There have been a few controversies as of late regarding the casting of White/non-latino casts in well established regional theaters, especially when it comes to casting a white Evita.
I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts.
Personally, I think many forget that Argentina is as much an immigrant majority as the US, and as such is just as diverse racially. As someone who is both of Italian heritage and studied Italian for 10 years, I also like to point out next to Argentina had one of the largest Italian immigrant populations during the 20th century. In reality 60% of Argentians can trace back their heritage to that of Italian origin. Add to that Eva's father was French, and her mother European Spanish, thus actually making her Caucasian by today's standards.
On top of that Evita is not about race, unlike more race specific musicals like Dreamgirls, In the Heights, West Side Story, or South Pacific thus race should not be a factor while casting. Add to that Maria Von Trapp and Miguel De Cervantes have also been cast with people of multiple ethnic backgrounds despite both being actual people.
If Evita were from a central American country where the population is made up less of immigrants and more of a mix of Native/Slave/and early settler populations, I think it would be a different story. Unfortunately for people who like to play the race card, Argentina is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world. As such It is actually more insensitive and bigoted to ignore that fact, when it comes to casting.
Eva Peron was of Spanish descent, both her parents were from Spain. Which means that yes, she was Hispanic (culturally speaking), but she was white. Just like Elena Roger, an Argentinian, was also white. If we wanted to be "racially accurate", someone like Laura Benanti (of Italian descent) would probably be more appropiate for thw part than a latina like, say, Karen Olivo.
This reminds me of the complaints some people made about casting in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which also didn't make sense.
My mother came from Ecuador, so she and I had a discussion of this. The strain of racism running through South America is more overt than the sometimes subtle dog whistles of America. If you're white, Anglo presenting and "European," you're nobility. If you're indigenous, "mud people" or otherwise brown, you're a peasant to the ones with a coat of arms- doesn't matter if you're richer than them, you still count less.
If the casting of Evita was visibly Latino, and not mostly Anglo, it would be something of a Hamilton situation- course correcting for the race prejudice inherent in the actual historical populace.
Someone should rip Patti's Tony for Evita out of her hands and put her and Hal Prince in a maximum security prison for committing these terrible hate crimes. IS THERE A SAFE SPACE NEARBY? I CAN'T TAKE THIS HATE ANYMORE. IT'S RACIST AND BIGOTED.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Casting a light skinned (in most cases a white) actress as Maria in West Side Story on the other hand . . . especially when they cast a very dark skinned (non-white) actor as her brother, Bernardo.
"Observe how bravely I conceal this dreadful dreadful shame I feel."
My eyes just rolled so hard that I had a stroke. Jesus Christ. Eva Peron was a white woman who lived and was born in Argentina. Are only women from Argentina allowed to play the part? We saw how well that went in the 2012 revival...... If she looks like her, can act like her, and most importantly, can sing the score, what's the problem?
Ethnically, Eva Peron was mostly Basque, on both sides. French Basque on one side, Spanish Basque on the other. She also had some Spanish, Italian and Portuguese ancestry.
Lynda Smyth said: "If we wanted to be "racially accurate", someone like Laura Benanti (of Italian descent) would probably be more appropiate for thw part."
Laura Benanti is not Italian.
She's Serbian, Irish, German and Native American. At least according to Wikipedia.
Let's demand that all future casting on Broadway involves publically listing the birth certificates of the cast and their ancestors to 5 generations previous to make sure they are morally able to play those roles. I won't stand for this bigotry any white casting of a white woman any longer! In this Trump white supremecist world we need to understand that this is a slippery slope that will lead to genocide. If you don't see what's wrong here it's because you're a privileged white male. Check your privilege.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Yikes. White people's defensiveness about this is unsettling.
Yes Patti LuPone played her originally. And then we had Madonna ha.
But we also put Lawrence Olivier in blackface and had him play Othello once upon a time.
We had Yul Brynner as the King.
We CAN learn from past racially insensitive casting and be more inclusive.
Especially in this time, why wouldn't a director think "Here is my opportunity to do a show and give more representation to acting POC in these horrible Trump times."
also EVERY lead they cast is white. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It's like they didn't even try.
rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Yikes. White people's defensiveness about this is unsettling.
Yes Patti LuPone played her originally. And then we had Madonna ha.
But we also put Lawrence Olivier in blackface and had him play Othello once upon a time.
We had Yul Brynner as the King.
We CAN learn from past racially insensitive casting and be more inclusive.
Especially in this time, why wouldn't a director think "Here is my opportunity to do a show and give more representation to acting POC in these horrible Trump times."
also EVERY lead they cast is white. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It's like they didn't even try."
Evita only has three leads. All three were real people and all three were of European heritage. So I don't know what you're talking about.
rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Yikes. White people's defensiveness about this is unsettling.
Yes Patti LuPone played her originally. And then we had Madonna ha.
But we also put Lawrence Olivier in blackface and had him play Othello once upon a time.
We had Yul Brynner as the King.
We CAN learn from past racially insensitive casting and be more inclusive.
Especially in this time, why wouldn't a director think "Here is my opportunity to do a show and give more representation to acting POC in these horrible Trump times."
also EVERY lead they cast is white. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It's like they didn't even try."
First of all, I'm not white (Blasian actually) and I'm actually pretty offended that you would actually compare black face to a white actress playing a white woman (literally lol). Did it occur to you that these people were maybe the best choice for the roles. Seriously, are they supposed to cast the nearest Argentinian woman, regardless of the fact that she maybe couldn't sing or act the part? It's not like they cast Emmy Rossum as Celie in The Color Purple or Emma Stone as Kim in Miss Saigon. She's literally a white woman playing a white woman. Are we supposed to cast only a woman born in England to play Anna in The King and I? Did Kelli O'Hara steal the role away from a British actor? Would this be considered "American-washing" because the actor has to be from the same country as the character that they're playing?
GeorgeandDot said: "rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Yikes. White people's defensiveness about this is unsettling.
Yes Patti LuPone played her originally. And then we had Madonna ha.
But we also put Lawrence Olivier in blackface and had him play Othello once upon a time.
We had Yul Brynner as the King.
We CAN learn from past racially insensitive casting and be more inclusive.
Especially in this time, why wouldn't a director think "Here is my opportunity to do a show and give more representation to acting POC in these horrible Trump times."
also EVERY lead they cast is white. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It's like they didn't even try."
First of all, I'm not white (Blasian actually) and I'm actually pretty offended that you would actually compare black face to a white actress playing a white woman (literally lol). Did it occur to you that these people were maybe the best choice for the roles. Seriously, are they supposed to cast the nearest Argentinian woman, regardless of the fact that she maybe couldn't sing or act the part? It's not like they cast Emmy Rossum as Celie in The Color Purple or Emma Stone as Kim in Miss Saigon. She's literally a white woman playing a white woman. Are we supposed to cast only a woman born in England to play Anna in The King and I? Did Kelli O'Hara steal the role away from a British actor? Would this be considered "American-washing" because the actor has to be from the same country as the character that they're playing?
"
I think your misunderstanding, what were are discussing. The problem is that 3 recent well respected regional theaters that put on productions of Evita recieved backlash from the left for not casting Latino leads, despite all 3 being of European heritage: Evita being French and Spanish, Che Gueverra being Spanish and Irish, and Juan Peron being Italian.
^It's not the left. I'm part of the left. Part of the faaaar left. This is just plain old shallow thinking from people with far too much time on their hands to get offended at the drop of a hat.
The other side of the story is moronic. What does understanding "the added struggles that we Latinx people face today" have to do with performing in Evita? It's not freakin' In the Heights.
As we've all ready established Eva, Juan, and Che are not latino by today's standards. Argentina may be in South America, but it is not a latino community, it is a population of people just as diverse as the United States, and disregarding that fact is indeed more dangerous then "white washing". If you were to actually ethnically define Argentina, it would be an Italian country thats population are more likely closer related to the casts of the Jersey Shore and the Real House wives of New Jersey then the original casts of In the Heights, Hamilton, and On Your Feet combined.