Great righteous rant about the absurdity/inanity/racism of objecting to the great McDonald's casting - who can claim to love the theatre and yet be (selectively) unable to suspend disbelief?!?
@@emhu2594 yes you would, if it was an actual name and the show was literally written about them. I do think it would be responsible to either mention it before the performance or in the playbill to spread the message that this is a slur, and the damage it does, and that it's used here only as a historical name
I have my ticket for the first preview of Gypsy and I am VIBRATING WITH EXCITEMENT!!! Saw Audra live in concert last year and knew the second this show was announced that I had to get my ass to NYC to see it. I am so so jazzed to see how she interprets the role, both in terms of Rose as a character and her vocal choices. It's sure to be incredible, no matter what!
Hey Mickey Joe! I too am theatre obsessed, and your videos and reviews are a lifeline to me. I've been watching since the last Tony season. You fill a great gap in my life because I am now 70 and almost blind. I'm American but for decadrs spemt summers in London to go to plays and musicals. The first West End shows I ever saw were the first UK productions of Into the Woods and Children of Eden. I saw virtually every London Sondheim show from 1990 jntil 2018, including Follies at the National and the Maria Friedman Merrily. I may never get to London again, and that breaks my heart. I never missed a show at the Donmar and few at the Almeida. I don't like juke box or Disney-based musicals and went to Mary Poppins only because Matthew Bourne, whom I worship, helmed it. I am thrilled about Gypsy and love Audra. I've seen four Mama Roses: Rosalind Russell in the film, Tyne Daly, Bette Midler, and Bernadette Peters. Bette was my favourite. I figure she was the closest to Ethel Merman. I hate I didn't see LuPone or Staunton, whom I've seen in so mang great roles. Thank you for keeping me up to date! You are doing spectacular work!
I'm so excited. Gypsy was one of my first favorite shows and Audra is such an incredible performer!! The second I heard she was doing Gypsy I told myself that I need to figure out how to get there. Now, I will be going to my very first Broadway show ever in February and it will be Audra in Gypsy. I'm also glad that my first show will be, at least in some capacity, a Sondheim show, the man who got me into MT in the first place. And now to hear that I also get to see Joy Woods, Jordan Tyson, Danny Burstein and the three strippers, who I'm not familiar with, but based on videos and word of mout I am also super excited to see. This will truly be an event.
@@Ryan-hh4yv that’s lovely! I cry at everything. In Book of Mormon (totally worth seeing! You can get great seats for $100) I cry during I Believe. Something about actors on stage, living their dream, sharing their gift, gets me crying. It’s so special to share that moment and witness their talent.
I am a Black American male, and I'm excited about the show-I will be attending during previews. However, I found Mickey Jo's comments troubling, as he suggested that racism is the only reason people are raising questions about Audra's casting, given that the woman her character is based on is white in real life. The truth is, such casting decisions can be complex and often work in one direction due to historical and cultural contexts. For example, if there were a famous musical about Harriet Tubman and they cast Idina Menzel, I have no doubt Mickey Jo would be criticizing that choice as racist. Idina is a phenomenal actress and singer, but it would be acknowledged that, due to her race-not her talent-she wouldn't be right for that role. Similarly, if Betsy Wolfe, a white blonde woman, were to play Celie in a revival of *The Color Purple*, the internet would be up in arms. The issue here is that the character is based on a real person. There's a reason why Black actresses were not considered for the *Funny Girl* revival, and it had nothing to do with talent. Additionally, it can be distracting when the same character is played by actors of different races within the same show. Case in point: I saw *The Notebook* on Broadway, and having Allie be played by two Black women in her younger years, only to become an elderly white woman, was jarring. The same goes for the character of Noah, who was played by white actors when young and then became a Black man as a senior citizen. It was disconcerting in part because most of the show takes place in the 1940s and 1950s, and having a white man pursue a Black woman in the Deep South at that time without it being a point of contention in the story was distracting. Again, I know Audra McDonald is an incredible actress, and I am going to the show to support her. But to call countless people racist just because they wonder why a Black woman is playing a real-life white woman is disheartening-especially because he would likely be just as quick to call people racist if a white actor were cast in a role historically portrayed by a Black performer.
I'm glad to see I'm not a lone voice in the wilderness. I was engaging with MJ on this but once he got backed into a corner with his own words he grabbed his purse and sweater and left. I see he hasn't responded to you. Since he has no defense for his offensive mass generalization, he's chosen to remain silent. There's a profile in courage for ya.
You're trying to appeal to white racism, or a White person acting Black to confuse. Mickey is right, it's racism. Whites have been playing non Whites for years and no one does anything about it. The few roles that are White that is played by non Whites make y'all mad because y'all are racist hypocrites
Danny Burstein is very reliable. In the Lincoln Centre's 2009 production of "South Pacific" he played Luther Billis, and played every performance in its two-and-a-half-year run. That's quite an achievement.
I'm so excited about Audra playing Mama Rose. Her voice is amazing and I look for a new interpretation of the iconic role. She could enthrall an audience vocally and acting wise just byopening her mouth. I'm a huge fan.. Joy Woods is an inspired choice for Louise and Jordan will be great as June as well.
I'm getting my tickets soon, I'm thrilled for this. Quick notes, "not much is known," about the real Rose. This is untrue, we have a lot of information. That said, it doesn't mean much other than getting some context as actors. The show is smartly subtitled "a musical fable." To me, that is license to do anything creatively. Shakespeare has historical fiction, this show is up there.
The reason Gypsy has the subtitle "A Musical Fable" is that June Havoc refused to give her permission to the producer to be portrayed in the way that the writers created her character. Part of the compromise that was reached was that the "fable" subtitle was to be included under the show's title.
I bought my tickets to one of the final previews (the day before my birthday!) a couple of days after Audra was announced. Im beyond excited about these additions to the cast.
As you were talking about the difference in Audra and other women playing Momma Rose, I was wondering if why some people think her being a black woman doesn't work (I do think height, hair color and voice are different) is because if Momma Rose was black, she would have so much more discrimination in her life which would in turn make a difference in how her life went. I personally have no problem with the choice, I love it! I was just trying to figure why someone might. In todays world, color is starting to be a non-factor. For instance, in Suffs, Dudley Malone is black, at first I was thinking, "how did that work back then" ☺ Of course Dudley in the musical is also played by a women! This is how new generations begin to change the culture of separation of people (colors, gender, height, weight) so someday we will all be just people! And being very old, I relish the change!🥰
Honestly, bigotry of any kind (racism, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, etc) just doesn't make sense at all, and the roots of it are deep and stretch back centuries and would require a very long, nuanced conversation with one's self and the things we were taught growing up that many bigots do not want to have. To sum up and simplify it down for bite-sized consumption, a lot of it stems from this manufactured fear of "being replaced," which comes from the white supremacist belief of "The Great Replacement" which when boiled down, is this fear in straight white cisgender Christians that including marginalized people more in roles held by able-bodied cishet white Christians, including the ones in power, will "erase" all white folks, the same as the assumption that giving marginalized communities the same rights that these white folks believe is inherent and "gifted from God" to them, will suddenly result in their rights being "taken away to ensure The Other has them". Plus there's also an assumption that by making non-white marginalized folx more prevalent in media and including them more as a part of society means that they, white people, will be "pushed out", "overlooked", "forgotten/ignored", because they are no longer being centered in the conversation like they've been used to for centuries, and likely because they also fear that giving marginalized folx, especially non-white marginalized folx, the same amount of power that white people have always had will result in non-white folx "punishing" and treating white people the way non-white folx have been treated for MANY years, so those White folks latch onto that power and will do everything they can to keep non-white and other marginalized communities disenfranchised and powerless. And I say all this as a nonbinary white Latine. Again, this explanation has been incredibly simplified and boiled down for brevity and, hopefully, an easier understanding, but if you are at all interested in this, and want to hear it explained by actual members of the communities this affects, then I highly recommend the channels: ForHarriet (run by a black woman named Kimberly Foster; Kim actually began ForHarriet as a website with newsletter before starting her TH-cam channel in 2014 - I think she said that she either started the website in 2010, or sometime in 2012/13, although as far as I'm aware, either the original website has been shut down since then, or it has been folded into the TH-cam channel and lives on through her personal website Kimberly Nicole Foster and Substack), F.D. Signifier (a black cis man), Foreign Man in a Foreign Land (a Bahamian black cis man who brings the insight of being a black man growing up in the Caribbean and moving to America to attend university and how he's the similarities and differences of being black in America and black outside of America to the conversation), TeeNoir (a queer black woman; I think she's mentioned before that she identifies as nonbinary/fluid or that she's cis but GNC - gender non-conforming), Fab Socialism (a black cis woman), Princess Weekes (a queer cis black woman), Kat Blaque (a black trans woman), Lil' Bill (a cis black man), Jawn Lewis (a cis black man), Andrewism (a Trinidadian cis black man), Anansi's Library (a nonbinary black creator), CJ The X (a nonbinary black creator), Harriyana Hook (a cis black woman), Professor Flowers (a black genderfluid creator; they use all pronouns though his presentation often leans feminine, but she hasn't posted a video in sometime), Jay Smooth (a cis black man whose got a bunch of great videos but has also gone the route of not making videos as frequently as he used to), Jouelzy (a cis black woman), Herby Revolus (a queer genderfluid black creator), Lucretia McEvil (a nonbinary black femme; uses she/they pronouns), and Stitch's Media Mix (a black possibly LGBT+ creator, I think they use she/they pronouns but I don't remember; unfortunately Stitch isn't very active on TH-cam but like Kimberly Foster, Stitch does have their own website and Tumblr account that she has been active on since 2015 where they have been posting essays about racism in media and fan culture for almost ten years now, so those are also an option if you're interested in reading essays).
I just saw a 30 sec. teaser for 'Audra/Gypsy.' (It's here on TH-cam) I can't quite get my head (or ears) around her mellifluous, operatic voice singing "Rose's Turn." But of course, I've still gotta see it! lol
This cast is STACKED!!! It's so nice to see Lesli Margherita back on Broadway. I say that because this role fits her IMHO - and that's because the three strippers and Mrs. Wormwood have a similar personality and at times feisty mannerism - the kind that makes "Loud" really stand out from just about the other numbers in Matilda, but I slightly digress. Great video Mickey, keep up the good work
Based off her performance in Lady Day and what I've seen in some of her solo concert work, I think she might actually give us some belting. Also good to note that they will be using the original orchestrations, and it's at least 25 players.
I saw both Tyne Daly and Patti Lupone play Rose on Broadway. Totally different approaches to the acting part as well as the singing and both were brilliant!
The landscape of musical theatre can be so disheartening as a Black performer. This situation has shown that you can prove you are one of the BEST to ever take on your craft and people will still try to limit you based on your race. And then when you shut down the race talks they say “I just don’t believe she’s vocally suited for the character”….and Bernadette was…? LOVE Ms Peters. One of my favorite performers and biggest inspirations but like…let’s be serious about what this is actually about. Audra is not only a great vocalist who has shown MANY times that the voice is well connected and intact, but she’s a phenomenal actress. I think she’s actually a better actress than vocalist (which says a lot!). Again, if people didn’t ignore her performances in things like Raisin In The Sun, they would know that. Most people don’t realize she can belt like she can because they’ve ignored the other projects she’s been in. If you saw or listened to Marie Christine you’d know Audra absolutely has a back of the house belt. She’s more than suited for this role. The entire cast is packed with TALENT!! After all “It’s not about race! It’s about talent!” or is that just what people say to gaslight you when you bring up important issues surrounding race, bias, and discrimination within the theatre community?
So excited, Joy woods was a revelation in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, very final form louise in that. One thing you didnt mention is just how good of a dancer she is, shes a true triple threat and has legs for days. Theres some great steps videos of her on instagram
im going on dec 15! its the first time im seeing a preview of a musical which is exciting! and as a huge phantom phan, its nice to be back in the majestic🥲
Speaking as someone who took issue with Aaron Tveit playing Sweeney Todd because he’s (though bafflingly talented) not a baritone, I for one welcome Audra’s soprano take on the demon barber.
Once again, on-point with regard to Audra. I will surely be rooting for her and the entire cast. Will be interesting to see how much of a showdown it is at Tony time for Best Actress between her and Nicole Scherzinger...or maybe we will be totally surprised with a newcomer winning the trophy.
Mickey, my best friend is in the process of moving away. To NYC. I’m barely holding it together. The one thing that stops the tears is knowing I can pop up to New York when flights are cheap and crash with her to see a show. Gypsy is high on the must see list.
I think this will probably be THE hot ticket of the Winter season. Audra McDonald has a ton of TV roles (currently in The Gilded Age; previously in The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Private Practice among others) to sell tickets to the tourists. Plus the show itself is one of (if not THE) most beloved musicals of all time. So they don't need a secondary big name to sell tickets to tourists. I do wonder if McDonald can belt like LuPone or Merman, or if she will deliver those big numbers differently. But however she does them, I know she'll be stellar. This will be a must-see!
P.S. As for the Tonys: a nomination for McDonald is inevitable. But even if she delivers the performance of the season, she won't win. I believe voters will think six Tonys are enough; and instead will choose to award Nicole Scherzinger, if for no other reason than they like the fact that she's put a lucrative pop (Pussycat Dolls) & TV (The Masked Singer) career on hold to do a challenging role on Broadway.
Realistically, during this time period Rose being and African American woman would not get far managing her daughters’ careers in vaudeville. Herbie being a white man is a benefit for her knowing he can get inside of doors that she can’t.
@@MickeyJoTheatre, the problem is this production is creating false history. The interviews with Audra and the director, and with the casting breakdown of the very specific racial breakdown of the two daughters, made it very clear that this is not the case of three African-American performers playing characters but that they are playing very specifically Black women. And in the 20s/30s America in which the show is set, vaudeville and burlesque were not integrated. The very few Black artists who attained stardom, such as Bert Williams, could not appear on stage with White cast members.
I didn't see Danny in Moulin Rouge, but I did catch him in Fiddler a couple times. He's a fantastic performer and this is going to be a great role for him. I somehow haven't seen Joy in anything yet but I've heard she's amazing and omggg I'm so excited, Louise also seems like a great fit for her, Also yasss to getting Queen Lesli back on Broadway!
I just worked with Lili Thomas who’s going to be playing Mazzepa in a new musical by Ahrens + Flaherty (another tangential Ragtime connection) called Knoxville (oddly enough, performed here in Knoxville). She is WONDERFUL and plays so many different instruments as well as a great voice. She learned how to play the accordion for Knoxville, and I’m pretty sure she already plays the trumpet, so she’ll be a huge treat!
For me the best song in The Notebook's score, by far, is "I Wanna Go Back". Which is the Joy & Jordan duet. Yep, they're going to be fire as Louise and June.
I'd pay an embarrassing amount of money to watch Audra McDonald read a phone book at 4am in Times Square. People complaining about her casting as Rose is baffling to me. She's gonna COOK!
Gypsy is my all time favorite musical.I've seen it too many times to count. I love Audra. I've seen her twice onstage, in Carousel (she was wonderful in a race swapped role she won a Tony for) and in Ragtime. However she wouldn't be my first thought to cast as Rose and not because the real Hovick was white. For non-traditional casting I would think of Jenifer Lewis, Danielle Brooks or Jennifer Hudson all who have a closer vocal quality and personality that are associated with the character. That said I'm sure McDonald will bring her special talents to the part and make it her own. (she's famously good in all she does.)That's the thing about this role every woman who tackles it brings something new to her. I'm always open to new interpretations and this one is no exception.
I’m not suggesting you’re wrong in this case, but what do you think of colour blind casting Porgy and Bess then with the leads played by white performers? Would that not completely upend Gershwin’s work?
I love the tradition of the actress playing Miss Crachit going on to also play one of the strippers. It is not slways the same combination of characters. It probably not noticed by many audience members and that is part of the fun.
Jared would be sensational, that's a great choice, and I don't think Joy and Jordan would have had that huge an impact on the notebook box office for those not in the know.
I agree that race of the actress playing Mama Rose has Zero bearing on the actress ability to play the role Mama rose Can be played by a Woman of any race or a Trans Woman if the she is a good enough singer 😀👍
For me, Audra was a big enough draw that I immediately purchased my ticket when the show was announced. I'll be surprised if Sunset Blvd. is as wildly successful as it was in the West End. On Broadway, lavish musicals do better business. A show known for its lavish sets and costumes - which are important aspects of the story- might not be well-received. Justifiably or not, Andrew Lloyd Webber is not quite the draw on Broadway as he may be in the West End. In contrast, Gypsy is a deeply loved show. For the expense, it's a show that is a sure bet for a night out and for tourists visiting. NYC is an expensive place to visit; tourist wanting to see a "Broadway" show will gravitate to a splashy bang for their buck rather than a gritty, stripped-down show, Ultimately, time will tell.
Please don't hate me. I live in the USA, and I am not excited for this UMPTEENTH revival of "GYPSY." Yes, Audra is phenomenally talented, fully deserving of all her awards and praise. I love that Danny B. is playing opposite her. "GYPSY" is a fabulous musical. BUT-- "GYPSY" has BEEN DONE ENOUGH in my lifetime!! For the love of Rose, Louise, Herbie, Sondheim, Styne, Ethel, Roz, Angela, Tyne, Bette, Bernadette, Betty, Patti, Imalda, Caroline The Cow AND Audra--GIVE THIS SHOW A REST!!! I'm worn out!!! Yes, the show will be a success because it is AUDRA!!! Tony Awards, and a 7th Tony Award for Audra, are forgone conclusions. A wonderful "Rose's Turn" mash-up, with nearly every Rose under the sun prior to Audra singing "Rose's Turn" is on TH-cam-- and it proves my point better than words--DEAR GOD, This Musical HAS BEEN DONE ENOUGH TIMES already.
It's great that Audra has this opportunity and I am behind it. But you're working very hard to deny race, when everyone should be proud of their distinction. Musical theatre is not about abandoning all reality; it expresses thought that comes from distinct perspectives and may reflect different times.I don't think it would be great theatre to cast Idina Menzel as Billie Holiday, for example, and I daresay neither would you. If we skip historical fact for swooning over a performance, we are also often skipping over the enormous rights that had to be fought for and we're re illustrating horrribly racist eras as being embracing. That is not good. A lot of people form their ideas of the past through theatre and have no concept of the real struggles.
My response to this would be that Rose's race is not a factor in her story, Gypsy is already to a certain extent fictionalised, and that we've seen however many other white actors play the character already. When people offer converse examples they always pick black historical figures whose race was significant to their story, but Gypsy has long since not been portrayed nor received as a biographical work of truth. Would we begrudge an all Asian cast in a production in Japan? Or perhaps the casting of a South American production? Much to consider.
Rose' race is indeed a factor by virtue of living through that time. What she would expect from the Orpheum Circuit would be enough to need much context in the re-writing..The idea of a black stripper for the masses in 1930's American Burlesque seems a concept that is distastefully , lascivously, exploitative for many Americans today.
I'm so excited for this casting! I already knew it would be good with Audra, but wow, what stellar casting choices! I'm surprised so many people are bothered by race, watching Hamilton would probably make them explode, lol.
I have absolutely no issue whatsoever with Audra's casting on the basis of her race, but my unpopular opinion is that I don't find her to be suited to the role vocally and perhaps more importantly, in her general presence on stage. For me, Rose must have a scrappiness, a bit of what we'd say in Australia, a bit of junk yard dog about them. Audra epitomises regality and grace to me, even when the character may not inherently have that in the writing. The Billie Holiday performance is a perfect example of that, as brilliant as she was I saw as much of Audra as I did Billie. I think if anything having a Rose who is a black woman opes up a lot of layers of storytelling re: lack of access and opportunity bc of race, colourism etc. Audra is a generational talent, that is absolutely undeniable. It doesn't necessarily follow that every part is a fit. And please theatre powers that be, bring back the non skrelt-dependent female roles. PLEASE!
You”re gone to far You can”t Change a charathers skin color between different ages in the same Production 😒😕 That dosn’t work The actress the role Young and the role older should have the same skin color
It is immensely sad how race is used against performers in this show. An incredibly talented friend of mine recently appeared in Gypsy in Chicago as Tulsa and one critic raved about his dancing ability, then wrapped the review stating it was unfortunate they hadn't cast the part more racially accurate. While the show is based on the lives of real people, it is now such a familiar story that I find it completely believable to focus on the talent over appearance.
I think it's cool Audra is doing the role but there are also people who don't like non-traditional casting. I understand and respect that view. To blanketly call anyone whose casting preferences differ from yours a racist is reductive and offensive. You owe your subscribers an apology. However, I won't be around to watch it. (clicks Unsubscribe)
Oh Walter, I was quite clear that it was the view, and not the individual, that an actress would be prevented from playing this role by the colour of her skin, which was racist. If my saying so offends you more than that idea itself, I'd advise a little time spent considering that, especially with all the hours you'll save unsubscribing from my videos 😉
@@MickeyJoTheatre Let’s go to the tape. Quote #1: “It always seems, for no good reason, other than racism, whether realized or not, that it’s skin color that separates people from being able to suspend their disbelief.” “Other than racism” is the operative phrase. Only racists are incapable of “suspend(ing) their disbelief”. You’ve provided no alternate theory, no “good reason” for someone wanting traditional casting. Only evil people prefer traditional casting. I would remind you that Edward Albee famously said “everyone sees a different play”, therefore how you see a production will always be different from the next person and the next person from the next, on and on. Your world view holds that if someone “can’t get past skin color” they MUST be racist. Quote #2: “If the race doesn’t match, suddenly it’s impossible for them to suspend disbelief because they’re reducing those performers to their race. Simply put, it’s racist.” Simply put, you’re calling audience members who find non-traditional casting distracting…wait for it…racists. In your response you say: “I was quite clear that it was the view, and not the individual, that an actress would be prevented from playing this role by the colour of her skin.” One little problem. That’s not what you said. In your video you are talking about audience members not being able to get past what they’re seeing on the stage. Nowhere do you refer to the casting process. As you know, the audience cannot "prevent" someone from being cast - only the creative team can. I would also add that you often criticize casting choices. I don't believe you have some sinister "ism" preventing you from being able to "get past" what you consider miscasting. For those who aren’t following this, let me reiterate that I think it’s great that Audra is playing Rose. You go girl! My beef is with you saying that there is “no good reason, other than racism” that an audience member could possibly prefer traditional casting. What you’re doing is taking personal taste and reducing it to an exclusively binary choice between good and evil. That’s not only intellectually lazy, it’s dangerous.
@@walterkurtz9240 this is a false equivalency (in many words) or an honest confusion. I'm NOT saying: ALL objections to her casting are inherently racist. I AM saying: the inability to see past a black actress' skin colour in order to suspend disbelief, the same which is extended to white performers, is (whether knowingly or not) inherently racist. That one reason for objection to her casting is rooted in a racist viewpoint that sees Patti, Bernadette, Ethel etc simply as women and Audra as a black woman. Truly hope that provides some clarification, and I stand by it wholeheartedly.
@@MickeyJoTheatre DISCLAIMER: I’m not mad at you or think you’re a jerk. I just think you got out in front of your skis with the virtue signaling. I enjoy the give and take and don’t approach this as an argument but rather a discussion. Now on with your disembowelment…… “I’m NOT saying: ALL objections to her casting are inherently racist.” One problem - that’s exactly what you said - “It always seems, for no good reason, other than racism.” Not, “it sometimes seems” or “it makes me wonder if” or “possibly there may be”. You clearly and definitely said that “racism” is “always” the reason. I’m not twisting what you said or misreading it. That is, verbatim, what you said. Furthermore, you double down with “for no good reason, other…”. You foreclose any other innocent explanation for it. There’s another problem in your response….. “I AM saying: the inability to see past a black actress’ skin color in order to suspend disbelief….is (whether knowingly or not) inherently racist.” The problem with that is that you’re saying you have the ability to plumb the psyches of every single person who has an opinion on casting. Talk about a sweeping generalization! C’mon. That’s bollocks and you know it. Then there’s this…… “That one reason for objection to her casting is rooted in a racist viewpoint that sees Patti, Bernadette, Ethel etc simply as women and Audra as a black woman.” First off, no one is “seeing” Audra as a “black woman” because she IS a black woman. No one is imposing that perception on her. Casting begins with who is appropriate for the role. You don’t expand the casting pool to Eskimos if you’re casting “A Raisin in the Sun”. It might be a provocative choice, but if you want to honor the source material, it would also be a stupid one. A perfect example of this is the production of Katori Hall’s “The Mountain Top” where they cast a white man to play Martin Luther King Jr. They were, inartfully, trying to make the point that he was a universal figure who transcended race. Instead of making that point, it became a distraction. Were the black folks (and myself, who is white) who objected to this racists because they couldn’t suspend their disbelief? NO! He is an icon who was BLACK. You weigh casting choices and the distraction of the lead being white outweighs any possible “message” the production is trying to make. Things can be distracting without there being evil intent. For instance, The Globe is not going to hire an actor with Tourette syndrome to play Hamlet. Is that because they are ableist? No. The reason is that it would be……..wait for it……..distracting. To use your argument, there is something wrong with an audience member who can’t suspend their disbelief of the person with Tourette syndrome. They must be an ABLEIST! This is your entire premise and my point is that it’s not the binary choice you have forced on the topic - if you can’t look past a distraction then you’re an awful person. But back to Audra. Rose, at this point, has become an iconic role. Audiences want to see great actresses play the role. Audra is a great actress and the right age so it’s exciting. Who doesn’t want to see what she does with “Rose’s Turn”! (Patti’s version is my favorite, but I digress.) I’m sure some people thought “stunt casting” when they heard Audra was going to do it, but, let’s be honest, it kinda IS. Rose was a white woman. Full stop. Elvis has left the building. The End. BUT, because the role is iconic, it doesn’t matter the race. What matters is if Audra can knock it out of the park. Something we won’t know until November. To wrap this up, the reason I’m going into depth about this is because we’re in a time when “racist” and “racism” is thrown around like rice at a wedding. It is a serious, and yes dangerous, charge to make and should only be invoked when there is, IN FACT, “no good reason, other than racism”. IMHO, while making an observation about something that has been an issue since Aeschylus, you clumsily stepped on the third rail and you’re now trying to clean up your mess (I know I’m mixing metaphors) but you said what you said and you can’t tap dance your way out of it. I give you props for trying though. Cheers!
@@walterkurtz9240 respectfully, I'm not willing to invest the time it would take to read this response. I stand by what I say in the video, and above comments.
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PREACH on hearing more sopranos. Broadway isn't Belt or Bust. Speaking of sopranos, still missing Rebecca Luker (RIP). Her Lily remains iconic.
I listen to her 'My White Knight' often
Great righteous rant about the absurdity/inanity/racism of objecting to the great McDonald's casting - who can claim to love the theatre and yet be (selectively) unable to suspend disbelief?!?
Are we just ignoring that the word gypsy is racist?
@@emhu2594 it wasn't a word they chose, it was an actual person's name
@@emhu2594 Interesting point - what can be done if an historical figure's name is later considered offensive?
@@johnnzboy change it. You wouldn't have a musical named any other slur.
@@emhu2594 yes you would, if it was an actual name and the show was literally written about them. I do think it would be responsible to either mention it before the performance or in the playbill to spread the message that this is a slur, and the damage it does, and that it's used here only as a historical name
Seeing the full cast has only made me more jealous that I can’t get to NYC to see this production - this is such an exciting cast.
I have tickets for the end of November, I can't wait! This cast has me so excited!
So very happy to see Joy Woods join the cast and will see the show December 27th!
I have my ticket for the first preview of Gypsy and I am VIBRATING WITH EXCITEMENT!!! Saw Audra live in concert last year and knew the second this show was announced that I had to get my ass to NYC to see it. I am so so jazzed to see how she interprets the role, both in terms of Rose as a character and her vocal choices. It's sure to be incredible, no matter what!
Hey Mickey Joe! I too am theatre obsessed, and your videos and reviews are a lifeline to me. I've been watching since the last Tony season. You fill a great gap in my life because I am now 70 and almost blind. I'm American but for decadrs spemt summers in London to go to plays and musicals. The first West End shows I ever saw were the first UK productions of Into the Woods and Children of Eden. I saw virtually every London Sondheim show from 1990 jntil 2018, including Follies at the National and the Maria Friedman Merrily. I may never get to London again, and that breaks my heart. I never missed a show at the Donmar and few at the Almeida. I don't like juke box or Disney-based musicals and went to Mary Poppins only because Matthew Bourne, whom I worship, helmed it.
I am thrilled about Gypsy and love Audra. I've seen four Mama Roses: Rosalind Russell in the film, Tyne Daly, Bette Midler, and Bernadette Peters. Bette was my favourite. I figure she was the closest to Ethel Merman. I hate I didn't see LuPone or Staunton, whom I've seen in so mang great roles.
Thank you for keeping me up to date! You are doing spectacular work!
PS. My name is Randall, and I live in the South.
I'm so excited. Gypsy was one of my first favorite shows and Audra is such an incredible performer!! The second I heard she was doing Gypsy I told myself that I need to figure out how to get there. Now, I will be going to my very first Broadway show ever in February and it will be Audra in Gypsy. I'm also glad that my first show will be, at least in some capacity, a Sondheim show, the man who got me into MT in the first place.
And now to hear that I also get to see Joy Woods, Jordan Tyson, Danny Burstein and the three strippers, who I'm not familiar with, but based on videos and word of mout I am also super excited to see.
This will truly be an event.
You’re going to have the best time ever. Seeing Broadway is so special. I cry every time.
@@amylou22snowhite I know I'm gonna cry. As soon as the overture starts and all through.
@@Ryan-hh4yv that’s lovely! I cry at everything. In Book of Mormon (totally worth seeing! You can get great seats for $100) I cry during I Believe. Something about actors on stage, living their dream, sharing their gift, gets me crying. It’s so special to share that moment and witness their talent.
I am a Black American male, and I'm excited about the show-I will be attending during previews. However, I found Mickey Jo's comments troubling, as he suggested that racism is the only reason people are raising questions about Audra's casting, given that the woman her character is based on is white in real life.
The truth is, such casting decisions can be complex and often work in one direction due to historical and cultural contexts. For example, if there were a famous musical about Harriet Tubman and they cast Idina Menzel, I have no doubt Mickey Jo would be criticizing that choice as racist. Idina is a phenomenal actress and singer, but it would be acknowledged that, due to her race-not her talent-she wouldn't be right for that role. Similarly, if Betsy Wolfe, a white blonde woman, were to play Celie in a revival of *The Color Purple*, the internet would be up in arms.
The issue here is that the character is based on a real person. There's a reason why Black actresses were not considered for the *Funny Girl* revival, and it had nothing to do with talent. Additionally, it can be distracting when the same character is played by actors of different races within the same show. Case in point: I saw *The Notebook* on Broadway, and having Allie be played by two Black women in her younger years, only to become an elderly white woman, was jarring. The same goes for the character of Noah, who was played by white actors when young and then became a Black man as a senior citizen.
It was disconcerting in part because most of the show takes place in the 1940s and 1950s, and having a white man pursue a Black woman in the Deep South at that time without it being a point of contention in the story was distracting. Again, I know Audra McDonald is an incredible actress, and I am going to the show to support her. But to call countless people racist just because they wonder why a Black woman is playing a real-life white woman is disheartening-especially because he would likely be just as quick to call people racist if a white actor were cast in a role historically portrayed by a Black performer.
I'm glad to see I'm not a lone voice in the wilderness. I was engaging with MJ on this but once he got backed into a corner with his own words he grabbed his purse and sweater and left. I see he hasn't responded to you. Since he has no defense for his offensive mass generalization, he's chosen to remain silent. There's a profile in courage for ya.
You're trying to appeal to white racism, or a White person acting Black to confuse. Mickey is right, it's racism. Whites have been playing non Whites for years and no one does anything about it. The few roles that are White that is played by non Whites make y'all mad because y'all are racist hypocrites
Thank you for the additional context. I have tickets for early previews.
Danny Burstein is very reliable. In the Lincoln Centre's 2009 production of "South Pacific" he played Luther Billis, and played every performance in its two-and-a-half-year run. That's quite an achievement.
He was marvelous in that revival! I'm really happy to see him in this production too
I love your discussions and I’m so glad you have this channel.😂
I'm so excited about Audra playing Mama Rose. Her voice is amazing and I look for a new interpretation of the iconic role. She could enthrall an audience vocally and acting wise just byopening her mouth. I'm a huge fan.. Joy Woods is an inspired choice for Louise and Jordan will be great as June as well.
I'm so excited to get to see this production!! It's always been one of my favorite musicals. The cast is going to incredible!!!
Audra is brilliant and will be fabulous.
So excited for Joy Woods as Louise. She’s a brilliant actress and I hope only the best for her
I'm getting my tickets soon, I'm thrilled for this. Quick notes, "not much is known," about the real Rose. This is untrue, we have a lot of information. That said, it doesn't mean much other than getting some context as actors. The show is smartly subtitled "a musical fable." To me, that is license to do anything creatively. Shakespeare has historical fiction, this show is up there.
The reason Gypsy has the subtitle "A Musical Fable" is that June Havoc refused to give her permission to the producer to be portrayed in the way that the writers created her character. Part of the compromise that was reached was that the "fable" subtitle was to be included under the show's title.
At least she allowed the name June to be used. I've read the character was called Baby/Dainty Claire for awhile!🤦♂️
There is an interesting book, Mama Rose's Turn, that goes into great detail about the real woman.
I bought my tickets to one of the final previews (the day before my birthday!) a couple of days after Audra was announced. Im beyond excited about these additions to the cast.
As you were talking about the difference in Audra and other women playing Momma Rose, I was wondering if why some people think her being a black woman doesn't work (I do think height, hair color and voice are different) is because if Momma Rose was black, she would have so much more discrimination in her life which would in turn make a difference in how her life went. I personally have no problem with the choice, I love it! I was just trying to figure why someone might. In todays world, color is starting to be a non-factor. For instance, in Suffs, Dudley Malone is black, at first I was thinking, "how did that work back then" ☺ Of course Dudley in the musical is also played by a women! This is how new generations begin to change the culture of separation of people (colors, gender, height, weight) so someday we will all be just people! And being very old, I relish the change!🥰
Honestly, bigotry of any kind (racism, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, etc) just doesn't make sense at all, and the roots of it are deep and stretch back centuries and would require a very long, nuanced conversation with one's self and the things we were taught growing up that many bigots do not want to have.
To sum up and simplify it down for bite-sized consumption, a lot of it stems from this manufactured fear of "being replaced," which comes from the white supremacist belief of "The Great Replacement" which when boiled down, is this fear in straight white cisgender Christians that including marginalized people more in roles held by able-bodied cishet white Christians, including the ones in power, will "erase" all white folks, the same as the assumption that giving marginalized communities the same rights that these white folks believe is inherent and "gifted from God" to them, will suddenly result in their rights being "taken away to ensure The Other has them". Plus there's also an assumption that by making non-white marginalized folx more prevalent in media and including them more as a part of society means that they, white people, will be "pushed out", "overlooked", "forgotten/ignored", because they are no longer being centered in the conversation like they've been used to for centuries, and likely because they also fear that giving marginalized folx, especially non-white marginalized folx, the same amount of power that white people have always had will result in non-white folx "punishing" and treating white people the way non-white folx have been treated for MANY years, so those White folks latch onto that power and will do everything they can to keep non-white and other marginalized communities disenfranchised and powerless. And I say all this as a nonbinary white Latine.
Again, this explanation has been incredibly simplified and boiled down for brevity and, hopefully, an easier understanding, but if you are at all interested in this, and want to hear it explained by actual members of the communities this affects, then I highly recommend the channels: ForHarriet (run by a black woman named Kimberly Foster; Kim actually began ForHarriet as a website with newsletter before starting her TH-cam channel in 2014 - I think she said that she either started the website in 2010, or sometime in 2012/13, although as far as I'm aware, either the original website has been shut down since then, or it has been folded into the TH-cam channel and lives on through her personal website Kimberly Nicole Foster and Substack), F.D. Signifier (a black cis man), Foreign Man in a Foreign Land (a Bahamian black cis man who brings the insight of being a black man growing up in the Caribbean and moving to America to attend university and how he's the similarities and differences of being black in America and black outside of America to the conversation), TeeNoir (a queer black woman; I think she's mentioned before that she identifies as nonbinary/fluid or that she's cis but GNC - gender non-conforming), Fab Socialism (a black cis woman), Princess Weekes (a queer cis black woman), Kat Blaque (a black trans woman), Lil' Bill (a cis black man), Jawn Lewis (a cis black man), Andrewism (a Trinidadian cis black man), Anansi's Library (a nonbinary black creator), CJ The X (a nonbinary black creator), Harriyana Hook (a cis black woman), Professor Flowers (a black genderfluid creator; they use all pronouns though his presentation often leans feminine, but she hasn't posted a video in sometime), Jay Smooth (a cis black man whose got a bunch of great videos but has also gone the route of not making videos as frequently as he used to), Jouelzy (a cis black woman), Herby Revolus (a queer genderfluid black creator), Lucretia McEvil (a nonbinary black femme; uses she/they pronouns), and Stitch's Media Mix (a black possibly LGBT+ creator, I think they use she/they pronouns but I don't remember; unfortunately Stitch isn't very active on TH-cam but like Kimberly Foster, Stitch does have their own website and Tumblr account that she has been active on since 2015 where they have been posting essays about racism in media and fan culture for almost ten years now, so those are also an option if you're interested in reading essays).
my friend got us tickets and now i am even MORE excited
I just saw a 30 sec. teaser for 'Audra/Gypsy.' (It's here on TH-cam) I can't quite get my head (or ears) around her mellifluous, operatic voice singing "Rose's Turn."
But of course, I've still gotta see it! lol
This cast is STACKED!!! It's so nice to see Lesli Margherita back on Broadway. I say that because this role fits her IMHO - and that's because the three strippers and Mrs. Wormwood have a similar personality and at times feisty mannerism - the kind that makes "Loud" really stand out from just about the other numbers in Matilda, but I slightly digress. Great video Mickey, keep up the good work
Based off her performance in Lady Day and what I've seen in some of her solo concert work, I think she might actually give us some belting. Also good to note that they will be using the original orchestrations, and it's at least 25 players.
I saw both Tyne Daly and Patti Lupone play Rose on Broadway. Totally different approaches to the acting part as well as the singing and both were brilliant!
The landscape of musical theatre can be so disheartening as a Black performer. This situation has shown that you can prove you are one of the BEST to ever take on your craft and people will still try to limit you based on your race. And then when you shut down the race talks they say “I just don’t believe she’s vocally suited for the character”….and Bernadette was…? LOVE Ms Peters. One of my favorite performers and biggest inspirations but like…let’s be serious about what this is actually about. Audra is not only a great vocalist who has shown MANY times that the voice is well connected and intact, but she’s a phenomenal actress. I think she’s actually a better actress than vocalist (which says a lot!). Again, if people didn’t ignore her performances in things like Raisin In The Sun, they would know that. Most people don’t realize she can belt like she can because they’ve ignored the other projects she’s been in. If you saw or listened to Marie Christine you’d know Audra absolutely has a back of the house belt. She’s more than suited for this role. The entire cast is packed with TALENT!! After all “It’s not about race! It’s about talent!” or is that just what people say to gaslight you when you bring up important issues surrounding race, bias, and discrimination within the theatre community?
Yess!!! I've wanted to see Gypsy cast like this for decades!!! I was personally hoping for Lilias White as Rose, but Audra is a great choice.
So excited, Joy woods was a revelation in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, very final form louise in that. One thing you didnt mention is just how good of a dancer she is, shes a true triple threat and has legs for days. Theres some great steps videos of her on instagram
I did not actually know this about her, but how exciting! I regret missing that show very much!
So excited - the yay I made when I saw Lesli’s name!
im going on dec 15! its the first time im seeing a preview of a musical which is exciting! and as a huge phantom phan, its nice to be back in the majestic🥲
Speaking as someone who took issue with Aaron Tveit playing Sweeney Todd because he’s (though bafflingly talented) not a baritone, I for one welcome Audra’s soprano take on the demon barber.
Once again, on-point with regard to Audra. I will surely be rooting for her and the entire cast. Will be interesting to see how much of a showdown it is at Tony time for Best Actress between her and Nicole Scherzinger...or maybe we will be totally surprised with a newcomer winning the trophy.
She'll be great. She'll be swell.
Mickey, my best friend is in the process of moving away. To NYC. I’m barely holding it together. The one thing that stops the tears is knowing I can pop up to New York when flights are cheap and crash with her to see a show. Gypsy is high on the must see list.
I have always wanted to see Gypsy live. Audra will be amazing and I hope to see her.
I think this will probably be THE hot ticket of the Winter season. Audra McDonald has a ton of TV roles (currently in The Gilded Age; previously in The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Private Practice among others) to sell tickets to the tourists. Plus the show itself is one of (if not THE) most beloved musicals of all time. So they don't need a secondary big name to sell tickets to tourists. I do wonder if McDonald can belt like LuPone or Merman, or if she will deliver those big numbers differently. But however she does them, I know she'll be stellar. This will be a must-see!
P.S. As for the Tonys: a nomination for McDonald is inevitable. But even if she delivers the performance of the season, she won't win. I believe voters will think six Tonys are enough; and instead will choose to award Nicole Scherzinger, if for no other reason than they like the fact that she's put a lucrative pop (Pussycat Dolls) & TV (The Masked Singer) career on hold to do a challenging role on Broadway.
Thank you❤
One further note about Audra and her Tony credentials, she is the first (and so far only) performer to have won in all four acting categories.
Realistically, during this time period Rose being and African American woman would not get far managing her daughters’ careers in vaudeville. Herbie being a white man is a benefit for her knowing he can get inside of doors that she can’t.
A great point, and some very interesting opportunities to find new realities within the material!
@@MickeyJoTheatre I’m super curious to see who plays her father!
@@MickeyJoTheatre, the problem is this production is creating false history. The interviews with Audra and the director, and with the casting breakdown of the very specific racial breakdown of the two daughters, made it very clear that this is not the case of three African-American performers playing characters but that they are playing very specifically Black women. And in the 20s/30s America in which the show is set, vaudeville and burlesque were not integrated. The very few Black artists who attained stardom, such as Bert Williams, could not appear on stage with White cast members.
I imagine there was black vaudeville circuit
I loved your defense of Audra. You made some amazing points
I didn't see Danny in Moulin Rouge, but I did catch him in Fiddler a couple times. He's a fantastic performer and this is going to be a great role for him. I somehow haven't seen Joy in anything yet but I've heard she's amazing and omggg I'm so excited, Louise also seems like a great fit for her, Also yasss to getting Queen Lesli back on Broadway!
I just worked with Lili Thomas who’s going to be playing Mazzepa in a new musical by Ahrens + Flaherty (another tangential Ragtime connection) called Knoxville (oddly enough, performed here in Knoxville). She is WONDERFUL and plays so many different instruments as well as a great voice. She learned how to play the accordion for Knoxville, and I’m pretty sure she already plays the trumpet, so she’ll be a huge treat!
Audra is going to be brilliant in this role. That’s all that needs to be said!
For me the best song in The Notebook's score, by far, is "I Wanna Go Back". Which is the Joy & Jordan duet. Yep, they're going to be fire as Louise and June.
Camille A Brown is a genius. Her Once on this Island choreography is a revelation.
Audra is so wrong for GYPSY.
Danny is just a natural perfect fit for Herbie, and Im so happy for him. Also Lesli as Tessie i am living for!
I'd pay an embarrassing amount of money to watch Audra McDonald read a phone book at 4am in Times Square. People complaining about her casting as Rose is baffling to me. She's gonna COOK!
Gypsy is my all time favorite musical.I've seen it too many times to count. I love Audra. I've seen her twice onstage, in Carousel (she was wonderful in a race swapped role she won a Tony for) and in Ragtime. However she wouldn't be my first thought to cast as Rose and not because the real Hovick was white. For non-traditional casting I would think of Jenifer Lewis, Danielle Brooks or Jennifer Hudson all who have a closer vocal quality and personality that are associated with the character. That said I'm sure McDonald will bring her special talents to the part and make it her own. (she's famously good in all she does.)That's the thing about this role every woman who tackles it brings something new to her. I'm always open to new interpretations and this one is no exception.
I’m not suggesting you’re wrong in this case, but what do you think of colour blind casting Porgy and Bess then with the leads played by white performers? Would that not completely upend Gershwin’s work?
I love the tradition of the actress playing Miss Crachit going on to also play one of the strippers. It is not slways the same combination of characters. It probably not noticed by many audience members and that is part of the fun.
Stacked cast, and I was really happy to see Leslie Margarita in the cast. She’s feels under appreciated on broadway
I agree!
Do you think that Joy and Jordan's casting played a role in The Notebook's closure date? And what about Jared Grimes for Tulsa?
Jared would be sensational, that's a great choice, and I don't think Joy and Jordan would have had that huge an impact on the notebook box office for those not in the know.
Gypsy - The lost footage with Ethel Merman th-cam.com/video/Vp4Y5Klre0w/w-d-xo.html
When Do The First 5 Rows For Gypsy Go On Sale🎭
Women of color have played Rose,such as Leslie Uggams and Rita Moreno.
I agree that race of the actress playing Mama Rose has Zero bearing on the actress ability to play the role Mama rose Can be played by a Woman of any race or a Trans Woman if the she is a good enough singer 😀👍
I constantly forget that there's a musical with a title that's just "slur"
Booked for Dec 29th 2024!
Enjoy, you'll be seeing it before I do!
I would pay anything to see Audra McDonald as Sweeney Todd
For me, Audra was a big enough draw that I immediately purchased my ticket when the show was announced. I'll be surprised if Sunset Blvd. is as wildly successful as it was in the West End. On Broadway, lavish musicals do better business. A show known for its lavish sets and costumes - which are important aspects of the story- might not be well-received. Justifiably or not, Andrew Lloyd Webber is not quite the draw on Broadway as he may be in the West End.
In contrast, Gypsy is a deeply loved show. For the expense, it's a show that is a sure bet for a night out and for tourists visiting. NYC is an expensive place to visit; tourist wanting to see a "Broadway" show will gravitate to a splashy bang for their buck rather than a gritty, stripped-down show, Ultimately, time will tell.
The framed Playbills behind you are off-kilter and it's driving me nuts.
I've heard all women except Bernadette peters has won the Tony for gypsy.
The og rose, Ethel Merman, lost the tony
@@cokedudebestmate7099
I love her quote when losing to Mary Martin in The Sound of Music...
"Ya can't buck a nun!"
Joy is 24 and John is 30 lol
What I figured, but seeing the notebook will really spin your head around 😂
Seriously?! Another remake???
@@markjlabella8869 this is actually the longest Broadway has ever gone without a revival of Gypsy!
@@MickeyJoTheatre ah I see. I was just going for something else, something new. ❤️
Please don't hate me. I live in the USA, and I am not excited for this UMPTEENTH revival of "GYPSY." Yes, Audra is phenomenally talented, fully deserving of all her awards and praise. I love that Danny B. is playing opposite her. "GYPSY" is a fabulous musical. BUT-- "GYPSY" has BEEN DONE ENOUGH in my lifetime!! For the love of Rose, Louise, Herbie, Sondheim, Styne, Ethel, Roz, Angela, Tyne, Bette, Bernadette, Betty, Patti, Imalda, Caroline The Cow AND Audra--GIVE THIS SHOW A REST!!! I'm worn out!!! Yes, the show will be a success because it is AUDRA!!! Tony Awards, and a 7th Tony Award for Audra, are forgone conclusions. A wonderful "Rose's Turn" mash-up, with nearly every Rose under the sun prior to Audra singing "Rose's Turn" is on TH-cam-- and it proves my point better than words--DEAR GOD, This Musical HAS BEEN DONE ENOUGH TIMES already.
It's great that Audra has this opportunity and I am behind it. But you're working very hard to deny race, when everyone should be proud of their distinction. Musical theatre is not about abandoning all reality; it expresses thought that comes from distinct perspectives and may reflect different times.I don't think it would be great theatre to cast Idina Menzel as Billie Holiday, for example, and I daresay neither would you. If we skip historical fact for swooning over a performance, we are also often skipping over the enormous rights that had to be fought for and we're re illustrating horrribly racist eras as being embracing. That is not good. A lot of people form their ideas of the past through theatre and have no concept of the real struggles.
My response to this would be that Rose's race is not a factor in her story, Gypsy is already to a certain extent fictionalised, and that we've seen however many other white actors play the character already. When people offer converse examples they always pick black historical figures whose race was significant to their story, but Gypsy has long since not been portrayed nor received as a biographical work of truth. Would we begrudge an all Asian cast in a production in Japan? Or perhaps the casting of a South American production? Much to consider.
Rose' race is indeed a factor by virtue of living through that time. What she would expect from the Orpheum Circuit would be enough to need much context in the re-writing..The idea of a black stripper for the masses in 1930's American Burlesque seems a concept that is distastefully , lascivously, exploitative for many Americans today.
I'm so excited for this casting! I already knew it would be good with Audra, but wow, what stellar casting choices! I'm surprised so many people are bothered by race, watching Hamilton would probably make them explode, lol.
Great to see you call out the racism. Can't wait to see this show!
I have absolutely no issue whatsoever with Audra's casting on the basis of her race, but my unpopular opinion is that I don't find her to be suited to the role vocally and perhaps more importantly, in her general presence on stage. For me, Rose must have a scrappiness, a bit of what we'd say in Australia, a bit of junk yard dog about them. Audra epitomises regality and grace to me, even when the character may not inherently have that in the writing. The Billie Holiday performance is a perfect example of that, as brilliant as she was I saw as much of Audra as I did Billie.
I think if anything having a Rose who is a black woman opes up a lot of layers of storytelling re: lack of access and opportunity bc of race, colourism etc.
Audra is a generational talent, that is absolutely undeniable. It doesn't necessarily follow that every part is a fit. And please theatre powers that be, bring back the non skrelt-dependent female roles. PLEASE!
What is skrelt? Never heard that word before.
@@noodleperson17 haha, it means scream belting, aka most belting roles written since the 2000’s.
You”re gone to far
You can”t Change a charathers skin color between different ages in the same Production 😒😕
That dosn’t work
The actress the role Young and the role older should have the same skin color
It is immensely sad how race is used against performers in this show. An incredibly talented friend of mine recently appeared in Gypsy in Chicago as Tulsa and one critic raved about his dancing ability, then wrapped the review stating it was unfortunate they hadn't cast the part more racially accurate. While the show is based on the lives of real people, it is now such a familiar story that I find it completely believable to focus on the talent over appearance.
I think it's cool Audra is doing the role but there are also people who don't like non-traditional casting. I understand and respect that view. To blanketly call anyone whose casting preferences differ from yours a racist is reductive and offensive. You owe your subscribers an apology. However, I won't be around to watch it. (clicks Unsubscribe)
Oh Walter, I was quite clear that it was the view, and not the individual, that an actress would be prevented from playing this role by the colour of her skin, which was racist. If my saying so offends you more than that idea itself, I'd advise a little time spent considering that, especially with all the hours you'll save unsubscribing from my videos 😉
@@MickeyJoTheatre Let’s go to the tape.
Quote #1: “It always seems, for no good reason, other than racism, whether realized or not, that it’s skin color that separates people from being able to suspend their disbelief.”
“Other than racism” is the operative phrase. Only racists are incapable of “suspend(ing) their disbelief”. You’ve provided no alternate theory, no “good reason” for someone wanting traditional casting. Only evil people prefer traditional casting. I would remind you that Edward Albee famously said “everyone sees a different play”, therefore how you see a production will always be different from the next person and the next person from the next, on and on. Your world view holds that if someone “can’t get past skin color” they MUST be racist.
Quote #2: “If the race doesn’t match, suddenly it’s impossible for them to suspend disbelief because they’re reducing those performers to their race. Simply put, it’s racist.”
Simply put, you’re calling audience members who find non-traditional casting distracting…wait for it…racists.
In your response you say: “I was quite clear that it was the view, and not the individual, that an actress would be prevented from playing this role by the colour of her skin.” One little problem. That’s not what you said.
In your video you are talking about audience members not being able to get past what they’re seeing on the stage. Nowhere do you refer to the casting process. As you know, the audience cannot "prevent" someone from being cast - only the creative team can. I would also add that you often criticize casting choices. I don't believe you have some sinister "ism" preventing you from being able to "get past" what you consider miscasting.
For those who aren’t following this, let me reiterate that I think it’s great that Audra is playing Rose. You go girl! My beef is with you saying that there is “no good reason, other than racism” that an audience member could possibly prefer traditional casting.
What you’re doing is taking personal taste and reducing it to an exclusively binary choice between good and evil. That’s not only intellectually lazy, it’s dangerous.
@@walterkurtz9240 this is a false equivalency (in many words) or an honest confusion.
I'm NOT saying: ALL objections to her casting are inherently racist.
I AM saying: the inability to see past a black actress' skin colour in order to suspend disbelief, the same which is extended to white performers, is (whether knowingly or not) inherently racist.
That one reason for objection to her casting is rooted in a racist viewpoint that sees Patti, Bernadette, Ethel etc simply as women and Audra as a black woman.
Truly hope that provides some clarification, and I stand by it wholeheartedly.
@@MickeyJoTheatre DISCLAIMER: I’m not mad at you or think you’re a jerk. I just think you got out in front of your skis with the virtue signaling. I enjoy the give and take and don’t approach this as an argument but rather a discussion. Now on with your disembowelment……
“I’m NOT saying: ALL objections to her casting are inherently racist.”
One problem - that’s exactly what you said - “It always seems, for no good reason, other than racism.” Not, “it sometimes seems” or “it makes me wonder if” or “possibly there may be”. You clearly and definitely said that “racism” is “always” the reason.
I’m not twisting what you said or misreading it. That is, verbatim, what you said. Furthermore, you double down with “for no good reason, other…”. You foreclose any other innocent explanation for it.
There’s another problem in your response…..
“I AM saying: the inability to see past a black actress’ skin color in order to suspend disbelief….is (whether knowingly or not) inherently racist.”
The problem with that is that you’re saying you have the ability to plumb the psyches of every single person who has an opinion on casting. Talk about a sweeping generalization! C’mon. That’s bollocks and you know it.
Then there’s this……
“That one reason for objection to her casting is rooted in a racist viewpoint that sees Patti, Bernadette, Ethel etc simply as women and Audra as a black woman.”
First off, no one is “seeing” Audra as a “black woman” because she IS a black woman. No one is imposing that perception on her. Casting begins with who is appropriate for the role. You don’t expand the casting pool to Eskimos if you’re casting “A Raisin in the Sun”. It might be a provocative choice, but if you want to honor the source material, it would also be a stupid one.
A perfect example of this is the production of Katori Hall’s “The Mountain Top” where they cast a white man to play Martin Luther King Jr. They were, inartfully, trying to make the point that he was a universal figure who transcended race. Instead of making that point, it became a distraction. Were the black folks (and myself, who is white) who objected to this racists because they couldn’t suspend their disbelief? NO! He is an icon who was BLACK. You weigh casting choices and the distraction of the lead being white outweighs any possible “message” the production is trying to make.
Things can be distracting without there being evil intent. For instance, The Globe is not going to hire an actor with Tourette syndrome to play Hamlet. Is that because they are ableist? No. The reason is that it would be……..wait for it……..distracting. To use your argument, there is something wrong with an audience member who can’t suspend their disbelief of the person with Tourette syndrome. They must be an ABLEIST! This is your entire premise and my point is that it’s not the binary choice you have forced on the topic - if you can’t look past a distraction then you’re an awful person.
But back to Audra. Rose, at this point, has become an iconic role. Audiences want to see great actresses play the role. Audra is a great actress and the right age so it’s exciting. Who doesn’t want to see what she does with “Rose’s Turn”! (Patti’s version is my favorite, but I digress.) I’m sure some people thought “stunt casting” when they heard Audra was going to do it, but, let’s be honest, it kinda IS. Rose was a white woman. Full stop. Elvis has left the building. The End. BUT, because the role is iconic, it doesn’t matter the race. What matters is if Audra can knock it out of the park. Something we won’t know until November.
To wrap this up, the reason I’m going into depth about this is because we’re in a time when “racist” and “racism” is thrown around like rice at a wedding. It is a serious, and yes dangerous, charge to make and should only be invoked when there is, IN FACT, “no good reason, other than racism”.
IMHO, while making an observation about something that has been an issue since Aeschylus, you clumsily stepped on the third rail and you’re now trying to clean up your mess (I know I’m mixing metaphors) but you said what you said and you can’t tap dance your way out of it. I give you props for trying though. Cheers!
@@walterkurtz9240 respectfully, I'm not willing to invest the time it would take to read this response. I stand by what I say in the video, and above comments.
I clicked for the casting not for a morality lecture
I threw that in for free. Felt generous.
🤭✌️@@MickeyJoTheatre