Norm Lewis Replacement?- Page 6

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 12:30am

I am absolutely able to separate the two.
1. She was not a child. She was underage. Big difference.
2. He was stupid.
3. He was stupid.
4. He was stupid.
5. She was stupid.
6. She was absolutely underage, but absolutely predatory herself.
7. She reported it for outside motive and bragged as such in her college days.

Do I need you to agree with me? No.
Am I giving him a free pass? None whatsoever.
Condemn him as you like, but condemn him for what he did, and what he did and was convicted of. Why some people here insist on trumping up their own false charges is absolutely beyond me. You have enough ammo without falsifying anything. Updated On: 1/13/15 at 12:30 AM

[Taryn]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 12:51am

There should be a ****ing countdown clock waiting for the first mention of "The teenage girl was being predatory" in cases of statutory rape.

[Starship]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 12:52am

And the victim blaming begins.....

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:03am

...What the **** was the casting discussion like, is my question. I would really like to have sat in for that bull****. Who made excuses, who wanted to ignore it, how many brilliant actors did they not even consider before him, what positive thing did they see in him coming on after the excitement of Norm and Sierra?

It makes zero sense. There's no draw to his name. His Christmas album funding project is nowhere close and it isn't going to happen in less than 20 days. I'm just very confused about everything in this situation.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:17am

I too don't see what is making him worth the risk. Maybe they weren't expecting such backlash, or maybe the backlash seems like more than what it actually is because we're in the community.

If this does grow, I hope that audience members don't begin yelling out during performances the way that they are doing during Cosby's shows in Canada.

Speaking of Bill Cosby why would they run a risk like this, in the height of a much more severe, but similar case.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:20am

No one, including me, is "blaming the victim".
The adult has the responsibility.
Nevertheless, I won't pretend to paint things with an untrue brush. The girl in question had no problem wearing it as a badge if honor in college and never flinched twice if anyone mentioned the odd coincidence in her timing if the reporting, which is more than a hair predatory. I did not say she entrapped him.
So no, I wont make excused for HIM and I won't wallow in the corner and say "oh, you poor girl." No more, no less.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:25am

And to provide a little context, there is a Broadway dancer turned choreographer who was in a show as a 15 year old in the late 1990s who developed a crush on a conductor who was around 30. Said 15 chased that conductor and sought emancipation from their parents solely to pursue said conductor. They became an item when that dancer was underage but declared legally an adult and are still together to this day and are a strong couple. Should I chase that conductor with a pitchfork too??

[Starship]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:33am

It's illogical to compare two VERY different cases. Each case is its own beast.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:41am

No, it is no logical. People here are discussing a matter of age AGE.
Mr. Barbour did not force himself on anyone, he did not drug anyone, he did not do anything of that nature nor was that accusation ever made. The issue was a matter of age of consent, so really, not all that different other than the matter of one being declared legally an adult before something happened...

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 2:41am

"so really, not all that different other than the matter of one being declared legally an adult before something happened..."

So...completely 100% different? Your story is about a dancer being a legally considered an adult. Barbour's is not.

The problem with seriously looking at both parties is that it can so easily be misconstrued as victim blaming. Of course I think she knew what she was doing, but the fact is: the ball is in his court. A minor can chase after adults all they want but the adult is the one who makes it happen. That's just how it works.

I don't think this can be viewed like Ruth Wilson's take on affairs. I see no "gray area". You make choices and then you deal with the consequences.

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 02:41 AM

[Taryn]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 10:46am

"I'm not victim blaming, I'm just saying that we should also talk about what the fifteen-year-old did to cause her sexual encounter with a mid-thirties man."

This is the sort of attitude that directly leads to things like that judge excusing an adult teacher for having a sexual relationship with his high school student because she "acted older than her age." There is a reason why statutory rape laws exist, and it's because children and teenagers are done developing -- mentally, physically, or emotionally. Sometimes kids want to have sex with adults. That's why it's the responsibility of the adults to NOT HAVE SEX WITH KIDS.

And yeah, I find that story about a conductor marrying a 15-year-old pretty gross, too.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 10:58am

I too don't see what is making him worth the risk. Maybe they weren't expecting such backlash, or maybe the backlash seems like more than what it actually is because we're in the community.

If this does grow, I hope that audience members don't begin yelling out during performances the way that they are doing during Cosby's shows in Canada.

Right. If he had been cast as Raoul in, say, 2000 or something, then no big whoop at the time; he had the looks and voice. But now? It's a potential PR nightmare. I think you're also right about the "community" thing, but it's also just a matter of time before Reidel picks this up.

I highly doubt people will be yelling things during the show. At the stage door, maybe. But 90% of the audience probably doesn't know who he is, and doesn't know who the phantom actor is at any given time anyway. Which is another reason why I'm bewildered as to why Phantom thought it was worth the risk. It's not like it was a low-profile case in the theatre world, and they had to have taken it into consideration. Were they that misguided?

Tangentally related: it seems they've stopped deleting comments on FB.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 11:00am

Maybe they thought that because Barbour has been working consistently since the verdict and even was cast in the Broadway debut of the ill-fated Rebecca without backlash, that this could happen without controversy.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 12:28pm

Guess they were wrong, Kad. Seriously, there's TWO threads about this now? Honestly, I hope Macintosh and Prince stand by their decision to cast him. I would understand people "raising an eyebrow" at this casting decision, but the overwhelmingly hostile internet response is...a bit much.

Again, what he did was wrong. No question. But it was a long time ago, he's paid for his crime and we can be confident he's learned his lesson, so please world: calm down, move on, and worry about something more important than who's playing The Phantom of the friggin' Opera.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:08pm

There's only ONE THREAD now.

You can thank yours truly for that!

[DAME]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:11pm

I think this one has been edited as well. But I am not sure.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:12pm

I've done enough damage for the day.

I need to behave myself and stop pissing people off.

Aww, who am I kidding?

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:15pm

"There's only ONE THREAD now."

I have faith in you. You can make this one disappear, too.

[DAME]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:17pm

You haven't pissed anyone off . I think everyone here can take it.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:17pm

I can do a lot of things...I have THAT MUCH POWER!

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:19pm

Yes. Please do your best to suppress an important conversation on a critical issue. Good job.

[DAME]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:19pm

Liza lighten up.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:20pm

Yes. Please do your best to suppress an important conversation on a critical issue. Good job.

I was just taking after YOU dear heart!

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:21pm

I would never suppress. I believe in an open robust exchange of ideas and thoughts; no matter how difficult, ugly, controversial, etc.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 3:23pm

Oh girl...re-read what DAME wrote and apply liberally.