Aren't Broadway shows, plays, and operas technically racist?

Question

...............Because they need specific people for the roles...judging by how they look. And, there aren't very many black, asian, indian roles in a lot of plays here..so even if you're excellent in EVERY way except you're the wrong skin color, you wouldn't be cast.
Isn't this discriminating?

Answer 1

It isn't just skin color, it's age, sex, height, weight, looks.

When plays are written, they generally don't need someone of a certain color, just age and gender. But certain roles need to be fat, and others need to be young, and some black and some white.

If you just scramble and start changing male roles to female roles because 'it's sexist', things get confusing and take away from the original meaning of the play.

But for Beauty and the Beast, which takes place in France in the 1600's, it wouldn't be historically accurate to have an African American playing the Prince.

Generally, when playwrites can, they do put Africans or Asians or Indians instead of a caucasian. So in modern plays you will see other ethnicities.

Answer 2

When a writer makes the script he/she has an idea of what kinds of characters he wants so he writes them, the cast is based on what the writer thinks so the plays aren't racist the writer is.

Also, most theatres (not necessarily broadway), are 'color blind' where they dont take into account what ethnicity people are, it depends if they can play the part.

In the broadway play RENT the character Collins was written as a white guy, but when Jesse L. Martin auditioned they changed the ethnicity of the character because he could do the part so well.

The other day I was watching a play called Purlie and there ws a white girl playing an african american and she was great so it didnt matter to everyone

Answer 3

They're not discriminating. Most shows are based on books or something historical that happened. That's just how the show is written. I'm sure the playwrights aren't...discriminating.

And besides, many people of different races have played certain roles. For example, Rent. Roger has been played by a white and black men. Mimi has been played by Hispanic and black women. Angel has been played by hispanic and black men. And on YouTube, I've even seen a white Collins! Maureen has even been played by a black (or hispanic, I can't remember) woman.

In Les Miserables, Eponine has been played by an American and an Asian person. Fantine has been played by a white and a hispanic woman recently (Daphne Rubin-Vega)

In Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, all of his brothers were of many different races in some versions.

In Phantom of the Opera, when it is played in different countries, she is played by hispanic and Asian women. Same with Phantom, only men.

Cats, you can't really see their faces, but they have been played by many different races.

And, hel-lo! The Color Purple!

They aren't trying to discriminate. Please think twice before posting a question like this again.

Answer 4

no. puhleez. do you think a black boy could play a German Soldier or a built Hispanic play an Irish little boy? No! The problem with hispanics, blacks, asians, and indians getting roles is that few of them give interest in theatre in comparison to white people--yet I know there are many. You can only cast what you have. This isn't discrimination. If you want the part find one that fits you and produce it. BTW there are plenty of different races in plays and especially on Broadway.

Answer 5

Life is not racist, it is realistic. There are certain arguments for cross race productions that have been done over the year sbut that concept is just as implicitly racist. Doing a 'Hot' Mikado as Michael Todd did does a disservice to the white Victorian conceptualiztion of Gilbert and Sullivan. An all black Hello Dolly is just a racist trick in reverse and not realistic to the period or to the setting. To try to rectify period pieces with crude attempts at political correctness is the height of racism. As a cultural attache, I worked with over 170 different nations. We are almost the sole nation on the planet that thinks this is wise. No other nation has this problem. Should one ignore the race statements of Show Boat by making the slaves white? Period dictates the art and to correct it for some narrow viewpoint of political correctness is the very idea of racism. Race is a reality and needs to be dealt with not hidden or made palatable. It is a problem but it is a reality. Do we recast Athol Fugard's dramas to change their races? This would be the height of bigotry and racism. It is the need and heart of the art to embrace tre cultural realities of our day or other periods and to present them in the most honest light we can and to keep our own agendas out of them. We do not have the right to comment on these periods as they are historical fact. And to attempt to politically correct them is to be the definition of racist.

Answer 6

I have never seen this be the case. People seem to cast based on talent, not what race a character is "supposed" to be. Just look at the current Les Miserables: Fantine is played be Lea Salonga, a Philipina actress and Javert is played be Norm Lewis, an African America actor. Both extrememly talented, but not "traditionally" what you would expect to see in a musical taking place in 19th century France.

Answer 7

I don't think so. The reason there aren't as many characters for ethnics is because there aren't as many people of color writing plays as there are whites. And most people tend to write about things with which they are most familiar. If there were more ethnic playwrights you'd have a greater diversity of roles. Is it discriminating to produce Porgy and Bess because no whites can be in it?

Answer 8

You know very, very little about the theatrical/opera world. Here's an idea... do some research and read every play, opera, musical, and drama that has ever been written. Then you'll be in a position to judge "discrimination."

Answer 9

I agree to some degree about your comment. However, there are some shows that are racist against whites. Such as Carmen (not the opera). Porgie and Bess are all black casts. But, there are shows out there that have plenty of parts for people of different ethnicities, such as Miss. Saigon. But, it's not just a race issue. Have you ever seen a fat Christine (Phantom of the Opera)? It's just theatre politics, but I wouldn't call it out and out racism.

Answer 10

No -- people have always acted across racial lines in Broadway (mainly whites acting as a diffferent race)

Some examples:
Larry Blyden (white) as an Asian in "Flower Drum Song"
Carol Lawrence (Italian) as Maria (Puerto Rican) in "West Side Story"
Juanita Hall (black) as a Pacific Islander in "South Pacific"
Juanita Hall (black) as an Asian in "Flower Drum Song"