The Fairy Princess has been pretty sick – tis the season, but she did not want you to miss out on some truly unique stuff that is coming up in New York City – according to the Groundhog Spring is but a breath away, don’t miss out!
FIRST UP – The Asian American Film Lab is opening registration on MARCH 1, 2016 for it’s Annual 72 Hour Shootout!
What IS that you ask?
Well, Contestants are given a theme and 72 hours to make a short film on that theme and submit it for a prize. Completely make it – write, shoot, edit and submit it in just 72 hours.
THIS YEAR Teams compete for access to a year of free educational and networking events, mentorships with executives at NBC and more, cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at film festivals, both nationally and internationally.
The competition creates a valuable opportunity for filmmakers of color – focusing on Asian American filmmakers – and women to demonstrate their talent, gain exposure in the entertainment industry and impact the visibility of diverse stories and characters in film. One of the Shootout requirements is that at least one key production member (e.g., director, producer or writer) and a principal actor from each team must be of Asian descent.
Here is a trailer from 2013 to give you an idea.
Past films are able to be viewed on their YouTube Channel, and you can follow them on Twitter – @asamfilmlab
TFP has been at the initial kickoff party before, and at the end of the Shootout and it is a good time, truly. The energy is high, the filmmakers are enthusiastic, and every year the caliber of material gets higher and higher. Last minute crew ups only lend to the festivities – if you are an aspiring filmmaker, this is your shot, shot.
Next Up, the delightfully talented and gorgeous Havilland Stillwell will be performing her solo show at Joe’s Pub on Superbowl Weekend…
Yeah, TFP doesn’t get the football mania that much, but it makes people paint their faces and tackle one another, so she supposes it’s a happy thing?
Anyway, Havilland and TFP have performed on the same bill several times, and honestly, she is a wonderful talent and she could use your support at Joe’s Pub in NYC.
If you have not already checked out the new play WASHER/DRYER by Nandita Shemoy it is running courtesy of the MaYi Theater Company from February 2-20th in New York City.
The Playwrights Realm, a company devoted to finding Playwrights who are on their own journey and helping them achieve their goals through wide ranging support, have mounted a new work – SOJOURNERS by Mfoniso Udofia. The show opened January 21 and is closing on February 13th, so if you have not made it over there, you only have a few days left.
2econdStageTheatre over on W43rd Street in NYC, is having their say with the new play, very diversely cast – SMART PEOPLE by Lydia R. Diamond. That is running until March 6th, so you have a bit more time to get to that than the others.
Also…ALSO…
ALLEGIANCE is closing on Broadway on Feb 14th, 2016 after 37 Previews and 113 regular performances.
If you have not had a chance to see it, TFP requests that you take a moment and try and see if you can get a ticket.
The Fairy Princess, continuing in her quest to bring you bring you all things ALLEGIANCE, as it heads to it’s big Broadway Opening on November 8th, has a very special treat for you now, Hunties….that’s right…five minutes with Ms. Lea Salonga!
Lest you have been living under a rock since the 1990’s, let’s break it down for you – she is the Original KIM in MISS SAIGON in both the West End and Broadway productions, for which she won THE OLIVIER AWARD and THE TONY AWARD,
she is the singing voice of Disney’s MULAN and Jasmine in ALADDIN,
she has appeared as both Eponine and Fantine in LES MISERABLES,
she headlined the Broadway revival of FLOWER DRUM SONG with the new book by David Henry Hwang,
she’s done concerts worldwide, been an mentor on THE VOICE in The Philippines, recordings, films, countless stage shows – it’s probably too endless to type out – and YET…and YET…with all of that, she still was kind enough to take a photo for TFP holding up a “Hi ____” sign, for one of TFP‘s students…in short…fancy – and nice.
So here we go –
TFP: We are sitting here with Ms. Lea Salonga to talk about ALLEGIANCE – don’t worry, the questions will be fun.
LS: Ok. (smiles)
TFP: Well, hopefully – where were you when you first heard ALLEGIANCE was going to Broadway?
LS: Crud, I can’t remember. I think I was in Manila, probably doing The Voice.
TFP: (silently giggling that Lea Salonga said “crud”) What were your thoughts when you heard the news – immediate reaction?
LS: “OH…FINALLY!”
TFP: Right? No kidding. Who was the first person you told?
LS: (smiles) The Husband.
TFP: What is the thing, as an Asian performer, that you want the audience to take away from this show the most?
LS: There’s a lot to take away from this show – there are so many things we ‘hit’. The Japanese American Internment was such a dark part of American history. I’m hoping what people can take away from it (is) that, despite the darkness that happens, despite the rifts that take place within families, it is never too late to get a second chance at finding closure and finding happiness again.
TFP: What is the first big gift you bought yourself with your Broadway ALLEGIANCE money?
LS: The first rehearsal check I just put in the bank.
TFP: Oh, you are so Asian.
LS: (laughs) It goes into the bank, I didn’t splurge on anything. I’m waiting for big occasions like Opening Night.
TFP: I get that.
LS: I’m giving myself a video game console, probably, because there are all these cool games coming out!
LS: I want to play the new Assassin’s Creed so bad!
TFP: I did not see that coming.
LS: Then for Christmas, we’ll probably get more gadgets because…we’re Asian. (laughs)
TFP: You are totally Asian, I don’t know if you know that, but wow, yes you are!
TFP: Last question…it’s not about ALLEGIANCE per se, but it led up to ALLEGIANCE, so..it’s about MISS SAIGON…
LS: (raises eyebrow)
TFP: You know that with recent productions of MISS SAIGON, there have been protestors, there are petitions, and the are starting to get a reaction in some spots. Myself, I’m not for the protesting -my thoughts are, in theater, if you don’t want to see something, no one is forcing you to see it, don’t go.
I think if you are looking at MISS SAIGON and only see prostitution, you are completely missing the point.
LS: You are missing the point.
TFP: So I wanted to ask YOU, because no one has asked you what your thoughts are…
LS: The pickets and the demonstrations and all of the rallies taking place, that’s not anything new. I mean, I remember being in Previews at The Broadway Theater and there were demonstrators that blasted into the mezzanine, and while we were doing scenes from the show -happened to be doing DREAMLAND – which is the opening of the show, where all of the girls are in their skimpiest and we could hear people screaming from the mezz and screaming at us.
I looked up and went “What the hell is going on, I’m trying to do my job here!”
The thing is that the portrayal of the prostitutes is such a small part of the musical – it’s there to set a scene. We don’t see prostitutes for the two hours and twenty minutes that the show is going on. We see where this girl comes from, we see where this guy comes from. And then we have to be invested in what happens to these two – that’s really it. Yes, there are prostitutes but they are there for what, 10 min?
TFP: I agree, and the fact is, we do not see German people out protesting CABARET, we do not see French people out protesting LES MISERABLES, or GIGI, or English people out protesting OLIVER…
LS: Right. You see “Lovely Ladies” (from LES MISERABLES) and what do you think they are? Just because they happen to be Asian Prostitutes? You’re protesting? If you are going to protest prostitution, then you have to protest things like THE LIFE.
LS: You have to protest other shows that portray that – ummm SWEET CHARITY. You have to keep going…so if you are going to protest one, you have to protest everything else… If it’s a generalizing this ‘looking down on the portrayal of women‘, then you have to go to each and every show that portrays prostitution then and protest that.
Because if you are focusing on the Asian prostitutes, ok – what makes the Asian prostitutes different from the Western?
The oldest profession is the oldest profession, no matter where it is performed.
TFP: Exactly.
LS: You have to see the forest for the trees, and some people just don’t.
TFP: Thank you, Ms. Lea Salonga – and there you have it!
Library is closed, we can all go home now – Break Legs on Opening Night and here is to a long and successful run.
The Fairy Princess was able to pop by famed NY Restaurant, SARDI’S and interview a few members of the #ALLEGIANCE family. As the show opens on November 8th, and it is currently November 4th, she thought she would put forth a series of interviews, one a day, leading up to their Broadway Opening.
ALLEGIANCE is notable for many reasons, but primarily, in TFP’s opinion, for showing us a story that falls within the American purview – it is the story of Asian Americans within America. Much like MEMPHIS or RAGTIME or 1776 showed us glimpses of America’s past with song and book- ALLEGIANCE is the first musical on Broadway to bring to light America’s incarceration of it’s own Citizens during wartime, based on nothing more than their heritage.
That being said, Americans have historically displayed xenophobia to immigrants and their generations, be they Irish, Jewish, Italian, African American, Muslim, and so forth, but the Japanese American Internment stands alone as a particularly dark period in the American story.
ALLEGIANCE and the struggles of it’s characters against injustice is a universal tale.
The following is an interview with Actor, Greg Watanabe, who plays the role of Mike Masaoka – who was a real person – and whose actions directly affected the Asian Americans that were incarcerated. Mr. Masaoka is a controversial figure to some – in fact the JACL has issued a statement protesting the use of him as a dramatic character in this piece, but Mr. Watanabe already answered that in this blog.
TFP:We’re here with Greg Wantabe, from ALLEGIANCE – these are some easy questions, so relax, here we go: where were you when you learned you were going to Broadway?
GW: I found out I was going to be in it actually in the room in NY, at Telsey and Company. I went and did the callback and then they said “Hey can you hold on and if you have something else to show us that would be great.” I was like “OK.”
Other people came in and they said “OK, we have cameras by the way, but you’re not going to audition we are just going to ask you some questions.” So with that, I walked into the room with the entire creative team there, and then they were like “What are you doing this summer?” I’m like “I don’t know, looking for work?” and they said “How ’bout being in our Broadway show?”
TFP: That’s awesome!
GW: Yeah, it was totally cool. I probably did not play it off as well as I could have. I didn’t have very good game face on. I was kind of stunned, I was just like “Really? Cool”
TFP: Did you get out of the room and do a victory dance?
GW: I didn’t. I was probably stunned for like, a good month. It was also several months coming, so it’s like…there’s that too. It was just stunning, the whole thing was kind of mind blowing.
TFP: Who was the first person you told?
GW: I think I called my Mom.
TFP: Like a good Japanese son, you called your Mommy!
GW: (Laughs) Yeah, and then I called my Girlfriend. I think I called my sister – I may have texted my sister, and some other friends.
TFP: But Mom was first?
GW: Yeah, Mom was first, I mean, you know…yeah, Mom’s first (Laughs)
TFP: Mom’s always first. I have a boy, Mommy’s always going to be first.
OK, as an API what is the thing you want people to most take away from this show?
GW: As an Asian American and as a Japanese American, I hope that people take away a sense of the importance of social justice, and I know that sounds sort of pretentious. But one of the most important things for me as a Japanese American about the Japanese incarceration experience in World War Two is that is that no one stood up for the Japanese American community – very few people did. The ACLU backed off, the JACL say they did their best but in many ways they did not support many people who were taking constitutional stands. The Quakers were the only ones who said “We’ll provide you safe harbor and some resources” and things like that.
No one else helped us at time when all of this was happening. I think that is the biggest lesson from the incarceration experience itself, that we have to show solidarity and you have to stand up for social justice, you have to keep the Government accountable to it’s own ideals. If our play can do any of that, then that would be the best thing that could happen for me. Not only would other Asian American feel that, but that the wider audience would feel that.
I think that the fact that this particular story has never made it’s way to Broadway – despite the fact that there have been many books and films and regional plays – that it’s never been to Broadway – is sort of a testament to the fact that sort of our– exclusion might be too strong a word – (but it’s lack of attention) from the mainstream storytelling stream media- I hope people see it and feel like “Hey, we can participate” as storytellers on this level and at this scale.
Those two things, that would be what I want people to take away.
TFP: That’s a great answer.
First present you bought yourself with your first Broadway check?
GW: (Laughs) Wow, That’s tough to say. I have to say, I’ve been trying to be frugal, but I always fail. And one of my big weaknesses is just going out and buying food all the time.
TFP: New York has really good food.
GW: Yeah, New York has great food. So I’m like how many purchases have I made that have been like “F##k it, I’m on Broadway!”
TFP: Right? I can get that $8 coffee, I’m on Broadway! Dude!
GW: Yeah, $30 for lunch, sure…why not? (laughs)
TFP: What’s a ‘must have’ that you must have in your dressing room?
GW: One of the things I really like having, and this sounds strange, but I really like having my coat and scarf with me so that when I go lay down somewhere I can lay down on the floor, in the balcony or on a chair or…
TFP: So you’re saying you’re in a Broadway show, but you are laying down in the balcony to catch a nap during tech?
GW: Yeah, well….
TFP: I did that during that during my tech too! No, I totally did that!
GW: (laughs) And between shows! Previews are so grueling, I had no idea how long of a process, how intense it is.
TFP: So that is my last question – you come from 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors sketch comedy and a ton of straight plays where you have gotten awards and nominations – and now you are in a Broadway musical – what is the biggest difference, hardest adjustment for you?
GW: Probably the first adjustment was underscoring. So much of my stuff is exposition that happens in between or as parts of songs – and so I’m really not used to having to start on a beat and end on a beat – even if I’m not singing, that’s still part of my job. I really had to get used to that, that was one of the hardest things.
TFP: It’s hard.
GW: The other aspect was, and I don’t have a huge role, but you know it’s an important role…
TFP: You have a pivotal role. (Greg plays JACL Leader at the time, Mike Masaoka, who was a real person during this time period)
GW: Yes, I have a pivotal role – in fact I’m going to steal that.
TFP: Yes, that’s right, you have to steal that – pivotal role.
GW: The other aspect (to adjust to) was the amount of time to do the choreography and the songs, and all the energy – almost all of it goes to that. So, you don’t do the table work like you do in straight plays, you don’t do the kind of exploration – there is just not the real estate for that, once I got used to that…It gave me a lot of freedom to be able to explore things…Stafford is the coolest director ever, the nicest man and the most accommodating, and if I ever needed anything I could always ask for it.
TFP: In musicals it’s kind of like they just trust that you are a grown up and you are going to do all that on your own and then bring it to school.
GW: That’s right., and then they’ll see about it. I just said “Well, I’ll just make a choice and we’ll deal with it later, or I’ll get a note” (Laughs) But being given the freedom was great, because of that I’m having a great time.
TFP: And I am sure we will all have a great time watching you, Congratulations!
The Fairy Princess has been lax – no, not hanging in LA, just lax in general because she has been checking out what is going on with Asian Americans in Entertainment, and, truthfully – it is getting better. So she wanted to point you in the direction of some things you may/may not be aware of, and just…well, see if it gives you any hope.
FRESH OFF THE BOAT, DR. KEN and QUANTICO ALL GET FULL SEASON ORDERS!
Thanks ABC – that was well done.
And over at The CW – the writers at Crazy Ex-Girlfriend have given “Josh Chan” – played by Vincent Rodriguez III – his very own boy band number to accompany their full season order!
It’s like a K-Pop video with only your favorite member in it!
In other news about singing and dancing Asian Americans…..
ALLEGIANCE has officially ‘frozen’ their show!
Oh sorry, that’s a GOOD thing – it means that, for those who have been keeping up with this groundbreaking show, that the changes that have been occurring on almost a daily basis during their Previews are concluded. The show is ‘Frozen”, in other words – anyone viewing the show from now until the Opening on November 8, 2015, will be seeing the same show.
In ad finitum.
ALLEGIANCE is not the ONLY show that one should be aware of – oh no, my children…there is yet ANOTHER show aside from that has an Asian American Cast entering it’s previews…
The show is called CHARLES FRANCIS CHAN JR’S EXOTIC ORIENTAL MURDER MYSTERY.
Some may see this title and think…
but TFP is here to tell you to NOT lose your sh*t.
Hold on to it, because this is being produced by the National Asian American Theatre Company, and it is written by esteemed playwright, Lloyd Suh.
Here is the log line: 1967: The auspicious beginnings of a new political identity called Asian American, a young literary hippie named Frank essays an inscrutable Chinese detective. A harmless sing-song orientalist minstrel show that ENDS IN A GROSTESQUE CARNIVAL OF MURDER!
If you go to www.naatco.orgyou can find ticket information – it is running from November 2-21st. Tickets are $40.
Directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar and starring Jeff Biehl, Jennifer Ikeda, Peter Kim, Orville Mendoza, KK Moggie, Jeffrey Omura
Other cool things to look for – BD Wong on GOTHAM, AMC’s INTO THE BADLANDS which is new, but also AMC’s Hell on Wheels…kinda rocking TFP’s world there AMC!
There is some stuff going on!
For those who are mourning the possible death of The Walking Dead’s GLENN, played of course by Steve Yeun, there was a particularly funny ‘take’ on what some consider to be television tragedy over at You Offend Me, You Offend My Family website, posted by Phil – and I will leave you with that.
The Fairy Princess has had a busy week – she was able to go to the Asian American Film Lab’s72 Hour Shoot Out Party, and hang with some of the very talented filmmakers and cast members. The AAFL is one of those organizations that TFP truly enjoys – under the direction of Jennifer Betit-Yen, the AAFL has it’s own YouTube Channel, which you can easily subscribe to.
AAFL helps bring diverse voices to the forefront – providing them access to information, seminars, screenings, workshops…anyway, it is a great organization, and TFP was thrilled to be able to support them.
She has been a fan a long time, and most recently co-hosted their “Focus On The Philippines” series –
You can watch all the winning films from this year’s 72 Hour Shootout (all the writing, production, and editing has to be completed within 72 hours) on their You Tube Channel, as well as on various local channels in your area.
Congrats to all the participants!
So…yes, TFP was feeling in a good place about Diversity and Representation, after all…ALLEGIANCE has put up it’s banner on a theater and their box office will open September 1, 2015.
HAMILTON is now on Broadway, previews, but….it is up – it opens ‘officially’ on August 6, 2015
not to mention that SCHOOL OF ROCK is coming November 9, 2015 and features a fun, and diverse cast….
Deaf West’s production of SPRING AWAKENING coming back to Broadway, it’s bringing Oscar Winner, Marlee Matlin with it for it’s limited engagement run that starts previews Sept 8, and opens Sept 27, 2015
There is some cool stuff going on on The Broadway, and people are noticing and commenting on it – both on social media and in the mainstream media – PoC are speaking up and asking why are we not represented, and being that there is no good answer, there has been a marked response.
Which is why TFP was chortling at the placement of this particular ‘item”
See that, right there? That on the bottom is an interview with TONY Winner, Lea Salonga, all about how encouraged she is with the diversity of Broadway, sentiments that TFP agrees with, it IS encouraging.
Until you realize that right above it, ABOVE Diversity, there is the announcement of the casting of the revival of NOISES OFF at The Roundabout Theater Company, and as it is the FIRST story, that takes precedence – ie, it was deemed more important.
Lea Salonga is hoping there is a shift, but her hope has been dashed as one can see because although she is a TONY WINNING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, who is opening a new show in the Fall of 2015, her interview was bumped from the ‘top spot’ by an announcement of a cast for a show that will not ‘open’ till January 2016!
Which is…wait for it…NEXT YEAR!
Journey with TFP now, let us take a look at the cast for the revival of NOISES OFF and see why it should be the lead story….
TFP is thinking something….
Now, before everyone gets all up in a tilt -a- whirl about ‘well, King and I is up and Saigon is coming back, and if Allegiance is coming too…you have nothing to complain about if we want to have an all white play up....” and whilst that is a point, there are two issues at hand with this:
1. The above cited pieces are all musicals, not straight plays
2. The Roundabout has an issue with casting minorities.
The Roundabout, in a study cited by Playbill.com dealing with the 2012 season, was the fourth LEASTlikely to cast diverse in New York City. So that is the point – if it was another company producing, perhaps TFP would not have noticed (not like there is blinding diversity in straight plays on Broadway) – but it was particularly egregious to TFP that once again, The Roundabout is choosing to not cast minorities. While they did not hold the ‘top spot’, they were fourth down on the list, which is…troubling.
That is Andy Karl and TONY Winner Jessie Mueller all browned up for a production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, where they were portraying 1/2 Sri Lankan characters at The Roundabout.
The kerfuffle over that incident was supposed to lead to a ‘closed door’ meeting on their Diversity in Casting…one can only imagine that it was not quite as successful a meeting as it could have been.
Now, as stated, The Roundabout has little to no diversity amongst it’s castings – but that is a manifold discussion to have and here is what people who want to argue will say about it.
1. The Best Actors got the job.
No one knows if the ‘best’ actors got the job, because no one knows who was called in to audition for the job. In the case, and with this cast, it does seem that quite a few of them would have been a direct offer – which leads to the next argument.
2. They went with ‘stars’.
In the United States we have ‘stars’ of every different hue, and that it would in fact, be smarter of them to try and diversify the cast to get an influx of new audience members who would be interested in seeing varied countenances.
One would also have to point out, that not everyone in the cast – while all very talented one is sure – qualifies as ‘stars’ (that is not a diss, it’s a career trajectory point of fact) so the ‘stars’ thing is not a valid rebuttal.
3. The Actors require British Accents
Has one looked and seen the racial diversity of Britain?
Not everyone in London looks like any odd Royal in a Can anymore – there are diverse faces in the UK, or have you not heard Lenny Henry’s speech recently?
You may need a refresher….
Plus which, they might decide to do it sans British accents. Regardless, ethnic minorities in the UK have accents from the UK, and that is not a valid rejoinder.
The interesting thing is that in London proper at the Finborough Theatre, they are mounting the new play- WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE, written by Steven Hevey and directed by John Young, and…well….take a look at the cast…Rita Arya, Gary Beadle, Ross Hatt, Paddy Navin, Matt Whitchurch, and Daniel York, yes, a world premiere.
They are in rehearsal and opens in August, full production….look at that, everyone working together, innit?
And what is this new play, this very exciting, very promising looking play about?
“In a city buckling under the weight of a severe housing crisis, Ben and Asma have discovered a borough in London they can finally call their home. However with it’s earthy character and village feel, it isn’t long before this hidden gem becomes the prime location for every other trendy urbanite in the city. As they find themselves under siege from a brutal wave of gentrification, powerless to stop the many charms that had attracted them to the area from being erased, Ben and Asma reach out to the local community for support, but start to question whether or not the damage has already been done.
A timely and important play about the changing face of London.”
Well DONE oh Finborough Theatre! London’s leading Off West End Theatre Company, and one can see why!
Sadly we of The Broadway are casting London in 1982 – she is gutted she cannot see this one.
Look, TFP loves this play, NOISES OFF, she truly does – but this was a ‘no brainer’ in terms of what could be done to embrace the changing world we live in, and the world that this faux theater company is supposed to represent. The last time she saw NOISES OFF, she could not catch her breath from laughing so much, it is honestly that wonderful.
She also knows that the playwright, Michael Frayn has gone back and rewritten things in the past in regards to this play, so the play itself is not set in stone, adjustments have been made in the past, and one assumes that he could make them again – if he so chose.
One of the things necessary to know about this particular play, if you are unaware of it, is that some of the actors play the crew of a theater company, and the truth is, the production crews of a play are diverse.
People who work in theater ARE diverse.
Here, this is a photo from an anniversary of a show about puppets, and there is Producers, Cast and Crew in it, ahem.
Top L-R: John Tartaglia, Carmen Ruby Floyd, SM Beverly Jenkins, Producer Robyn Goodman, Erin Quill, Puppet Wrangler: Phoebe Kreutz, Producer Kevin McCollum
Lower Left: MEMPHIS star: J. Bernard Calloway
Lower Rt: Carmen Ruby Floyd & Erin Quill
In fact, one could argue that there is reason to have a strong South Asian contingent playing the crew based on the changing demographics of the United Kingdom.
4. It is what their subscription base wants
Well TFP wants constant rainfall in California to fill the reservoir, but she understands that she cannot control the weather.
In the case of the subscription base, arguing that people only go to theater to see themselves actually brings the argument back to the need for diversification. Also, one should give the subscription base more credit – they would still buy a ticket if the work was good, even if there was a face or two that did not look like they could share the same foundation shade.
No, no, there is no valid argument to ‘defend’ the lack of diversity in this casting except that it is what the director, Jeremy Herrin, coming from the UK and the director of the esteemed WOLF HALL, Parts 1 and 2, wanted. It is his right, he is the Director, and he had a vision. It is a classic British play, it is a farce, and he cast it as he saw fit – a ‘classic’ fit for a UK that existed in 1982, when the play was first presented.
TFP was curious about Mr. Herrin, and his background, so she did take a look.
Mr. Herrin hails from Scotland and has worked on several things with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Ah, the RSC…. they are the ones that produced The Orphan of Zhao, a play adapted from the oldest play in China – and did not have East Asians play Chinese people.
Once can say this for RSC AD Gregory Doran….his point of view is as strong as it is alarming – and as invasive as Asian carp.
Anyway, it did make TFP laugh that here we are, we pesky minorities, feeling like perhaps we are getting somewhere and things are changing, and yet…Diversity never made it to top billing….not even if the one talking held a TONY Award in her hand.
Fifty smacks of the wand to the Roundabout Theater Company -continuing on in your own grand tradition….
TFP knows people vote in theater by purchasing a ticket….or NOT…she knows which one she will be doing.
As for Playbill.com – TFP is going to hope this was just some alphabetical, random kind of thing…but the irony was definitely there….most definitely.
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