white Broadway- Page 6

[allofmylife]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 4:24pm

BTW, when I was a kid, I saw the all-black cast of "Hello Dolly" with Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. I remember the audience loved it. Long standing ovations. And later on I saw the all-african American version of "Guys and Dolls" with Robert Guillaume. You haven't lived until you hear Ken Page do "Sit Down. The show was done to a drivingfunk beat. But let's face it both shows were gimmicks. And I think there are other examples.

Getting back to this excellent conversation, maybe it would be better if we made a few general assumptions and gave Broadway a pass or two. !) Most of the stories we tell are historical. I'd bet more than half of all musicals are set in period. And save for the last 40 years, this country was pretty much seperated. When I was a kid, I had NO interaction with anyone who wasn't white. And I'd bet that was the same for far more than half the population. So what stories are there left to tell that involve racially diverse characters? It just isn't our history, sad as that is, before 1950.

And yet Broadway, I truly believe, has more than done its share to chage that. I think this is a valid conversation, but it should be directed more at dance, classical music, art and the movies and television. It seems that only theater and perhaps book publishing had any significant minority participation prior to 1950.

So let's congradulate the theater on the trailblazing work in the past and hope to encourage more and more in the future.

I've seen productions of musicals in other, more progressive countries and after a minute or two of surprise, (with italics) if the material is good and the cast is talented, you forget the color of skin and just see the character. (end italics).

Let's head in that direction. Personally, I'd love to see Audra McDonald playing Julie, not Carrie....

[respeck]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 7:08pm

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 07:08 PM

[respeck]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 7:08pm

Minorities. Who needs them?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 2:51am

In Japan, they do musicals with an entirely Japanese cast and nobody seems to care that a whole group of asian actors are playing "white" roles. The same for China and some African countries. It seems that only in America does this cause a problem.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 3:52am

And the Finnish cast of Miss Saigon was entirely white.

You know, there's this thing called "ethnic diversity." It doesn't really exist in most of the countries you mentioned...

Updated On: 3/1/06 at 03:52 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 12:34pm

Or perhaps there's a thing in these countries called "a good story is an international story" Personally, I'd have no problem with seeing anyone of any race in "My Fair Lady" Or "Rent" or "Wicked". Screw the color of one's skin. If the story is arresting, anyone should be able to play it. Making the audience suspend disbelief IS one of the job requirements for an actor, isn't it?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 1:10pm

i saw a production of my fair lady in mogadishu in swahili using animals as stand-ins for several of the characters. now are you trying to tell me that they cast animals and africans simply because there was no white actors? that's just ridiculous to say about such a racially diverse nation as somalia. they obviously understand theatre in places like that and those mentioned by allofmylife in a way that we here in the evil united states never will. i for one will be happy when this ridiculous notion of broadway, with its antiquated casting, as the center of the theatre world comes to an end thus closing that ugly chapter on american theatre imperialism.

[??]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 1:23pm

It is stupid article. Without getting political here, I really think the race card is a dumb one to play. If a character can convievably be black or white or gay eskimo then cast them based on talent. What I disagree with, and it's not because I'm racist, is casting people who clearly would not be a certain ethnicty with someone who is of one. It is distracting and it works both ways. IE:

I once saw a production of Titanic that had a black Thomas Andrews. This bothered me because Thomas Andrews was a white man and it did not fit in the context of the real story. However at the same time, watching the Engineer from Miss Saigon being played by a white guy is equally as ridiculous as the character is clearly asian.

Would you cast a white man as Walter Lee Younger?
Would you cast a black man as Franklin in 1776?

No.

What a stupid article and the author needs to be blamed for bringing up a stupid issue that really doesn't exist.

[eslgr8]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 2:21pm

Why not cast Kristin Chenoweth as Tracey in Hairspray? Why not cast Donna Murphy as Clara in Piazza? Why not cast Michael Arden as Tevya in Fiddler? These are all talented performers who can play other than themselves. If we can suspend our disbelief in some situations, why not in others?

[??]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 3:06pm

I absolutely agree with you esl. With most shows, racial casting isn't a big deal. An all black cast of Hello Dolly or Guys and Dolls....who cares. Suspend disbelief, sure.

But can you honestly say you would be able to sit down and watch an all white cast perform "Raisin in the sun"?. Or concievablywatch 1776 with an all asian cast?

I have seen an asian and a black girl play Johanna. In both occasions Sweeney Todd was white (and so was the beggar woman). It just doesn't make sense.

Can I watch Ben Vereen, Derek Williams and Saycon Sengbloh in Wicked? Sure, who cares. It's not important the color of their skin. It only matters when material or references clearly point to a specific race. When it's not followed it doesn't bother me because they are black or white, it bothers me because it doesn't make any sense

I wouldn't cast Kristen Chenowith as Tracey, she is too thin. Michael Arden is too young for Tevye. I honestly see race on the same level as age, size and sex. If it's defined, cast it. If it doesn't matter, then cast on talent.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 3:12pm

Apparently the Spectator doesn't publish letters to the editor on their web version.

Because I'd like to see if any responses to this opinion piece made it in.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 5:05pm

"gay eskimo"

I believe the correct term is Homo-North-Native-American. At least the Alaskan ones.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/1/06 at 5:07pm

funny, i always heard that nome was homo north.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 12:56am

This guy has us jumping through hoops that we don't have to jump through. Broadway has carried more water for the cause than almost any entertainment media. He should point his shotgun at network TV, which ghettoizes black actors on networks like UPN or movies, which have five African-American actors they go back to time and time again for the comfort level. Leave Broadway alone!

Oh and I think the proper phrase may be "Inuit-curious"

Posted: 3/28/06 at 7:40pm

I was thinking about this and I was wondering: has there ever been a Mimi that was not Latino? I know that in RENT minorities are celebrated, but I always wondered if it was strictly written just for a a person of Hispanic culture.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 7:56pm

Saycon Sengbloh, Antoinette Smith, Krystal Washington, Karen Olivo, Saskia Garel, Sharon Leal, Marcy Harriell, Christine Anu -- none are Latina.

[Jovie24]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 8:15pm

I am sure this was mention, but Eden Espinosa is latin, not white, she just has light skin. Big deal, I am latin and have light skin as does a lot in my family!

Drtheatre

Posted: 3/28/06 at 8:16pm

Sorry, I mean a Mimi that was not of Latino or African culture. Has there ever been a Caucasian Mimi?

[firescape]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 8:21pm

good grief.....some roles are just gender and race specific! Yeah, ok........."white Broadway" I give you "black NBA." Anyone complaining?
Updated On: 3/28/06 at 08:21 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 8:23pm

You know, earlier today, I wasn't annoyed that this thread got bumped up...

Posted: 3/28/06 at 9:14pm

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to turn this into an issue. I was just wondering if there had ever been a Caucasian Mimi. I didn't mean to sound racist or ignorant, I was just curious.
I'm sorry if anyone was somehow offended by this, it was not my intention.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 9:16pm

There's nothing wrong with what you asked, or the way you asked it.

Here's a spine, and some Miracle-Gro.

[Adoannie925]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 11:46pm

I agree with a lot of it, but the journalist does need to do a little bit more research. I think a lot of it has to do with the setting and time period, much like he said, but the big producers of these shows aren't looking for what's going to be diverse and liberal, but instead how to make the most money. And think about it...there's the NYC theater crowd, but most people who go to Broadway shows are tourists from all over, but in between NY and California, there's the middle america states that represent a large population of our country and aren't known for being the most racially diverse and accepting, and sadly, a lot of these Broadway blockbusters are catering towards what they want to see and what they're going to pay for. However, I do feel like there is also a point made to keep the theater industry diverse, but not a huge one from what I've seen.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 11/2/06 at 12:05pm

I think this is one of the most fascinating threads I've seen on this board.

Posted: 11/2/06 at 4:04pm

I agree with you rentboy. It works both ways. But tell that to 'them'.