The Fairy Princess had a phone call yesterday – or rather, her Agency received a phone call from Casting Director Michael Cassara, letting them know that the NAAP Production of SHOW BOAT auditions which had been scheduled for be an “All Asian American” Cast, have been cancelled.
There has yet been no official announcement from NAAP.
Now, some might think that TFP was doing this:
But she was not.
Let’s be clear – this was never about
or trying to erase this company in any way.
What this debate was about, for TFP, is what theater debates generally tend to be about nowadays – representation.
There are always consequences for our choices, that goes without saying, but choosing a show (when there are so many others available) where the cornerstone of the entire plot is the subjugation and attempted ‘escape’ from that life of a Mixed Raced African American woman, and the racial divides of the Deep South post Civil War?
It was simply a poor choice.
Which has now been amended.
TFP realizes that the mission of National Asian Artists Project is a valid and vital one – they provide education, community outreach, and, to put it frankly ‘stage time’, that is necessary for younger Artists to receive in order to move on in their careers.
The Fairy Princess would like to now, publicly, thank NAAP and it’s principal administrators – Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Nina Zoie Lam for listening to the concerns of the Asian American Broadway Community and cancelling this particular production.
The Fairy Princess would also like to thank Tommy Tune for being gracious about this decision, and she hopes that this will not deter him from working with the Artists of NAAP, because she does feel that an Artist of his caliber is someone that anyone, regardless of race, would be lucky to work with.
(Where are we on All API Grand Hotel, Mr. Tune? Seriously now…)
TFP cannot say that her decision to write about this particular matter was ‘business, not personal’, because that would be hiding.
TFP does not hide.
That’s TFP, Erin Quill
She knows that it will be felt, very personally, by the NAAP Executive Staff, and while she gets that they will be upset with her. It is TFP‘s own ‘mission’, if you will, to speak out when she thinks things are wrong, regardless of the skin color of those who she believes are making a wrong choice.
Which is called, equality.
The fact that she has been called…well…
is not enough to deter her from speaking up.
In fact, it kinda makes her, well….
Because POISON is a great song, and she had forgotten about it for a while, but now it is back in it’s ear worm capacity in her head and it is pretty fabulous.
To say that this was “business and not personal‘ would be a lie – this was personal to TFP because she did not want this production to do irreparable damage to the relationships of People of Color in the greater theatrical community. Those relationships, so heavily relied upon, so heavily intertwined, are personal.
People of Color ‘having each other’s back” is personal.
Top L-R: John Tartaglia, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Beverly Jenkins, Producer Robyn Goodman, Erin Quill, Phoebe Kreutz, Producer Kevin McCollum Lower Left Photo: Star of MEMPHIS: J. Bernard Calloway Lower Rt Photo: Carmen Ruby Floyd & Erin Quill
This was ‘personal‘ for TFP also because she did damage to the relationships that she had with Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Nina Zoie Lam, and she knows this. Personally, she was sorry she had to address this situation, but this was a situation that should never have arisen in the first place.
TFP acknowledges all of that – personally, while she cannot regret writing and helping bring about a change, she does know that she did not set out to ‘destroy NAAP“, as has been mentioned, but if that is the way people feel, she cannot change it. She accepts it. This is what happens when she sets out to write her blog, because while she does not write as frequently as others, when she does, it usually means…
The other part of the issue is, actually, business.
Licensing rights for musicals are expensive, and she imagines that while they may have gotten a slight ‘deal’ on those for SHOW BOAT, NAAP may be in a real financial pickle to recover from having to purchase ‘rights’ to another show in time for a production as scheduled.
Now, to TFP and her sense of fair play – this should be a situation where the R&H Organization acknowledges that yes, they are equally at fault here, and they should help NAAP find a show within their canon that will be acceptable to Ms. Lee, Mr. Tune etc, etc. etc. at little to no extra cost.
That would be the classy thing to do.
That would be in the spirit of Oscar Hammerstein.
If, however, R&H does not see fit to extend them credit, or just ‘do a swap‘, and they do wish to go with something like…well, GRAND HOTEL, then they will need funds for that.
This is where TFP is torn because, in one respect, she would like to encourage people to thank NAAP for changing this egregious choice by helping them move on quickly with a donation so that they can get a new show up and running quick.
HOWEVER, some lessons are best learned in the pocketbook, and some choices need to have consequences so that people really think about them, so that they do not have them happen again.
TFP supposes the issue is – who ‘suffers’ here? If there is no show? If there is a missed opportunity for young API Performers to work with a Director the caliber of Tommy Tune?
See? Again, it is personal.
TFP will leave it to you, the reader to decide which road to travel….but she will also remind you though we love to do Art, there is only one way Art gets done…
If you would like to donate to National Asian Artists Project, here is the link to their donation page.
If you are making a donation, might TFP also encourage you to leave a comment as to why you felt compelled to make a donation…because, after all, they did listen, and….
The Fairy Princess did some “Activist-ing’, she did.
Normally, she writes about productions and they are generally in a different town or somewhere where to get involved in the physical aspects of protesting, she would have to jump a plane.
Sadly though, right here in New York City, the National Asian Artists Project, has decided to do an All Asian American production of Show Boat.
Yes, this Show Boat.
At this point, everyone knows which Show Boat we are talking about – the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, Show Boat, which deals with the divide between the Caucasian and African Americans Post- Civil War in the Deep South.
Show Boat is a show that, in TFP’s opinion, is not one that can be done by APIs with any sense of dignity or sense of history, or, well…sense.
In fact, if one is to do this show without the Cast as written, based on the novel where these themes – between Caucasian and African American – are not honored, it makes you appear as, well…
TFP attended this ‘talkback’ given by NAAP, to see what was going to be said.
Some pretty interesting things were said, particularly by Co-Founder Steven Eng.
Co-Founder of NAAP, Steven Eng
TFP Live Tweeted exactly what was said, but it would be tiresome to replay it all exactly
(although if you wish you can go to her Twitter account @Equill and check them out)
To sum up what was said by NAAP at this ‘open forum”, and share what TFP learned:
1. Baayork Lee is the only reason Big Name Directors will work with Asian American Performers
2. If they were to cast African Americans in Show Boat, it would not ‘serve their mission“
3. “We are not denying opportunity to Caucasians or African Americans because we were never going to cast them’ – Steven Eng
4. “We are driven by our mission…and Tommy Tune is very aware of that’ – Steven Eng
5. “I am not going to talk about Tommy’s concept (for the show) I don’t think it is fair when it is in development” – Steven Eng
6. The Rogers & Hammerstein Organization is the one that did all the intermediary legwork between the Hammerstein and Kern Estates to help approval happen, specifically Ted Chapin.
(Sidebar:If TFP were Ted Chapin, she would be a bit concerned about how often his name came up and his enthusiasm for this project was mentioned and how much he loved it so they did not have to do any of the ‘leg work’ because good Ol’ Ted Chapin was the go-between for them between the estates of Kern and Hammerstein to get this clearance. Methinks Ted Chapin may get an earful from some folks…some folks…somewhere…just sayin’) (Watch your back Ted Chapin)
7. “We will not be changing the show” – Steven Eng
8. “Tommy has been given leeway to change some things‘ – Steven Eng
9. “You have to trust us” – Steven Eng
10. One of the reasons they chose it was ‘to see if Asian Americans could do it’
11. Baayork Lee and Tommy Tune chose this show specifically because they felt other shows were ‘too easy’.
(One can only assume they meant ‘too easy to do without offending and erasing an entire people from their actual history’. That kind of ‘too easy’ )
Which made TFP and others kinda feel like:
Now, observers at home, lest you think that this meeting was unattended – it was not. In fact, prominent Musical Theater Actor, Jose Llana was one of the first to speak of his dismay.
Broadway Performer, Jose Llana
Mr. Llana wanted to know why, specifically why, this particular show was chosen – which was a question that would be asked and remain unanswered repeatedly through the evening.
Hansel Tan asked a question on everyone’s mind as well – how was this going to harm us (API Performers) in the future? Because, as he pointed out, “Nothing here in New York happens in a vacuum”
Actor, Hansel Tan
Cast Member of the Current Broadway Revival of The King & I, Marc Oka stated “It is a visceral feeling, it does not feel right….What some of us would like to tell you is of the danger of this production...’
Broadway Performer, Marc Oka
Co-Artistic Director of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble and member of the LA Ovation Committee, Chil Kong gave a blistering speech asking for the justification of this choice, and requested information that he could bring back to colleagues that are People of Color, to make them understand this, when very few in the room could understand it either.
Noted Tenor, Dillon McCartney,
who sings with The Three Irish Tenors came simply to see, as a fan of the show, what the discussion would be.
So the ‘crowd’ as it were, the crowd demanding answers, was diverse, which was heartening.
Actor, Orville Mendoza, who did not think that he was going to get up and speak, felt compelled after listening to Mr. Eng circle endlessly around the fact that yes, he knew the show was about race, but would not say why they were choosing to ignore the historical factors race played in the show to explore…well…race...but they were intending to explore race because Show Boat is all about race….
Yes, It was confusing.
Actor, Orville Mendoza
Anyway, Mr. Mendoza got up and with great respect, did say that he felt that doing a show about race where you are ignoring the race that belongs in that particular show due to historical accuracy was like “putting a hat on a hat, (because) this show already has a message”
Many views of those present were variations of thoughts expressed in the book by “Show Boat; Performing Race In An American Musical” by Todd Decker (link to purchase here) for example:“My emphasis on race rests equally on definitions of whiteness and blackness. Magnolia and Ravenal perform their whiteness every bit as much as Joe performs his blackness and any actress playing Julie must perform that character’s mixed-race identity, whatever that has meant in particular times and places.”
Show Boat is a musical where, everyone agreed, race matters and despite repeated and fervent requests from several people, a concept was never explained.
One wonders what noted journalist,Jeff Yangis going to say about this whole situation, as he took copious notes on his laptop in the back of the room. TFP is a big fan of Jeff Yang, so she will be very interested to see if he writes on this debate.
Jeff Yang aka @originalspin
After a while, TFP decided to get up and speak – she had made points before, but she wanted to go on record and reiterate why she is convinced that this production is the wrong thing to do:
1. This is not an Asian American story to tell, in any way. We were not ripped from our homelands and made to serve in the most degrading ways possible, people who believed they were superior to us based on nothing but skin tone.
2. After all the strides that have been made in getting theaters to acknowledge that they should cast APIs in roles where the writing requires an Asian Heritaged Actor, to now decide to look to another Minority group and co-opt their experiences makes us hypocrites, and weakens our advances.
3. TFP is a Person of Color within the Broadway community, being part of that community, and also a student of the Musical Theater, she could never think that her auditioning for the role of “Queenie” (which is the role she was asked to come in for) was ‘right’ in any sense of the word. Not as a student, not as a colleague, and not as an Artist – The Fairy Princess will not be playing Queenie.
4. The final point that TFP made was that the concept is offensive, but then to add insult on top of injury, NAPP has chosen as a Director, he tallest White tap dancer in the world….
and THAT was when we finally heard from Baayork Lee, who had sat (after reading a small statement in the beginning) staring blindly ahead in a chair at the front of the room and never speaking, but that was when we heard from Ms. Lee.
She yelled out “Native American, he is Native American!”
TFP apologizes to Mr. Tune for calling him Caucasian, she did not realize it was offensive.
But then TFP was curious about Mr. Tune and his Native American heritage (you may know her Father represented NA Tribes so she knows a bit more about NA issues than an ‘average’ American), and while she does not want to ‘see his tribal card’, she was curious if he had channeled his culture in his work.
Because, when one is a Person of Color…
their heritage often shows up in their work, and perhaps he felt, as a minority, he could use that to enter the minds of African Americans after the Civil War.
Maybe that was why he chose it?
Anyway, TFP was curious, and you know what it did to the …
So she took a walk on the internet and in a book called “The Great White Way: Race and the Broadway Musical” by Warren Hoffman, (Link to purchase here) she found this passage:
“Despite the fact that Tommy Tune himself is part Native American, The Will Rogers Follies was accused of depicting Indians in a poor light. According to a letter sent by representatives from the American Indian Community House in New York,
“The life and work of one of the Cherokee Nation’s most famous citizens is currently being butchered and distorted at the Palace Theater in The Will Rogers Follies. The show is replete with racist caricatures and stereotypes; everything from a braided man in buckskin crashing a unicycle to Tommy Tune’s interpretation of Indian dance, which is more suited to an episode of Scooby-Doo than Broadway“.
They took special offense at a piece of choreography that featured an actor costumed as a Native American dancing on a drum and summed up their comments by stating “These antics are applauded and laughed at by an audience who doesn’t know any better and thinks that this Indian version of “Stepin Fetchit’ is totally acceptable…What is most hurtful about this show is that Tune, it’s director as well as it’s choreographer, is a self identified Choctaw Indian’.
TFP has many thoughts about this…but let’s get back to the meeting….
Several young NAAP devotees also arose to say these various things, here is a sampling with TFP’s reaction in green.
1. “I just moved here”(Can the Adults please smoke?)
2. I grew up in Hawaii, and we don’t have a big pool of talent in Hawaii, so everyone just plays everything, and no one cares(Cuz it is Hawaii and you were in high school, we are in NYC)
3. I’m from Japan, and yes, in Japan we do All Asian Casts, but we are not in Japan, we are in New York, and here, this would not be right to do. (Smartest Gal in the Room in her 20’s)
4. NAAP is my home, but I have a problem knowing if I can audition for this(You really don’t, you just wanted us all to look at you in case that helps you get the gig)
This went on for a while, and then a young blonde lady spoke, she seemed in her 20’s as well, and she said that this production would not bother her at all. She felt that this show would not be taking a job from her. She felt that, as an Artist, isn’t the point to be controversial?
After a few of these, “well, I don’t see why we can’t” comments, a lovely young man named Jonathan Flemings spoke,
Jonathan Flemings @JBlake212
and he quoted the show, the very first line, as originally written, and asked if Kevin (didn’t catch the last name) would say it. Kevin did not want to respond, so TFP interjected, (after he started listing his various heritages) “Are you going to say the N-word!”
Kevin stated that no, he would not use the N-word, and TFP bitchily responded, “Then you can’t do Show Boat”.
TFP can definitely be bitchy, but she does not see that as a detriment.
Anyway, by the end of the event, these things were said by Steven Eng:
1. It is too late to change the show(But they have not finished casting, so it is not, actually)
2. They are going forward with the show. (Cuz they paid for the rights & won’t admit it’s a mistake)
3. They ‘may’ talk to Tommy Tune about releasing some of his directorial vision (Which is the closest they are going to come to admitting this is a big mistake)
4. This will not be a traditional treatment of Show Boat. (Cuz APIs will be playing African Americans)
A question was then asked if the Creative Team was going to reach out to the Black Community to perhaps get a “Consultant’ to help them with issues in the script that, well, they would have absolutely no knowledge of as they are not, in fact, African American, and they said “maybe”.
TFP later learned that they approached a gentleman whose face appears on this blog posting to fill this position.
TFP has no confidence that this production will go well, despite the best of intentions by the Creative Team. She felt that the lack of real conversation, the refusal to actual listen to the voices of the Asian American Broadway Acting Community, who were present, who asked, repeatedly for them to NOT do this show, is indicative of an actual artistic problem with the vision and execution of this piece as they intend to do it.
She did speak to some of the younger folks present afterwards, who, oddly, said that they were big fans of her blog – which is curious because they still seemed eager to do Show Boat, so she wonders really if they read it, per se.
Anyway, advice is free, and that is what she gave them in passing, which she will now share here –
If you are set on this course, if you are going to be in NAAP’s Show Boat don’t put your name on the program, and do not list it on your resume. People of the Theater are all connected, in ways you cannot realize yet, and if you proudly display “Queenie” in Show Boat on your resume, people will call you on it.
They may ask how you, as an Actress prepared to be an African American post Civil War in the Deep South – and that is putting it mildly.
So go ahead…but be prepared…
Connie Wong in A CHORUS LINE will probably now be cast as an African American.
We can say nothing.
All Latino FLOWER DRUM SONG? Go right ahead. All Caucasian HERE LIES LOVE? Well sure, it’s only based on real people and events….that doesn’t matter anymore, does it?
Production Still: Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan’s Production of THE MIKADO
None of us see color anymore, which means of course that we obviously should not be licensed to drive.
In other words….back to the…
In Closing, TFP wants to say to the NY African American Acting Community specifically and to the larger community – no API Actor who has been on Broadway or who is currently on Broadway that she has spoken to, texted, or who emailed her in the last few days is in favor of this production.
We all see the danger and the insult in this – and there is nothing we can do. We have tried repeatedly to amend this situation, but we cannot, and we apologize, this is a rude awakening that our Asian American Acting Community as such, does not exist.
You cannot be a Community if no one is listening, can you?
However, if people would still like to try and change this situation…and why not?
Why not write to the licensing company and share your thoughts?
Because of course, while this is a super super bad concept to begin with, they were given permission…but you know….maybe someone will think about it and say…
In which case they could start working on the “All API Version of Grand Hotel” right away….
The Fairy Princess was doing just fine and recovering from a wicked cold – she was just fine -until she was asked to audition for this:
An “All Asian American Version of Show Boat”?
You mean…thisShow Boat?
You mean…thisShow Boat?
Seriously, this Show Boat?
Do you mean to tell us that during BLACK HISTORY MONTH, an Asian American Theater company has chosen to do SHOW BOAT, the quintessential musical about the racial divides in this country post Civil War in the Deep South, and they want to remove African Americans from the show, even though this show reflects their story within America?
During BLACK HISTORY MONTH?
TFP was asked to audition for the part of Queenie. If you look in that second video, you will note that the part of Queenie is supposed to be played by an African American woman…
The Fairy Princess was doing just fine and recovering from a wicked cold – she was just fine -until she was asked to audition for this:
An “All Asian American Version of Show Boat”?
You mean…thisShow Boat?
You mean…thisShow Boat?
Seriously, this Show Boat?
Do you mean to tell us that during BLACK HISTORY MONTH, an Asian American Theater company has chosen to do SHOW BOAT, the quintessential musical about the racial divides in this country post Civil War in the Deep South, and they want to remove African Americans from the show, even though this show reflects their story within America?
During BLACK HISTORY MONTH?
TFP was asked to audition for the part of Queenie. If you look in that second video, you will note that the part of Queenie is supposed to be played by an African American woman, in the video and in the Broadway revival by Hal Prince, it was played by Gretha Boston.
Who won a TONY.
Congratulations Ms. Boston.
TFPturned down the audition to play Queenie, because TFP does not believe that it would be right for an Asian American woman to play an African American one.
She believes doing that is more like…well….
In fact, after a quick poll of her Broadway friends, she cannot find one – Asian American or African American who thinks that this is a ‘good’ idea – and she has had to charge her phone three times since this was announced, she has had so many texts and emails about it.
The only people who seem to think that this is a good idea are the Director:
Director of Show Boat – TOMMY TUNE
The Executive Artistic Director….
Baayork Lee, Executive Artistic Director of NAAP (National Asian Artists Project)
And the Casting Director
Casting Director Michael Cassara
Those are the only ones who seem to be ‘down’ with this All Asian American Show Boat.
The idea of which makes TFP want to do THIS:
Now, to be perfectly honest, when TFP first saw this announcement, and then when her Agent called with an appointment for it, she was sick to her stomach – because National Asian American Projectdoes do good work. They are active in the community, they promote Asian American composers, performers, and education, and community outreach to children. They are known for doing All Asian American versions of shows, musicals, specifically, and those do need to be done.
Here is why – the dearth of Asian Americans on stage in the New York Theater community and elsewhere does limit the amount of stage time necessary to work on ones craft, and if Asian American performers are to maintain their skills at the highest level, it is necessary to perform in all kinds of shows, and “All API” productions do give performers that stage time that they may not get elsewhere.
Actor/Producer Pun Bandhu at the RepresentAsian Conference
One should not be always limited to performing roles in the few shows that are ‘designated’ Asian American (aka: King and I, Flower Drum Song, Miss Saigon, Pacific Overtures). Of course APIs should sing Sondheim and Kern, and Jason Robert Brown, and Tom Kitt, and any other composer in the Musical Theater canon.
TFP understands that this mission of access and showcasing Asian American performers that NAAP and other organizations do is necessary, and is a huge ‘lift’ to the community. In the past they have chosen all sorts of shows that can be done as “All Asian American’ where race is, truly, not a factor – Oliver!, Hello Dolly! Carousel…. the list goes on.
However, this time, TFP thinks that they have not chosen wisely and it made her…
The Scream by Edvard Munch
and she would ask them, nay, beg them, to change their (Tommy) tune, and pick another show for a few reasons.
1. This show is a show about the great racial divides within the Deep South – divides that are, without question, Black and White.
It does not matter that Asian Americans were in the United States at this time, we were not ‘toting that barge‘ or ‘lifting that bale‘. Asian Americans were not recovering from being ripped from their homeland and bound in chains due to the color of their skin.
It is not ‘our’ story to tell. Ever. Nor is Ragtime, or Hairspray, or Memphis, or The Color Purple and so forth and so on.
Why?
BECAUSE IT IS NOT!
SHOW BOAT has historical context. It was written that way as a novel, and it was written that way as a musical.
2. AAPAC, and TFP and individuals, have spent the last several years, arguing to the greater theatrical community, that when they are casting stories that have historical context where APIs would be intrinsically necessary, to please cast Asian American Performers.
This show will undo all the work that everyone has put forward in raising the ability of people to see that yes, Asians should play Asian. Because, they will say, “Well, if APIs think they can play Black – why can’t we play Asian? Why can’t anyone play Asian?“
Which will be the correct response.
And then away will go Asians playing Asians….it will take us years and years to rebuild our platform, if it is ever able to be rebuilt.
3. This is co-option of the Black Experience.
We freak out when there is a Caucasian playing The King – what do you think African Americans are going to think when every role that is designated as a person of Black ancestry is eliminated from a show that is written about their struggle?
4. Non- Traditional Casting is not to take Minority Actors and have them play other minority experiences. Non-Traditional Casting is supposed to open the door to talent that has previously not been heard from and give them a chance to play roles where race does not matter.
RACE MATTERS IN SHOW BOAT.
SHOW BOAT IS A SHOW THAT IS DEFINED BY RACE.
SHOW BOAT IS A SHOW WHERE RACE IS THE REASON THE ACTION MOVES FORWARD.
TFP did not want to write this piece.
She respects the work of NAAP and all that they have been working for. She respects Ms. Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Zoie Lam, and yes, Tommy Tune – but she believes this show will do a grave injustice to Asian American performers.
She had to write this piece because….she has held other theater companies accountable for doing the exact same thing.
She thought long and hard about not writing this piece, but she felt to do that, simply because she is a member of the group who is making a mistake, would be wrong. It would be unjust.
There should be equality in blogging about Diversity.
No one is ‘off limits’.
She has worked diligently to raise the profile of Asian Americans in theater and give people a sense of the absurd, so that they too, would question why The King in King and I would be Caucasian, when it could so easily and beautifully look like this:
Christiane Noll and Paul Nakauchi as Anna & The King
But she mustequally question an “All Asian American Show Boat’, when, so beautifully, NAAP could do another show that would perhaps, utilize the talents of Tommy Tune to greater advantage.
Why not an API Grand Hotel?
Why not an API My One And Only?
Why not:
Closer Than Ever, Last Five Years, Lady In the Dark, Wicked, Guys and Dolls, Anyone Can Whistle, Barnum, Grease, Bells Are Ringing, Bye Bye Birdie, Call Me Madam, Children of Eden, Company, Crazy for You, Follies, The Full Monty, Godspell, Grey Gardens, Gypsy, High Society, Kiss Me Kate, La Cage Aux Folles, A Light In The Piazza, Next To Normal, RENT, Man of La Mancha, Into The Woods, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Producers, Rock Of Ages, The Secret Garden, Sweet Charity, Tick Tick Boom!, Threepenny Opera, Urinetown, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pajama Game…
TFP could go on…and on…and on….oh hey – why not BABY?
Why not ANYTHINGbutSHOW BOAT?
What do you think, RuPaul, about no African Americans in a show that is about African Americans and their experiences in this country to be announced during BLACK HISTORY MONTH?
Look, TFP is writing this and it could be heard like this by NAAP –
But she hopes it’s not.
What she hopes is, upon the reading of this, you will take the time to send NAAP an email at: info@NAAProject.org and let them know what YOU think of Asian Americans playing roles that represent a journey of African Americans which has historical context.
She wants you, if you are reading this – and not only if you are Asian American, but if you are concerned about Co-opting African American history and erasing African Americans from it, to SAY SOMETHING.
She thinks that if we all SAY SOMETHING, that things will change.
Or write them a letter expressing your feelings at:
National Asian Artists Project
10 West 66th street, 23C
New York, NY 10023
TFP’s hope is that greater minds than hers will come together, realize that this is a mistake, and choose another show which will not divide our Theatrical Community, and announce that they have decided to make a change.
She also realizes that she is taking a step here that may not be forgiven, it is ok.
Stuff happens.
We do not all have to like one another.
But we do have to listen to one another and build together.
For choosing to do a show which co-opts the African American experience in a grossly misguided way, ignoring historic racial divides which was included in both the original novel and the musical as written, The Fairy Princess sentences NAAP to 50 whacks with the wand.
The Fairy Princess had a great week last week, for two reasons – she was able to go out twice…at night.
If you have a toddler, you understand that sentiment.
First, she went to a friend’s viewing party to see him Guest Star on a giant TV show that spans new branches like a giant oak,
Scott Bakula, Russell Wong, and B.D. Wong on NCIS New Orleans
and the very next night was the Uber Awesome, Fresh Off The Boat Viewing Party in Manhattan, where TFP was delighted to sit on one of the two panels that evening.
Panelists Greg Pak, Jeff Yang, and TFP – Photo by Lia Chang
It was a great night and absolutely everyone who was in New York City, who could make it, were there to support.
From Orange Is The New Black, Actress Lori Tan Chinn, Standup Comic and Actor, Phil Nee, Actress, Karen Lee
Cast Members and some of the Creative Team behind the show were also in attendance…
L-R: Eddie Huang, Hudson Yang, Randall Park and Exec. Producer Melvin Mar answer question from Jeff Yang
To TFP, who was in the crowd as well as being on a panel later, the show seemed all inclusive, while of course, highlighting a specific experience of a Taiwanese American Family who moved to Orlando. To TFP, it was a chance for everyone to laugh with everyone else. The press that was there, loved it.
For those who were unable to attend the NY launch, there was an LA launch and of course, there was promotion via commercials and reaching out to popular bloggers in hopes that they might write something about the project and influence people to watch it at home, and it worked – in that night, Fresh Off the Boat did well ratings-wise.
In fact, Fresh Off The Boat beat what regularly airs in that time slot, The Goldbergs.
Yes, really!
Happy Dance!
In fact, there is only one group that (well, aside from ‘the haters’, but who the Taylor Swift cares about them?) was not invited to participate in this Fresh Off The Boat celebration in a way in which they could bring more numbers to the Nielsens and it was, oddly, Asian American Mommy Bloggers.
This does not mean that Mommy Bloggers did not receive outreach, they did.
Just not the API ones.
No one can really give a straight answer about why this happened, but let’s look at the situation as a learning opportunity, because, frankly, TFP did not grasp the pull of the “Mommy Blogger”, when she learned of this situation.
2. Of those 4.2, there are 500 that are considered ‘influential‘, because 18.3 Million Moms across America read blogs EVERY DAY.
3. Mothers control $2 TRILLION Dollars of spending in the United States.
4. Women who normally do not respond to Brand Advertising, respond to endorsements from “Other Moms” aka “Mommy Bloggers”. You want to sell a baby carrier that won’t chafe? Tap into the right “Mommy Blogger” and…
MAKE IT RAIN
Because there is so much money to be had from an endorsement from a Mommy Blogger, Studios and Networks (and Theme Parks and Publishers and People who produce products for children) often pursue ‘Mommy Bloggers‘ of certain Internet pull – they invite them to Press Junkets specifically designed for them, to introduce them to new shows or films, this is not surprising.
There was a ‘slight’ hiccup in inviting the Bloggers to the Fresh Off The Boat junket though, no one who was invited to see and blog happened to be Asian American Mommy Bloggers like Hapamama or I’mNotTheNanny or even at HeyMona.
Norwere these Asian American Mommy Bloggers asked to participate in the “Web Buzz” or whatever it’s called around the feature film, “Big Hero 6“, a film which featured the story of 2 Eurasian or Hapa Brothers as the main characters – something that to TFP’s knowledge, has never been done before in an American big budget Animated Feature. For APIs who have Hapa kids, this was a HUGE deal, and it should have been allowed to be acknowledged as such.
The two at the top, the upside down ones? Those are the Brothers
TFPloved that Russell in UP was API,
but Russell did not seem to be of Mixed heritage. Also, some might think Russell is not Asian American per se, but based on this photo of his Mom,
TFP kinda thinks that Russell was Asian American – thanks Pixar!
We have also had Mulan by Disney featuring a Chinese Story, voiced by Asian Americans, which was a great gift, but it did not, of course being set in China, feature children of mixed race, a large growing demographic in the United States.
However, let’s return to the main issue – which is that in two cases, where the ‘subjects’ of the pieces were Asian American, and where other POC Mommy Bloggers were invited to view the project early and take a fun bus together and explore and ask questions, Asian Americans who blog in the same field, were not.
Now, TFP feels that there was a PR disconnect, and that the Studio didn’t know what the Production Companies were doing and the Network didn’t know what the Studio was doing and there was a guy somewhere who screwed this up, but just kept drinking his $6 latte and figuring he could just ignore it and it would go away….
Yeah, but that is how Studios and Networks work sometimes, like a Hydra
API Mommy Bloggers were upset, and they wrote about it. Which is what Bloggers do, they write about what is going on with them personally. If a Blogger is upset, they are more inclined to write, however as any API kid can tell you, you do not want an API Mom upset.
Now, as these API Mommy Bloggers have addressed this situation and are taking pains to fix it, and improve their network of contacts, and as the Network and Studios are learning from their snafus, and are aware that they made a HUGE blunder….
TFPwas going to let this one go, she was.
BUT then she learned that one of the repercussions of the API Mommy Bloggers posting about missing this Blogger Bus Trip, was that they were being attacked by some of the people who were on that junket, who felt that, by dint of being ethnic themselves or by one or two of them having Hapa kids, that Asian American voices were not missed on this junket and nor were they needed.
At all.
Mr. Furley just CANNOT!
And neither can The Fairy Princess.
So she wanted to take a stand for those API Mommy Bloggers, because while she is not a “Mommy Blogger” per se, she is a Mom who blogs. A Mom who blogs on Diversity. Whilst blogging on Diversity is a great social tool and has engendered change that is tangible (particularly seeing the difference in American theater), TFP is unlikely to ever be invited on junket or sent an advanced copy, or offered cool free stuff.
Because if you blog on Diversity and people do not want to hear it, the last thing they want to do is send you stuff. Well, not stuff that one would want.
This is what she wants to say to those ‘other’ Mommy Bloggers who so vigorously believe that they can speak for Asian Americans while not actually being Asian American themselves…
You can’t.
This may come as a surprise to you, but you cannot speak for Asian Americans, even if you have children of mixed Asian heritage – because….you are not Asian American. You personally, cannot speak for another group of people for whom you share no kinship.
“Asian by Injection” doesn’t count.
You can speak to being a Parent of a mixed race child, you can speak to being a Person of Color, but the Asian American experience is unique and manifold. It is like saying one can go and speak Portuguese in Columbia – it does not work. There may be a thing here or there that is able to be understood, but gaps will be missing. TFP has been to Brasil, she knows this.
People of Color are expected to band together in times of ‘crisis’. Women, in this case “Mommy Bloggers’ are asked to unite as Women and Moms for different reasons – death, cancer, illness, birth, sharing – but in this case, all those API Mommys wanted was support. They had given it to you in the past, and they wanted it returned.
All they wanted was for you to say “We get it. We see you. We too, have been underrepresented, and we hear you, you should be on the bus. You should be on the bus with us, because as women raising the next generation, we have to set an example.’
We have to set an example – we, as Mothers.
My Son, My Niece, & I
Here is why TFP writes about Diversity so strongly, because she has a son. She has a son who is a minority in this Country, and his life will have challenges based solely on the shape of his eyes and the color of his skin. These API Mommy Bloggers have similar concerns, all People of Color, or People of Under representation, have these same concerns.
How do we NOT teach separatism? How do we NOT teach distaste for someone not of ‘our’ particular group?
We include them. We give our children the rainbow, in all it’s colors, in all it’s shapes, in all it’s sizes, in all the ways people can love one another. We make room for one another.
James Herbert, Zion, and Alec Mapa
The way we ‘include’ is by telling Networks, telling Studios, that we need more Diversity on screen, behind the scenes, in the stories told, in the opportunities given. We do this, because we do not want our kids to get involved in the pettiness that this whole situation has sunk to. Our goal should be to help our kids be better than that.
Here are some more facts:
1. Asian American Population has risen by 33% in all states except Hawaii, where it was already large
Let’s go back – how much spending do Mom’s control? Currently?
2 Trillion.
So the question to ask is, with API income advancing so rapidly and the population growing, how much money do you think Asian American Moms will control by 2050?
With API Internet purchases higher than any other group – how much more will be purchased because of what API Mommy Bloggers are going to be writing about?
With the way API’s use the Internet, who do you think, in the next 20 years, will have some of the most influential Mommy Blogs?
Don’t you think the Networks and Studios and Publishers and all the Givers of Free Stuff are going to realize that? Probably sooner than you think.
So isn’t it time now, to make friends? Isn’t it time to teach ourselves to share?
C’mon can’t we show our solidarity as Moms who Blog, and get off that hubris train of “well I can represent anyone I like” and realize that acknowledging that one does not know or see everything the same way is far more powerful than any amount of SWAG given out in a environmentally reusable bag with a logo?
Should we not be able to say “Yeah, if it were a film or show about my particular group and none of the Mommy Bloggers of that group were included, I would hate it.”
The Fairy Princess thinks so.
For refusing to acknowledge that API Mommy Bloggers should be seen and heard on PR Junkets specifically designed for Mommy Bloggers, particularly in cases where API Actors and Story lines are featured – TFP awards 20 whacks of the wand to the PR Depts who screwed this up initially, and those Bloggers who so vigorously defended their exclusion.
The Fairy Princess was sitting around this morning, a weekend morning, kind of relaxing, and then she read about an email that was sent by Mary Cheney.
Mary Cheney
Mary is of the Richard (insanely evil Vice President of the United States who got us into a War over WMDs that did not exist and then sold the war to Halliburton, authorized torture and rich people not paying taxes and left us in billions of debt) aka “Dick” Cheney clan, and in that email, she compared “Blackface”
TFP hates this photo with a passion, but it is Al Jolson, who was famous for his Blackface performances, apologies
To Drag:
What say you my Queens?
Mary Cheney posted her queries on her private Facebook page, a page which, of course, is meant to be just that – private. The first order of business, Ms. Cheney, would be, in TFP‘s opinion, is shut down your Facebook page – cuz you do NOT have a private Facebook page, or indeed any ‘safe’ place to write this:
“Why is it socially acceptable – as a form of entertainment – for men to put on dresses, makeup and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc) – but it is not socially acceptable – as a form of entertainment – for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans” – Mary Cheney
Usually, TFP stays out of politics, per se. She blogs about representation and visibility – however, she also blogs about LGBT issues as a huge supporter of the LGBT community, and she, in point of fact, was ‘raised’ as an adult by the LGBT community and so she is going to respond to this, and hope that Ms. Cheney, (who lives a life of exceeding white privilege while also being an “Out” Lesbian who has given birth to two children), was perhaps, just perhaps, was really asking.
It is totally possible.
Yes, really.
She could ‘really’ not know, because perhaps, in the circle she runs with, there is a decided lack of empathy and knowledge about what Drag Queens mean to the LGBT community, and about the LGBT community in general – take a look:
Mary Cheney is a Republican, after all.
Ms. Cheney could have equally less knowledge about what constitutes “Blackface’ because, as a practice, it was generally ended in this country two decades ago, and to TFP’s knowledge, has only been used again once in a main stage, Broadway production, and that was The Scottsboro Boys.
A show, Ms. Cheney, which was about racism. In 1931. A show about racism towards black teenagers who are unjustly accused of a crime and most of them wound up dead.
Image by Banksy
But anyway, that show takes place in 1931. Ms. Cheney probably did not go see it.
So now, Ms. Cheney, TFP is going to ‘school’ you in what makes “Blackface” different from “Drag” and in one sentence it is this:
Blackface was used to denigrate, and Drag is used to celebrate.
Blackface, Ms. Cheney, was a socio-political tool wrapped in popular songs and comedy sketches that was used to justify white supremacy – it implied that Black Americans were slow, dull witted, unable in some sketches to read, and all in all, they were ‘creatures’ (not humans) to be laughed at.
If you never see someone as an actual person, it is much easier to dismiss their contributions, their humanity, and their worth as people, and as an Entertainer, TFP is horrified that performers had anything to do with it, let alone made money off of it, but they did.
And it was wrong.
Because those sketches and songs, and pseudo-co-ooption of Black American songs and imitations of Black Americans justified Jim Crow laws and people putting up signs like this:
It began in the early 1800’s in this country and it lasted, in popular performance until – wait for it – 1981. Yes, people, Blackface was ON TELEVISION in the UK until 1978 in The Black and White Minstrel Show.
Eventually it (mostly) died away in America with the Civil Rights Movement, as white performers began refusing to do it, both as a means to survive as a performer and because of personal ethics. Better late than never.
So that, Ms. Cheney, is “Blackface” – a degrading mockery of a proud people, whose long history with this Country has certainly had much sorrow and violence, in part because “blackface‘ performers allowed African Americans to be viewed as ‘less than’.
Let’s go on to Drag….
Drag is not just what you see on RuPaul’s Drag Race, there are varying forms.
What TFP likes about Drag and Drag Queens, is that Drag celebrates the many amazing facets about being a woman – the vulnerability to express feelings in public, the use of makeup to enhance nice features or hide self-perceived flaws, the art of sequins, the glamor of good fake hair, and of course, the fabulousness of a curvy body.
Drag says ‘be proud of who you are, no matter who you are’.
In general, Drag pays tribute to the women most women would like to be – beautiful and outrageous with an ability to charm and enthrall a crowd while delivering a message.
Not every Queen is ‘traditionally’ beautiful,
but they deliver ‘realness’,
Jackie Beat – sometimes her ‘realness’ is intimidating and TURN OFF YOUR PHONE OR SHE WILL HURT YOU
the vulnerability of being a woman,
The Lady Bunny, the filthiest Lady around
even if their drag is not “Pageant”.
Not every Drag happens on the stage in a nightclub, or on your television set, America has lived with Drag as a tradition for as long as Entertainment has been around.
There have been some amazing Actors who have given performances in Drag.
Take a look:
Have those performances compelled you, Ms. Cheney, to take to your Social Media page in outrage?
No.
So, it’s not really Drag that upsets you, is it?
TFP thinks what you are ‘suffering’ from is something else entirely, she thinks it is “Sissyphobia”.
TFP believes that when you see Drag Queens ‘camp it up” on television, and call one another “Bitch” or “Girl”, you are not really seeing them ‘degrade women’ – there are no women there to degrade, in point of fact.
(Let’s be honest, if you have never used the terms ‘bitch, dumb, catty, and slutty‘ to describe ANYONE, you are better person than TFP.)
(TFP can also ‘vouch’ for that intense eye makeup appearing on ‘real’ women, she grew up, in part, on Lawn Guyland, also, she watches MOB WIVES)
What you seem to be having a reaction to is men who are acting effeminate both in and out of Drag, and you have a problem with it.
Or at least that is how TFP sees it. You do not seem to be a woman with a lot of humor.
Ms. Cheney, though our Society uses the label ‘sissy’ as a weakness, in the Drag Community it is a sought after illusion.
As someone who is a ‘Proud, Out, Lesbian with a married spouse and two children’, who enjoys remarkable privilege given by birthright, skin color, and education, as well as limitless capitol, you may feel that you do not want anyone to ‘confuse’ your kind of LGBT with a Drag Queen persona. You do not want to be seen as a ‘sissy’, aka ‘weak’ and so you are wary of effeminate performers. You think RuPaul’s Drag Race is ‘holding you down’ as a woman.
You think Drag Queens are weak. Drag Queens are the strongest there are.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR DRAG QUEENS THERE WOULD BE NO LGBT “MOVEMENT” WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY, AND IN POINT OF FACT YOU HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT, AS YOU ARE LEGALLY MARRIED TO A WOMAN.
Or maybe you should just do an Internet search on the word, STONEWALL
Image from Stonewall
Some people, even LGBT people, even Cis-gendered people, would prefer that LGBT people act ONE way only – and that is ‘straight’.
But, Ms. Cheney, there is no such thing as ‘straight acting’.
There is only ‘being’.
There are ‘only’ humans.
People of all shapes, colors, sizes, (as long as they do not hurt children or animals) have the right to live as out and as proud as possible – even if they are not Republicans.
Does TFP think that Drag is degrading to women?
NO!
(Though she does wish they would stop using the word “Fish” – which means, for those non Drag afficianados, aka “My Drag is so much like a woman that I smell like female parts” – shudder)
TFP thinks that Drag lifts you up, makes you laugh, makes you think, makes you feel ‘all the feelings‘, and allows people to be human, with all the flaws and missteps that we have. You can be any shape, any color, any ethnicity, any religion…
…and you would be welcome at a Drag Show.
Look, Ms. Cheney, we know your world is a bit…
But you should know the difference between Blackface and Drag – because NOT to know the difference is ignorant.
However, ignorance can be fixed – so now…..YOU ARE HEALED!
Mary Cheney – for confusing debilitating racism aka “Blackface” – which btw helped bestow upon you the privilege that your family continues to live with,
with men in glittery dresses who lip synch show tunes and embrace everyone,
TFP fines you 10 smacks of the wand and a month long education session with your local LGBT center, and honestly, volunteering at a Homeless Gay Youth Center would not hurt you either.
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