Does Lola in kinky boots have to be played by an African American actor? - Page 2

Posted: 10/19/13 at 12:20pm

Playbill shows two actors of color as standby/understudy for Lola.
So if that white dude went on, somebody better call Harvey

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 10/19/13 at 4:07pm

I am directing West Side Story in which every single person on stage is black.

[siny]

Posted: 10/19/13 at 6:55pm

"I am directing West Side Story in which every single person on stage is black."


Well, Tony's race was never specified and Puerto Ricans can be black too, so I don't see why not.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/19/13 at 8:09pm

I don't see a white guy as an understudy for Lola on that website, but maybe it's just me.

Unless racial is crucial to the play, then it doesn't matter. Plain and simple. That's why you can have Rashaad being the matriarch of an all-white family in "August: Osage County" and no one cares. It's all about suspending your disbelief. We're not going for realism here. It's theater. It's make-believe. The audience knows when a gunshot goes of that that actor didn't actually just die. It's just fake. So, I think the same theory applies to race.

Having a black girl in My Fair Lady wouldn't change anything. If the characters say they're uppercrust British and talk like it, etc, then who cares. I don't think anyone's going to try and point out the historical inaccuracy of it. Look at Les Miz, they're French but speak with British accents and they have all sorts of races. It just doesn't matter.

That said, has there ever been a black Phantom? Or any other race for that matter?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 10/19/13 at 9:23pm

That said, has there ever been a black Phantom? Or any other race for that matter?

Not on Broadway, but in LA there was. Robert Guillaume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itVN6k3bTto

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/19/13 at 11:00pm

Can't say I love his voice, but that's really interesting.

I think the Lola issue is more of a branding issue. It's the same thing most shows deal with. Danny Zuko is always played by the same looking guy with dark hair. Why can't he be played by a blonde guy? Just won't happen. It's not integral to the story, but it's just how the show is done.

People expect the characters in RENT to look a certain way, etc.

[NoHSMisNotAMusical]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 2:28am

Jesus Christ.

There is a precedent of a black actors playing Lola, so Lola should be black. There are enough roles with "Caucasian" or "any race" (meaning probably white) in the description out there, let black people have this.

And this is not comparable to a non-white Billy Elliot or whatever.
Updated On: 10/20/13 at 02:28 AM

[kurt.perry41]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 2:58am

Ok so here's the thing. I would think that in the early stages of casting they could have auditioned Caucasian men for the role and made it work fine, even now they could change the race and have a Caucasian person play the role but it would be very unusual and probably wouldn't happen. If the producers wanted to do so, it would probably be for a star or something, I'm all about as close to color blind casting as you can get, but there is a type for every role. I always thought that Audra would have hade a lovely Eliza.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 3:16am

Alice Ripley's understudy in the tour of Next to Normal was Asian. The rest of the family was not recast or replaced when the understudy went on.

Branding is a good explanation why similar people play the same role, but sometimes thinking outside of the box is what makes something interesting or fresh. I remember seeing an Asian actress play Ellen in Miss Saigon on Broadway, a role usually played by a white actress. It changed the show on so many levels. A black non-standby/understudy Elphaba would be great. Broadway currently has a Latina Elphaba, so that's something of note.

"Lola" is a common term/name in Spanish speaking countries and the Philippines. I'd be interested to see how an actor of another ethnicity would play the role. Father/son struggles are universal as is the acceptance of diversity. Lola's story is one that is very relatable. And anyone familiar with RuPaul's Drag Race knows there are some sassy and soulful Latina and Asian drag queens out there.

[Up In One]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 9:59am

I'd like to see and hear Sam Harris in the role.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 10:48am

"Not quite sure why this is even up for debate. They couldn't define the character's race within the story any more transparently than spelling it out in her introductory number. "

To be fair, I could hardly discern any of the lyrics in the show.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 2:49pm

"I guess Lola doesn't since apparently Paul Canaan was on last night".

I don't think that's correct. Paul is a swing and he may have been on but not for Billy. Billy was out on Thursday... so maybe that's where the confusion started.

So far as I know, I think Tim has been the only one that has been on for Billy so far..though I know that there are two others hoping for the chance (and they are both black).








Updated On: 10/20/13 at 02:49 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 3:36pm

PTop I agree with just about everything you said. With one exception "I think Carrie Underwood would look ridiculous playing Evita"

Do Underwood and Peron look very different? They are both brown eyed blonde Caucasian women. Did Elaine Page look ridiculous playing Evita? Did Florence Lacey, Stephanie Lawrence, Marti Webb, Siobhan McCarthy, Madonna, Nany Opel?

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 10/20/13 at 3:51pm

Nathan Lane would make a great Porgy

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 9:04am

When I was in college (we're talking late 60's here!) one of the school's productions was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and the cast included a black Nick. To me this was a case of color blind casting being a disaster - no dialogue was changed (that is just wrong anyway - Albee did just fine), but to ignore the color of his skin semed preposterous. Martha (and George) would certainly have brought it up, and worked it, in an evening of "fun and games" and insults. In a discussion of the production in a theatre class, i raised the issue, and was roundly attacked for being racist. I don't think I was wrong then or now- sometimes race matters in casting. That same year there was a very mixed cast in a production of "Tartuffe" and I saw nothing amiss there at all.

[Rhoda4]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 12:06pm

I attended the show this past Sunday the 20th and Billy was out - - Tim (black actor) took his place. He did a very good job - but having seen Billy this past spring - I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed.

Updated On: 10/22/13 at 12:06 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 12:24pm

Jemjeb, it's very unfortunate that you were called racist for expressing that view. From what you are saying, your objections, although related to race, weren't racist.

Still, I disagree that George and Martha would have nec. brought up Nick's being black. I can easily see George and Martha avoiding any racist humiliation in their arsenal of rancor. I can also see George and Martha believing that their referring to Nick's being black would be distasteful. The fact that they are dangerously disinhibited characters doesn't mean that they don't have their own boundaries. Clearly, in fact, they have up until that night, had one very marked boundary, which they cross, thus altering their lives forever. They may well have others, including a revulsion to racism, something shared by many 1960s white academics.



Updated On: 10/29/13 at 12:24 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 2:31pm

^^Rhoda, I saw Billy at 54 Below earlier last week and he was really having a hard time with his throat...so he's been in and out. And yes, only Tim has subbed for Billy so far. I think a number of people are sick in the KB company.

It seems that no one to want to stay home for any length of time to fully recover and disappoint their audiences - so these illnesses drag on. I think a number of people in a LOT of shows have been out these past weeks - Matilda & Big Fish to name a few - obviously something going around.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 10:25pm

There is a precedent of a black actors playing Lola, so Lola should be black. There are enough roles with "Caucasian" or "any race" (meaning probably white) in the description out there, let black people have this.

And this is not comparable to a non-white Billy Elliot or whatever.

Why is not comparable to Billy Elliot. The show is not about Lola being black so what the issue of having an Asian or Latino Lola? I'm not saying cast white in an already very white show, but don't always keep it a black & white show because of who played Lola in the movie. The character is not real, it's not based on anybody, it's completely artificial and the character loses nothing being played by a different race.

[disney_princess]

Posted: 10/23/13 at 1:36am

i think it'd be cool to keep an open mind and consider someone else of a different race playing Lola. It might add something different to the part? The only tricky thing is then matching the younger version so it would be an investment in terms of casting.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 11/13/13 at 1:22pm

"I am directing West Side Story in which every single person on stage is black."


Well, Tony's race was never specified and Puerto Ricans can be black too, so I don't see why not.

Siny,
Tony's race is specificed numerous times in the WSS script. Bernardo calls him a Polack twice and Anita says "the whole commercial" line about how Tony's family was born in Poland. And the rest of the Jets are called various European racial epithets by the Jets in the War Council scene. Also, while the Sharks may be black Puerto Ricans, they are repeatedly called "Spics" throughout the show.

[musicaltheatreman2]

Posted: 11/13/13 at 6:46pm

Hello people Lola clearly sings lyrics in the show that indicates that she is black! "I'm your co-co butter bitch" (which btw co-co butter is a term that is referred to black people) and "I'm BLACK Jesus, I'm BLACK Mary"

If she didn't sing those lyrics then I would say Lola can be any race, but since those lyrics clearly indicate her race then leave well enough alone people!!!!

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 11/13/13 at 7:37pm

When is Luvbway or however you spell his screen name showing up to this party with some offensive comment?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/14/13 at 1:50am

If she didn't sing those lyrics then I would say Lola can be any race, but since those lyrics clearly indicate her race then leave well enough alone people!!!!

Lyrics, costumes, wigs, lines, etc. have changed in shows before to accommodate a new actor. Two lines a single song is not enough to sway the idea of another race playing Lola. Is the show about Lola being black? No? Then he doesn't have to be black.