controversy over "ITH" material

I don't have red hair, can I sing anything from Annie?

And isn't ridiculous fan girl redundant?

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BNN I agree with what you are saying, but let me be clearer. These songs weren't as generic... they did have some hispanic slang which really set off some youtube viewers.

Again, I think it's absolutely ridiculous. But it goes back to the ITH fans being soo overly-protective of "their" material. It's a little arrogant and naive.

"Again, I think it's absolutely ridiculous. But it goes back to the ITH fans being soo overly-protective of "their" material. It's a little arrogant and naive."

wtf why would you even stereotype in the heights fans to be like that?
I do not think that and I am a huge fan of the show and have been for a very long time. same goes to several of my friends. That comment is just as bad as the comments to the video.

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I understand portrayals in shows, perhaps, but not even allowing performing the songs by themselves seems a little too rigid for me.

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Well said, Weez.

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Well, I can maybe maybe see where these crazy fans are coming from.

For example, the recent revival of Fiddler. Sure, you can cast someone like Alfred Molina in the role of Tevye, and while I don't know what his childhood, or religious beliefs are like, I don't believe he is, or ever was Jewish. This greatly effected his performance, and the whole show quite negatively, as it became a sanitized version of the show. What made Zero Mostel so iconic was the knowledge, and experience of being Jewish, as well as understanding and living with those people who most likely had immigrated into the US. This is also what made Harvey's performance so much better, despite that a voice and a personality that doesn't exactly scream tevye on the surface.

That being said, that should not prevent anyone of any religion, race or nationality in this case, from performing certain music, or songs. Them not being Hispanic or Latino doesn't give them that inherent advantage of knowing what it's like to be one when performing that someone who is Hispanic or Latino would automatically have.

It's like when a person sings a song about losing someone who they love, or has died. Many people who sing these songs might not actually go through these experiences, menaing they don't quite know the real feeling of it because they haven't gone through it, but by no means does that mean they shouldn't be allowed to perform these songs.

In other words, those people who posted the videos have every right to sing those songs....even if it makes no sense, or they don't quite do it right.

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" Mealz: have you ever seen http://community.livejournal.com/broadwaysecrets/ ? I promise you, there are some ITH fans out there who get VERY snotty and VERY racist when forced to confront the fact that non-Latin people enjoy "their" show. "

oh trust me, i know. I just meant its not fare to categorize ALL ith fans that way is all. I do understand if this was the show, but its not, its a performance at an event. People are stupid.

"For example, the recent revival of Fiddler" exellent point! In fact Lin has said in interviews that in the heights is more like fiddler than it is like west side story. just because they both have latinos does not mean they are one in the same.

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I honestly find the whole "you can't like OUR show because your not Latino" thing to be rather scary. You can be of any nationality and still get the themes of the show. I really latched onto In The Heights when I first saw it because I am now in my first year of college and I was/still am trying to figure out what home means now that I am not going to be there every single day. Do I have to be Latino to understand this feeling? No, of course not. It is something that everyone feels at one point or another. I think that the themes of In The Heights are universal and are things that people understand or go through at some point or another.

It's called acting. A lot of actors haven't really gone through the things that their characters are going through. But, it is their job to act like they are going through those things.

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Updated On: 9/15/08 at 03:14 PM

I agree that it's silly to get worked up over people singing songs from In the Heights. It would be one thing if the people performing had a horrible attitude and were being rude about the culture, but it sounds like they didn't. And I also loved In the Heights when I saw it, and I certainly am not Latino. I swear, people find all sorts of things to complain about, just so they have something.

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I think one interpretation of THAT song is that it could be about being hurt and not necessarily about racial prejudice.

Oh, yes, you have a valid point right there.

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Probably the only issue regarding national lyrics comes in "When You're Home" when Nina sings "Who would I be if I had never seen Manhattan, if I'd lived in Puerto Rico with MY PEOPLE?"

That's the only example you can think of? Abuela Claudia singing about coming over from Cuba, Daniela singing about Christmas in Puerto Rico, Usnavi's parents coming over from the Dominican, Carla being Chile-Dominicurican...? Nearly every main and supporting character's nationality is mentioned in the show.


On the main subject, whatever. If a bunch of white people have no qualms over singing in Spanish about their struggles as an immigrant, they can do whatever they want.


And I personally will lay down a smack on ANONE I catch going "omg, how can Yanks possibly understand 'Billy Elliot'?"
Broadway secrets had that too, heh.

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Updated On: 9/15/08 at 08:32 PM

This reminds me of the debate of whether it was appropriate for Jonathan Pryce to play the Engineer in Miss Saigon.