and let the audience decide.

[King Stevos]

Posted: 10/27/03 at 3:11am

When I thought about it I was thinking more on the lines of DROOD, having a few endings, and the audience votes.
I figured I would ask other opinion though. Yet I don't think anyone REALLY should try taking on the task of musicalizing the OJ saga....

STEVOS

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/27/03 at 7:36pm

now i agree with that! NO OJ: THE MUSICAL

[ORPHAN]

Posted: 10/27/03 at 7:57pm

now i agree with that! NO OJ: THE MUSICAL

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/27/03 at 8:06pm

Im sorry but when it is written into a script and story and when the actual person the story is about was black or white thats how it should be played. Orphan would you like to have seen an all american cast do Flower Drum Song too?