white Broadway

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/22/43faacc371b5c

agree? disagree?

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Disagree.

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He used Wicked as an example and it's prob a bad one because it's got the most black people in a non-racially charged show. However he is correct about a lot of things. There are plenty of things he's been inaccurate about. Toni Braxton has already played Belle. Not well, but she counts I suppose. Of course I have yet to see someone who isn't a celebrity, no matter how far under the A list, play Belle. A black Phantom could be totally possible. I think it's foolish to say she's enchanted by a black man, but why not? Honestly though I can count on my hands the number of well known male minority stars. I don't really count Latino as a minority (which I know it is) because many of the latino stars can pass for white.

You look at cast break-downs and they say they're looking for the Boy or Girl next door or All-American. Now a 6'2 blonde OR brown haired man could walk in the door and qualify, but you have a 6'2 black man walk in and suddenly he'd be miscast. Why? I live next door to black people...they're americans too. I'm not sure who's at fault here. It's soooo much worse in the world of Opera.

When they do cast black people in non-black roles you've generally got to have the talent of Audra. If Audra weren't AUDRA would she be doing Lizzie in 110 in the Shade? NO of course not. I've been told that Audra wasn't right for Grace in Annie because Warbucks wouldn't have had a black secretary in 1922. It's funny that in theatre we'll have the suspension of disbelief in regards to everything (people falling in love on sight, singing spontaneously, historical inaccuracies) except Physical appearance. Does that say something about society? I think so.

When they do cast black people in non-black roles you've generally got to have the talent of Audra.

It's happened, though. Remember YAGMCB?

There were also Alvin Crawford, Johmaalya Adelakan, Sean Jeremy Palmer, and Angela Lockett in the American production of Martin Guerre.


A black Phantom could be totally possible.

Not only could be, but has.

http://www.theatre-musical.com/phantom/guillaume.html

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Updated On: 2/23/06 at 02:40 AM

This guy is full of s**t because he has absolutely no knowledge of the history of Broadway. FIRST before I get to Broaday exclusively, I'd like to point out that Robert Guillume played the Phanton of the Opera in the LA Production for two years and was AMAZING. Broadway is not and has never been an exclusively WASPy environment. I'd like to point out that our theater in New York has had black faces onstage in sensitive roles DECADES before Hollywood. The dignity of the african American actor was established with great stars like Bert Williams in the Ziegfeld Follies of the 1900s. He was THE big star of several of the productions and in others, he shared the final bows with the likes of Will Rogers and Fannie Brice.

Jules Bledsoe and Paul Robeson were introduced to white audiences in Show Boat which was an AMAZINGLY daring project for 1926 that talked about slavery, missegenation and racism as no show had before.

Ethel Waters entire career is one of distinction. In the 1930's in shows like "Mamba's Daughters" and "Cabin in the Sky" she became a national institution. "Member of The Wedding" in the '50's was a big hit.

And let's not forget "Porgy and Bess" which I believe is the one true American opera and a masterpiece.

The career of Brock Peters, Rex Ingrah, Todd Duncan, hell I could go on and on.

Sure there has been racism on Broadway. Even some of the shows I have mentioned have had uncomfortable passages. The Nicholas Brothers starred in "Babes in Arms". The were the most successful and well-known names in the show when it first opened, having had a decade of performing experience behind them and yet Rodgers and Hart made them sing a song called "All Black People Got Rythm." That is regrettable. But the effort has been there on Broadway before any other sector of the entertainment industry.

Just as it helped and sheltered the mainly Jewish writers who were victims of the blacklist in the 1940's and 50's, Broadway has tried to raise the voices of freedom and equality in America and they deserve a hand for that.

Uh, but I accept no responsibility for "Flower Drum SOng...."

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How about a role that wasn't set out to be made for a black or asian person?

Eponine? *snort*

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Other groups yes...religions no. That really doesn't matter. I don't think anyone is getting turned down because they are Buddhist. However it's even worse for asian actors AND Indian actors. How many Indian actresses do you see that AREN'T in Bombay dreams (some of them were black and italian).

Also WASP nowdays doesn't exactly hold the precise meaning it once held. Now it's more of an adjective used to mean "pretty whitebred".

yes, mpw607, I do thinnk you could have a black Mary Poppins but not a white lead in the Color Purple. The difference is that The Color Purple is a race driven show, while Mary Poppins is not. Race is important to the plot and message of the Color Purple. In Mary Poppins, what does it matter if she's not white? Would it change anything about the story? No. That's the important distinction. I also think it would be ridiculous if someone, as you said, "issued an edict" that Mary Poppins had to be black. All I'm saying is that the possibility should be left open. Theatre requires a certain suspension of belief. You can believe that a nanny has a magical, bottomless bag and flies with an umbrella, but you can't believe that she could be black because of the time in which it's set?
I also find it amazingly condescending that you call racial equality "superficial." I'm sure that in your life, it is. But do you not understand that by telling minority actors that they can only play certain roles, you are having an enormous impact not only on their lives, but on their livelihoods? I'm glad that you've never been a victim of discrimination, but please don't insult those of us who have by calling our issues "tiresome" and "superficial"

A little off topic, but don't you think black people could be in the new production of Sweeney Todd?

I agree. Broadway mirrors society and has long been racist. One can always count on one or two black actors in the chorus of a musical.
Besides Broadway is affectionately called "The Great White Way", pun intended.

Completely Disagree! Besides all of the great points everyone here has made, While this article makes mention of broadway shows it says nothing about the audiences. When I saw THE COLOR PURPLE my friend and I were accompanied by only 4 other 'white' people in the audience. Conversely, when I saw the brilliant CAROLINE, OR CHANGE there were probably only 6 'black' people there. Why is that? Do 'minorities' only come when Oprah endorses a show? I hate Demographic surveys, because it's impossible to tell why people come to shows when both of these shows should have targeted the same demographic. There are plenty of 'minority' roles that have been my favorites on broadway. But you also have to ask yourself who are the audiences, if a certain demographic simply isn't going to come no matter if it has a lot of 'minorities' in a show or not, than why change? This is the business world after all. It's grimy and sleazy but that's the way it is.

And if this article were so true there would have been a Parade thrown for ROBIN GIVENS as being the first 'Black woman' to play ROXIE. But I guess I missed that parade with the rest of the people who don't care what ethnicity their actors are as long as they fit the role/time period/piece. Or maybe because tons of 'Minorites' have already played this role on broadway and on tour.

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Disagree:

Lea Salonga as EPONINE

Toni Braxton as BELLE

Also, forgot to mention CHICAGO, which has one of the most diverse casts on Broadway (where race is definitely not a huge issue in the casting of lead roles).

Anyone remember the national tour of Cinderella? Eartha Kitt as Fairy Godmother, Ken Prymus and Leslie Becker as mixed-race royalty, Asian Prince? Hell- think of TV movie with Brandy, Whitney Houston, Paolo again, and Victor Garber and Whoppi married.

Along the lines of Bare_naked lady, I can count the black people I have seen in the audience of Lion King, one of my fave Broadway shows.

I have noticed the trend of there being a token black couple in some shows, such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Meshach Taylor played Lumiere on Broadway. I wonder what it would be like to have a black Beast or Cogsworth, who have had black understudies on tour.

Believing Mary Poppins can fly is part of the construct of the show, but I think having Mary Poppins being black would alter the way people view her interactions with the children. I think it would be nice to have a non-celebrity black Phantom. Norm Lewis as an example.

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