The Fairy Princess wanted to write today about language – the power of it. You see, this week, an attorney in New York City, Randolph McLaughlin
from the Civil Rights Firm of Newman & Ferrara decided to call attention to a casting notice put out by the musical HAMILTON.
Yes, thatHAMILTON – the big, fat, hip hop hit of a musical, and no you will never get a ticket any time soon – HAMILTON.
What he did was call attention – and a press conference – calling out the language used in the casting notice – here is his quote:
“You cannot advertise showing that you have preference for one racial group over another, You can’t express racial preference. I don’t know how a producer in the 21st century can think this is OK,” he said. “Even when the intention is obviously good, you can’t express racial preference. This is an issue we have been fighting for decades and it started for black people. Imagine if the casting call was for WHITES ONLY. Al Sharpton would have a picket line. Listen, Idris Alba might not be the best person to play James Bond, but he should certainly be allowed to audition for the role if he wants to.”
Now – is he wrong?
He is not wrong.
(Except about Idris Elba, he would be a GREAT Mr. Bond!)
The language of the ad was not compliant with Actors Equity Standards.
AEA is the stage union of America, and as such, it must be compliant with Federal and State Laws.
Here is what AEA had to say about it via an email to Fortune Magazine, from their representative, Maria Somma:
“Actors’ Equity Association reviews and handles every official casting notice that goes up on our website and that we issue to Playbill and to Backstage. The posting on the Hamilton website was done by the show and is not an official Equity casting notice nor is it in compliance with our Production Contract language.”
In simple terms – you can describe the character in an ad – you cannot describe or limit the people you will see come in to audition for it by their race, creed, gender etc.
Describe the Character, not the Actor.
So, could he have handled this in a much less public way? Absolutely.
Should he have? In TFP’s opinion that yes, he should have.
However now if you interweb search for HAMILTON, this ‘casting controversy‘ is the first thing that pops up and Mr. McLaughlin’s name and that of his firm is all over it.
Well played, Mr. McLaughlin.
Rather quickly of course, the Producers of HAMILTON met with AEA and their language on their ads on their website are now compliant and they, of course, will continue to maintain the diverse casting of the show.
Problem solved, end of story – yes?
Nope.
This controversy, though legally correct and actually only about word usage has grown to passionate proportions because to People of Color on Broadway – this seemed like an attack.
This seemed personal.
Performers of Color have a great deal of emotion invested in the success of HAMILTON, because it reflects us – something we do not often see.
Show Business is not as diverse as it could be, Caucasians on any size screen and on Broadway are definitely the majority, and that…as TFP can tell you first hand, is oftentimes exhausting.
It’s exhausting to go to a show, after paying a ton of money, and realize that not only is your story not being told, they don’t even see you as any part of the narrative.
It’s exhausting to try and be happy over a new score or a new book or a new play that does not show anything but people of color playing an adjunct role.
Yes, there needs to be more principal roles for People of Color on Broadway.
Yes, there needs to be shows where Caucasians do not come in and ‘save the day’.
We need shows about the world we live in and the relationships we have where race is a part of the story but not the story itself.
Of course we need re-imagined classics, of course we need gender equality and representation of Actors who are differently abled, and who show the wide scope of the LGBT community.
That is not in question.
That is NEVER in question – and as HAMILTON shows us, it is vital for theater to invest in different stories, to change all of our narratives.
This “attack’ seemed like someone decided that a show that was written by and stars People of Color, with it’s pricey tickets and it’s street cred, and star-studded audience – should now be taken away and given to Caucasians.
It seemed like “they” were going to come in and try and take it away.
This was a reaction based on emotion – please, gurl – even Trump could not build a wall that would contain HAMILTON.
Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, African Americans are all represented in HAMILTON, and to those of us in the performing communities the success of this show gave us hope – and hope is a powerful motivator.
Hope can change things.
In fact, almost as soon as it became a hit at The Public Theater, there were shows that started to advertise that they wanted “HAMILTON casting’, and that was ‘our shot, shot‘.
This one show is powerfully pulling all of us along in it’s wake, because as TFP has often said – Diversity means dollars.
Only one man ‘threatened’ to stop the boat. One man, who many thought was “Da Man” raised an objection, and then all the ranting began.
Here is the ‘interesting’ part of all this – that man happens to be a Black Civil Rights Attorney. Here he is with Congressman Charlie Rangel and former NY Mayor, David Dinkins.
What seemed so incredible about this was the fact that non-discriminatory language that had been designed to protect ‘us’ was being turned back on ‘us’ to make a point. However look back on what he said ““…Even when the intention is obviously good, you can’t express racial preference. This is an issue we have been fighting for decades and it started for black people…”
We really don’t know why he felt the need to do this – what we do know is – within the letter of the law about discrimination and who can be advertised for and how they can be advertised for – he was in the right.
Does it make it worse that he is a Person of Color or better?
TFP doesn’t know.
Many people thought, if TFP can refer to her social media community for a moment in the most general way- that this was about people who were not a majority in HAMILTON launching a calculated and hypocritical attack at the people that were a majority in HAMILTON.
It wasn’t.
It felt like an outrage, but it was really just a tactic.
The point is – language is powerful. Laws that are meant to protect are meant to protect all – just because one is popular does not negate the need to be compliant with Non-Discrimination laws.
It seems stupid to have to say it, but it’s true. This was a quick fix, super quick – add a clause to a casting notice and describe a character, not the actor coming in to audition.
Will HAMILTON still be HAMILTON in all the beautiful ways it is after this?
Of course.
Producers will comply as much as they have to, and then they will cast exactly who they want, and HAMILTON will still have it’s lovely, beautiful effect on casting, and it will give even MORE people a chance at a ‘shot, shot‘.
UPDATED:TFP has been notified via Twitter, that The Lamplighters decided to change the setting of their Mikado to Victorian England. Apparently this was announced four days ago, please note the date of March 25th.
TFP thanks them for responding to community concerns and wishes them a long and successful run, however she is leaving this post up because she realizes she is widely read and she has a responsibility to note that the news of this change – which is hugely positive – gets to all concerned.
So therefore, she leaves her initial post up – with the knowledge that by putting this information at the top – the news will indeed reach the people it needs to.
She does suggest that The Lamplighter should update their PR photos, because their Yellowface photos are all over promoting the show – and this could lead to much community push back, which is now rendered unnecessary.
She also wishes to congratulate them on making changes and not chickening out like NYGASP, who cancelled their production completely.
Go on there, Lamplighters – snaps to you.
THIS WAS THE INITIAL POST.
TFP LEAVES IT UP TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AT HAND AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER G&S COMPANIES IN THE U.S. NOTE THAT POSITIVE CHANGE CAN BE HAD…AND IF NOT…SHE WILL LIKELY WRITE ABOUT IT – AND NO ONE WANTS THAT, DO WE?
The Fairy Princess was sitting in solemn silence – wait, that is totally false, as she has an almost four year old – there is never silence.
What some would call silence, TFP calls “waiting for sh*t to hit the fan’ and she was right – the fan is on and it’s blowing, and in this case – the fan is being waved in San Francisco of all places by, you may have guessed it, a Gilbert and Sullivan company. In this case, the company is called The Lamplighters.
Their motto is “Bringing Music and Laughter since 1952” They should at “At Asian Americans” to the end of that. Not with, at.
You see, they are going to produce The Mikado. In the ‘traditional Yellowface style”.
TFP has had MUCH experience in writing about The Mikado and here are a few highlights of opinions she has expressed, ad nauseum, in the past –
No one is out to get your precious Mikado!
Asian Americans do not want to ‘take it away’ from G&S enthusiasts – and by circling the wagon and deciding that is what we ‘all’ want to do, Caucasians are definitely and defiantly missing the point of what the continued objection to The Mikado is – the mockery of Asian appearance and dress by Caucasians.
TFP assumes you know you look ridiculous, but just in case you don’t…Lady Cora?
The following images are from The Lamplighters’ Production…
Thoughts?
Your continued productions of The Mikado are not smartly done – the companies involved have not invested the time and effort to find out how to honor the Japanese customs in the way Gilbert wanted to do – you have somehow decided it was your right to imbue it with American jingo-ism stemming from WW2 backlash against Japanese Americans, and you have made it beyond ridiculous – caricatures that almost no one wants to see.
You might as well declare you want to build a wall around The Mikado and have APIs pay for it.
You have not invested in finding local Asian American talent that could lend this piece it’s dignity back – yes, yes, you talk about putting an ad in a paper or online to ‘find’ someone – but most of the time, Asian Americans know that the line about diversity in your ad is nothing but lip service.
Let’s face it – you do this because you LIKE it – you like making fun of people, specifically API people – and since Blackface is a giant no-no that even y’all can understand, Yellowfaceis too fun for you to give up. It is your last chance to mock another set of people secure in the argument that you can hide behind the “It’s Art” statement.
By the way – the minute you bring out the ‘authenticity’ argument, TFP will direct your attention to your own rewrite of “A Little List“. The minute you rewrite it, you are not authentic – seems relatively simple to understand from where TFP sits.
You really don’t want API’s in your production, because they might call you out on your own racism, and that is so veddy, veddy uncomfortable.
You could set The Mikado almost anywhere – there have been countless productions – the most famous of course is the English National Opera’s – where excessive makeup and costumes are not the order of the day, and which would express more creativity and sensitivity.
Asian Americans have contributed to the health and well being and entertainment of San Franciscans since the beginning, and for those who do not know, or who have not seen the wonderful documentary FORBIDDEN CITY by Arthur Dong, San Francisco had a wonderful nightclub that featured the talents of Asian Americans called The Forbidden City. (Now available on digital remaster Blu-Ray on Amazon)
They had the Chinese Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the Chinese Frank Sinatra, the Chinese (there were plenty of APIs in the club, everyone was billed as being ‘the Chinese…insert white performer name) – you get the picture.
In point of fact, the novel by CY Lee – FLOWER DRUM SONG, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was set in The Forbidden City in San Francisco. Likewise the musical FLOWER DRUM SONG was also set in San Francisco. This then became the film FLOWER DRUM SONG, which had one of the most famous movie numbers filmed on what is now the most famous street IN San Francisco – Grant Avenue!
Asian Americans and San Francisco go together – like Clang Clang Clang and Trolley. Asian Americans are as visible and as vibrant in San Francisco as The Golden Gate bridge.
In point of fact – Angel Island off the coast of San Francisco was the famous immigration point for Asian people trying to enter the country!
San Francisco was whereWong Kim Arktried to re-enter the country of his birth and was denied, and thus he sued the United States and THAT is why – if you are BORN here, you are a Citizen.
He was born in the United States. In San Francisco – 751 Sacramento Street.
San Francisco and Asian Americans are united in a blood oath, we just cannot quit one another.
(Above photo by Lia Chang)
San Francisco – you deserve better than this Lamplighter production – you are too find a city to allow caricatures of Asian peoples on your stages…and while TFP is not advocating to close this production, lessons can always be learned no matter how painful –she is asking The Lamplighters a simple question:
If you could not hide your production behind the Yellowface makeup, exaggerated cartoonish gestures, and flowing robes – would it be any good?
Would this production – stripped down – show the fun of mocking Victorian mores? Or would it simply show that you do not have the talent to rely only on your voices and performances?
The Fairy Princess has, of course, written extensively about white washing the Asian Americans out of the Musical Theater, Major Motion Pictures and mocking them on International Awards shows….and it has all be for ‘the greater good‘.
She does not benefit personally over pointing out that the King in King and I should be of Asian descent, she’s never going to play the King.
She has pointed out in the past that Mrs. Anna was of mixed Asian descent, but this was more for general knowledge and not for her personal benefit.
She has never been requested for a production of The Mikado, but she does not want API’s tortured when they go see it, so she has asked that productions be more sensitive about putting on this operetta.
TFP was not going to jump into to replace Tilda Swinton or Emma Stone – simply put – most of what she writes about is not personal, it’s common sense.
Let’s not beat around the Trekkie Monster – TFP was in the Original Broadway Company of the show in question and while she has been told but never shown photos that this role has been whitewashed in regional theater before, and colleges etc – this is the first time she has read about anyone having an objection to it– for which she would like to thank Mr. Lyman and Cincinnati Actor, Elizabeth Molloy for ‘standing up’.
Now, we are all clear that Christmas Eve, who is supposed to be an immigrant from Japan, is to appear Asian – not due to exaggerated makeup or prosethetics a la Jonathan Pryce – the character is legitimately supposed to appear Asian.
The way they decided to solve a problem like an Asian in the Original Broadway Cast was to actually cast an Asian American in the role, Ms. Ann Harada. (And then TFP)
Crazy, right? TFP will just give you a minute to take that in. How you doing?
Yes, they did this crazy thing and wrote a part specifically for an Asian performer and they cast API performers! Over and over and over again. Like, they went out and auditioned real live API performers and…guess what?
FOUND THEM!
In New York City, if there is a Christmas Eve, it’s a pretty safe bet she is being played by an API.
TFP does not even think this is up for debate, it just IS – just like, you know Aussie Hugh Jackman played Aussie Peter Allen, or like a Laura Benanti tweet that is funny, or the notion that Lin Manuel Miranda will rap in a musical – there are things that just ARE in the current musical theater canon, they just ARE – which is totally fun and fine.
Kick ball change.
Here is a photo from the 10th Anniversary of the show – a photo TFP likes to call ‘Ghosts of Christmas Eves Past‘. You will notice the inimitable Ann Harada in the center in navy, then left to right – Lisa Helmi Johanson, Sala Iwamatsu, Erin Quill, Hazel Anne Raymundo, and (future TONY winner) RuthieAnn Blumenstein.
Now, if one was to put this in “Harry Potter” speak – yes, you have some Purebloods and some half Muggles, but as one can see, one of the requirements to play the part of Christmas Eve was that it should be played by someone who naturally has API appearance because of things in the text.
There is an accent, which there should be because it is someone coming from another country to the USA, and what is your problem with accents – have you never met an Australian?
There is also the point of view of the immigrant, and the verbal syntax of an Immigrant to whom English is a second language.
The reason, continuing on all the other playwright vs. casting issues that have been cropping up lately, to cast an API in the role is because the role is written for an API!
Not only was it written for an API, it was actually written BY an API – one of the authors of Avenue Q, Bobby Lopez is of Filipino descent. Since then he has won more Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, an Oscar, and more than one Grammy – so…one would assume he knew what he wanted when he co-wrote the show with Jeff Marx & Jeff Whitty.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Mr. Lopez is the youngest EGOT winner on record and he accomplished it in the shortest time span on record – ten years!
There is actually no ‘gray area’ in regards to this character. Don’t believe TFP? On we go to the lyrics:
Christmas Eve enters and sings:
Your lives suck? I hearing you correctly? HA!
I coming to this country, for opportunities.
Try to work in Korean deli, but I am Japanese.
But with hard work I earn two masters degrees in social work.
And now I a therapist. But I have no clients.
And I have an unemployed fiance and we have lots of bills to pay.
It suck to be me. It suck to be me.
I say it sucka, sucka, sucka, sucka, sucka, sucka, sucka, sucka,suck!
It suck to be me!
Music & Lyrics by Bobby Lopez and Jeff Marx
So the first question that TFP wants to answer, regardless of the specifics of the Cincinnati production is – should non-Asians be cast in the role of Christmas Eve?
The answer please, Ms. Nicole Scherzinger?
When you cast a non-API person in the role of Christmas Eve, you wind up turning her into Mickey Rooney – and that is not cool – don’t believe TFP, take a look –
If the sight of that photo does not send shivers down your theater loving spine, then
You may be the most liberal person you know – you may love the show with every fiber of your being, you may be a card carrying member of everything – if you cast a non-Asian person as Christmas Eve, the song is not the only thing that is a little bit racist.
TFP acknowledges that the Actress playing Christmas Eve in the Cincinnati production has stated that her ‘great, great, great grandmother was from the island of Ma’ohi in Tahiti’.
GREAT!
Wait..how many is that removed? Count with TFP, she’s bad at math…
The Actress, Her Parent, Her Grandparent, Her Great Grandma, Her Great Great Grandma, and her Great Great Great Grandma. That is seven! A -ha- ha! Or perhaps six…TFP is not sure if you count the last person…or does one not count the first person?
(Now, if one was Native American and had ‘blood quantum‘ laws to deal with, that would be an issue, but APIs do not have that)
The theater producers said they did not want to ‘judge’ someone on their Asian-ness so they went forward and cast her.
Obviously their next production is Show Boat.
DNA is DNA – that is not the issue. The issue is – is the story being served in a way that honors the original intention?
TFP would say that the casting of Gary Coleman and Christmas Eve are of tremendous import to the effectiveness of the show.
In a show that deals with stereotype and intolerance, it’s important to keep the authors’ intent in mind when producing it. It is not all about “The Internet is for Porn” and “Loud as the Hell“, it’s also about “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist‘ – or did you not watch the last Democratic Debate in Flint?
The main issue is that Christmas Eve is an immigrant character. First generation. The background of her story is such that it provides reason to use her to skewer certain tropes, particularly, for example when Brian, her fiance, in order to prove he is not racist, says to Princeton, “How many Oriental wives have you got?” – after which, Christmas Eve brings the rain, and then acknowledges her own prejudices.
Which affects the show.
Which means this falls under the domain of the Director, Elizabeth A. Harris. She was backed by the Producers. They are the ones who are in charge of casting, no Actress casts themselves.
One imagines that there were others in the audience similarly affected.
Unless they were all Trump supporters, and then one supposes they all thought it was great.
Look, TFP always has a hard time convincing people that she is 2nd generation Irish American…
so she can acknowledge that the struggle for mixed race people is real – after all, she has never been cast in The Beauty Queen of Leenane.
As to other reports that Christmas Eve is regionally played by Caucasians – this post is to acknowledge the profound sadness that TFP feels seeing how easily people dismiss the contributions of API female performers in musical theater. How our ‘worth’ is viewed as inconsequential beside someone’s need to tell this lovely little ‘dirty puppet show‘.
Just do the typical, insensitive production of The Mikado if you are going to whitewash- at least we know what to expect.
(Kidding, totally kidding on that one – DO NOT DO A RACIST MIKADO)
The role of Christmas Eve is in one of…here is the list – Flower Drum Song, Miss Saigon, Avenue Q, Allegiance, School of Rock, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, King and I – 8 musicals where an API female is ‘required’.
South Pacific does not always cast Bloody Mary with an API, so though one thinks of it as ‘required’, TFP has seen it an equal number of times with someone who is a minority, but not API.
It is the only straight up comedy.
Spelling Bee is comedic, but has dark moments, TFP does not consider it as broad a comedy piece.
Even hearing about college productions or local productions where she is played with no thought for what the authors’ intended gives TFP ‘the sads‘.
As she said previously, the production in Cincinnati is not the first time she has heard of this issue – friends have mentioned it in passing, like seeing Bigfoot or a Unicorn – but this is the first time she has read such a passionate questioning from the local press, and for that reason, she felt she had to address it.
As stated at the top, this is somewhat personal, and if TFP has stuck up for The King, and the Orphan of Zhao, and everyone else – she must stick up too for Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve is a game changing API character in musical theater – there is nothing submissive about her – she is ballsy and tough and she has a kick ass song, as well as punchlines.
It is not too different from Jessica on Fresh off The Boat on ABC.
(FOTB has been renewed for a third season, a historic third season, btw.)
For that reason, the casting of Christmas Eve needs to be done with acknowledgment and respect – or it should not be done. If you cannot find an appropriate Gary Coleman or Christmas Eve – do not produce the show. If you went ahead and those two parts were knowingly stripped of their ethnicity, that just proves that you do not understand the show at all.
TFP does not accept the ‘we cannot find any’ excuse that will no doubt be lobbied whenever the whitewashing of Christmas Eve comes up for two reasons –
First – the show is almost (ack!) 15 years old, just like any other show over a decade old, in that time, people have learned to sing this music.
Second: If someday it may happen that an Eve cannot be found – go down your little list and make a damn phone call and get someone who can do the role! This excuse can be solved by an index finger, a smart phone, and free wifi at a coffee shop.
It is really that simple.
However, let’s throw it back to Christmas Eve herself – she allows for knowledge to be acquired – let us hope this ‘experience’ of being called to the table was worth the ‘learning’ it shared.
TFP was reminded of this quote by Ann Harada, which was pretty badass, in response to this situation.
Here’s the quote:
Now that everyone has fallen out of the nest and been eaten by a bird a few times, let’s try and do better.
TFP out.
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
The Fairy Princess has been asked…repeatedly…what she thought of the Oscars. She didn’t really want to discuss it, but people keep asking.
Overall, she thought they were boring.
Binary discussions of race are boring. Binary discussions of racial discord in this country leave out so many, they should not be even considered as adding to a significant conversation.
A word about the #OscarsSoWhite – TFP had the honor of meeting and chatting with, and totally enjoying a conversation with the creator of that hashtag campaign, April Reign, at BroadwayCon.
TFP knows firsthand that #OscarsSoWhite was always inclusive, she knows it was always to be an open invitation to all People of Color, LGBT, Differently Abled, and so on – it was to be an inspiration. It was never to be an attack or an exclusionary hashtag campaign. It was never meant to mean that discussions of race are binary within the United States.
Chris Rock and Reggie Hudlin misunderstood the message. Perhaps because they felt under attack – but they misunderstood. And what was with they playing off Oscar Winners of Jewish heritage with Wagner? Come ON?
TFP was a music major – you’d better know she caught that one!
Did she think the Opening Monologue had a lot to say…well, sure, but she doesn’t know that talking about how disruptive Jada Pinkett Smith has been to the Oscar Show is the effective use of a Host’s time, nor did it come out as anything resembling the smart and funny comedy that Chris Rock has displayed time and time again.
He was sporting some Good Hair though.
TFP is a fan of Chris Rock, or she was, and might be again at some point – however this blog today is to celebrate some cool things that are going on, not revisit old stuff – and by now the Oscars is old stuff.
However she did want to say something to both Sascha Baron Cohen and Chris Rock as a Parent – and then she will leave it to better minds than hers to analyze and dissect.
As a Parent, watching you ‘diss’ Asian people – both by emasculating the Asian male and by telling us that Asian kids are both geniuses and child sweat shop workers – you made me scared for my kid.
Some might think that is an exaggeration.
How can you watch an Awards ceremony and feel scared for your kid, just because a couple of hundred very rich people laughed at jokes about his heritage?
TFP was scared for her kid because it is quite clear, at least in this broadcast, that Asian Americans are not included in America – in the America that was represented at The Oscars. Also, not only were people that looked like him NOT included, they mocked people that look like him. Those people that laughed at those two instances, laughed ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
The Oscars are not a finite American Broadcast – they go internationally.
Sascha Baron Cohen and Chris Rock – you made me fear for my son, that if he goes internationally to any other country than an Asian one – including by the way Australia which he has direct lineage from – he will be mocked, possibly attacked – either physically or verbally because you have endorsed this kind of prejudice and helped it spread across the globe.
People will think he is an easy target, because even though he is only 3.5, you have emasculated his heritage- TFP has resolved herself to making sure, now, more than ever before, that he can defend himself physically and verbally – and trust and believe – you are not ready for the rain that is coming.
Comics are comics – TFP’s kid is her kid. You have made it unsafe for him, in a world that is already fraught with the normal xenophobia, you have both shown kids of other disenfranchised groups and kids of groups with advantages, who will suffer their own growing pains, a reason to take down my kid physically or verbally. You showed them this is socially acceptable. You both gave them the tools in this Oscar Broadcast, you gave them the “reasons” – physically or verbally he could be hurt because of your actions.
Both of which could scar him.
So you go sell those Girl Scout cookies to millionaires in an attempt to appear as a regular concerned Parent, when you and your wife are involved in a dispute about your $70 Million dollar fortune – and you think about that, Chris Rock. You have 3 kids, Mr. Cohen – so when you tuck them in at night, consider that you have made the world just a bit unsafer for TFP’s kid.
TFP had one more thought…
Now on to some good things – the casting for the new Broadway show NERDS was announced and TFP’s ‘Brother from another Mother“, Raymond J. Lee is in this new company at the Longacre Theater in NYC.
Along with fellow cast member Katie Lee Hill, they are holding it down for the APIs.
NERDS is exciting for a few reasons – female director – Casey Hushion, diverse cast, and well, because it is new! Although The Longacre Theater is feeling a bit Hunger Games for API’s right now – 30 go in, 2 come out… ALLEGIANCE we miss you – she wishes the cast and crew a long and happy run.
Geek it out, NERDS! Meet you in the Broadway Computer Cluster!
Now, TFP knows that people will start screaming about ‘quotas’, this is not about quotas at all, it’s about access.
It is about all those folks banging away at their laptops with the next great TV show or film, getting past the rejection pile simply because they are not represented by the top 3 agencies. This is about the actors who keep trying and trying and trying – who are trained and marvelous, but who often get rejected because the Casting team feels they are not the ‘right look’, getting a chance to come in for more than one or two lines at a time. This is about kids who always grabbed a camera to go out and fram a shot, or edit sound, or any of the hundreds of other jobs in production – it’s about them getting a shot – that is it.
Could this all result in ‘business as usual’ on film sets? Of course. But TFP is willing to see if Mr. Abrams can make a change – he’s a pretty ballsy guy. Let’s choose to go with this and see what happens. Two things Mr. JJ – TFP will be watching this closely, and also…she’s available!
The Asian American Film Lab 72 Hour Shootout Competition Registration process has BEGUN!!!! Yes it has – that means in 72 hours, once the the theme is announced, within 72 hours, contestants have to submit a short film which will be judged by Industry Sponsors. TFP is proud to be a media sponsor for this event – which is an active way for people to gain recognition, experience, and accolades which empowers their careers as filmmakers.
It’s helmed by the brilliant Jennifer Betit-Yen, produced by Youn Jung Kim, and honestly, it is a hoot and a half to be there to see the theme announced, watch last minute pair ups for crews and then watch them all tear out of the room. TFP saw it last year – it was awesome. (Photo by Lia Chang)
The website run by Phil Yu is looking to fund another year. What started as an outlet for his personal use has grown into a full time job, that website is of course – Angry Asian Man.
The website is having it’s annual subscription campaign, and would be grateful if you would contribute.
Likewise Drag Sensation – Miss Coco Peru,
has a kickstarter campaign going on to turn her show, “Conversations with Coco’, which has been a sensational fundraiser for LA’s LGBT Center, into a pilot. Her first guest will be someone who could probably host the Oscars and do it in a faster, smarter way – Lily Tomlin!!!!
Wolf Trap Opera has announced their season today – Wolf Trap is a place that shows America what Diversity in Classical Music can and should look like. If you are an opera lover, or if you want to see yourself reflected in the Opera Scene – TFP suggests you go and visit Wolf Trap this summer. They will be putting up three operas – The Rape of Lucretia, L’opera Seria, and La Boheme.
There you go – there is a few cool things that are helping TFP get through the week. Let’s remember we are all in this together and if you happen to be a registered Democrat – there is a bit of voter fatigue going on – don’t let Drumpf happen!
TFP rarely turns the blog over to anyone, but take it away John Oliver – TFP Out!
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