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Post by partytentdown on Jun 4, 2020 20:12:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2020 5:49:59 GMT
In Brighton we have a big youth theatre scene where they put on big shows like les mis a big theatre down here. Few years ago they put on Hairspray with blacking up involved. I remember when people complained on fb there was outrage that anyone would dare criticise something with children in!! Interestingly they also put on Miss Saigon without the need of yellowing up half the cast....... |
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Post by The Matthew on Jun 5, 2020 7:33:09 GMT
In Brighton we have a big youth theatre scene where they put on big shows like les mis a big theatre down here. Few years ago they put on Hairspray with blacking up involved I'm surprised they got away with it. In the TheaterMania article it says that blackface is explicitly prohibited as part of the licence conditions. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2020 8:34:25 GMT
In Brighton we have a big youth theatre scene where they put on big shows like les mis a big theatre down here. Few years ago they put on Hairspray with blacking up involved I'm surprised they got away with it. In the TheaterMania article it says that blackface is explicitly prohibited as part of the licence conditions. Il try and find the photos with he blacked up cast but here is their trailer. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jun 5, 2020 9:39:09 GMT
There have been many, many amateur productions of Sister Act with all white casts. The rights holders don't forbid it but they also don't allow any text changes to accommodate it.
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Post by partytentdown on Jun 5, 2020 10:25:15 GMT
There have been many, many amateur productions of Sister Act with all white casts. The rights holders don't forbid it but they also don't allow any text changes to accommodate it. I wouldn't endorse it myself, but I guess the difference is that Hairspray is fundamentally a story about race issues, whereas the lead in Sister Act is traditionally black but at a push could be played by someone of a different race (I may be wrong but I don't think her race is mentioned in the show?) - similar for Kinky Boots. |
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 5, 2020 12:03:38 GMT
There have been many, many amateur productions of Sister Act with all white casts. The rights holders don't forbid it but they also don't allow any text changes to accommodate it. I wouldn't endorse it myself, but I guess the difference is that Hairspray is fundamentally a story about race issues, whereas the lead in Sister Act is traditionally black but at a push could be played by someone of a different race (I may be wrong but I don't think her race is mentioned in the show?) - similar for Kinky Boots. In the updated version of the show, they included a line which I absolutely detest. In reference to going undercover as a nun, Deloris says she is going “incogn*gro” instead of incognito. I've refrained from using the actual word as I hate it, so I hope I haven't caused any offense. Please remove if needed, but for those unsure it's supposed to rhyme with incognito where the last half of the word is a spectacularly old-fashioned word for a black person. I don't know if it's still in the script, but I assume it is. |
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Post by sf on Jun 5, 2020 13:48:39 GMT
There have been many, many amateur productions of Sister Act with all white casts. The rights holders don't forbid it but they also don't allow any text changes to accommodate it. I wouldn't endorse it myself, but I guess the difference is that Hairspray is fundamentally a story about race issues, whereas the lead in Sister Act is traditionally black but at a push could be played by someone of a different race (I may be wrong but I don't think her race is mentioned in the show?) - similar for Kinky Boots.
Indeed, with Sister Act the original film was first offered to Bette Midler, who turned it down.
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Post by christya on Jun 5, 2020 17:14:51 GMT
The best amateur performer I saw as Deloris (and I'd argue the best Deloris) I've seen was a white lady, who had either red hair or a red wig. Came away feeling like I'd seen how it might have been with Bette Midler.
Hairspray though - race is actually important, fundamental even. The idea that this condition hasn't always been there is more than a bit off.
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Post by fiyero on Jun 5, 2020 18:49:04 GMT
I’ve seen sister act with a white deloris. It worked as well as amateur productions can. I can’t remember if race is mentioned but it isn’t crucial to the plot.
I saw an amateur Hairspray where they had gone out of their way to get appropriate casting in what was previously a very white group. I think it added to the effect of different races being treated differently as they were a different group of people. Not sure if any stayed with the company.
My awkward experience was an all white amateur Whistle Down the Wind. No programme notes saying how it’s normally played, just 2 people kicked out of the Pub, ,where their kind doesn’t belong’. It was odd. Race isn’t the main plot point but it is an important part to me.
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Post by daisy24601 on Jun 6, 2020 18:28:46 GMT
Just saw this
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Post by distantcousin on Jul 6, 2020 10:20:48 GMT
I’ve seen sister act with a white deloris. It worked as well as amateur productions can. I can’t remember if race is mentioned but it isn’t crucial to the plot. I saw an amateur Hairspray where they had gone out of their way to get appropriate casting in what was previously a very white group. I think it added to the effect of different races being treated differently as they were a different group of people. Not sure if any stayed with the company. My awkward experience was an all white amateur Whistle Down the Wind. No programme notes saying how it’s normally played, just 2 people kicked out of the Pub, ,where their kind doesn’t belong’. It was odd. Race isn’t the main plot point but it is an important part to me. I was in an all white Whistle Down The Wind - I played the male black role, and I'm white.
We just changed the script a bit. We were never gonna black up - job done.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2020 12:37:59 GMT
Anyone who thought it was okay to black a youth production up especially in supposed multicultural, enlightened Brighton must have been made.
Roles such as Sister Act if they did cast a white actress could work but the whole musical is built around soul type music so having a white actress wouldn't really fit and it takes away a role from a black actress. In the film Bette playing it as the fast talking singer would have worked as well as Whoopi but not in a stage musical context.
Colour blind casting can work well as seen by the RSC but we have to be sensible doing it. Imagine a fairly serious piece with 3 grown up children and one was white, one black and one Asian and parents were both white or black and white etc. Then it just gets silly.
My joke scenario in this is in Sound of Music and you have a random Van Trapp child black or in Motown Musical and one of the Supremes or Jackson 5 and say Tito is white.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 6, 2020 13:36:42 GMT
Anyone who thought it was okay to black a youth production up especially in supposed multicultural, enlightened Brighton must have been made. Roles such as Sister Act if they did cast a white actress could work but the whole musical is built around soul type music so having a white actress wouldn't really fit and it takes away a role from a black actress. In the film Bette playing it as the fast talking singer would have worked as well as Whoopi but not in a stage musical context. Colour blind casting can work well as seen by the RSC but we have to be sensible doing it. Imagine a fairly serious piece with 3 grown up children and one was white, one black and one Asian and parents were both white or black and white etc. Then it just gets silly. My joke scenario in this is in Sound of Music and you have a random Van Trapp child black or in Motown Musical and one of the Supremes or Jackson 5 and say Tito is white. Not as silly as your post |
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Post by basdfg on Jul 6, 2020 14:58:04 GMT
I don't think a non white Maria Von Trapp or Captain Von Trapp would ever work as it would miniamilse the nazis if they shown not being at all racist as a result.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2020 15:20:12 GMT
I don't think a non white Maria Von Trapp or Captain Von Trapp would ever work as it would miniamilse the nazis if they shown not being at all racist as a result. A none white/colour blind casting Maria could work. We've had black Fagin and Nancy in Oliver. |
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Post by basdfg on Jul 6, 2020 17:01:48 GMT
I don't think a non white Maria Von Trapp or Captain Von Trapp would ever work as it would miniamilse the nazis if they shown not being at all racist as a result. A none white/colour blind casting Maria could work. We've had black Fagin and Nancy in Oliver. It would suspend belief too much to have the Nazi's wanting a Captain with a non white wife. Oliver does not have that problem. |
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Post by sf on Jul 6, 2020 17:09:15 GMT
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Post by Jon on Jul 6, 2020 17:10:14 GMT
A none white/colour blind casting Maria could work. We've had black Fagin and Nancy in Oliver. It would suspend belief too much to have the Nazi's wanting a Captain with a non white wife. Oliver does not have that problem. You do know it's theatre and not a documentary. If The Sound of Music Live could have a black Mother Abbess, a colour blind Maria could easily work. |
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Post by basdfg on Jul 6, 2020 20:04:20 GMT
It would suspend belief too much to have the Nazi's wanting a Captain with a non white wife. Oliver does not have that problem. You do know it's theatre and not a documentary. If The Sound of Music Live could have a black Mother Abbess, a colour blind Maria could easily work. I am sorry but a musical with the Nazi's in should not make them by default appear tolerant of an interracial marriage - the mother Abbes barely interacts or even mentions the Nazi's so it's not so glaring. Having a non white Maria is stretching history too much for me. |
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