Thoughts on Cynthia Erivo

[HD1313]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:00am

~This is all purely my opinion and probably an unpopular one before anyone comes at me~ I wasn't sure where to post as she is a Broadway and West End performer, but does anyone not particularly like Cynthia Erivo all that much? Don't get me wrong, her performance in The Color Purple was MORE than worthy of the Tony and hearing her sing "I'm Here"gives me goosebumps all over, so, after The Color Purple hype, I was really looking forward to her performance in The Last Five Years...which was kind of a let down for me. It could've been an off-night for her, which is unfortunate cause it was a one night only event if I remember correctly, but I really just didn't get a lot of emotion out of her portrayal as Cathy, and I didn't think her vocals sounded all that great with the score either. And performing aspects aside, her twitter presence makes her come across to me as someone who is not all that welcoming of opinions other than her own, and maybe has a little case of an inflated ego. I have seen other comments on these boards of her former west end co-stars feeling the same way - don't know if this was true - but if so, could anyone expand on that? Again, this is all purely opinion and I don't wanna offend anyone who is a big fan of Cynthia's! 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:03am

She's an incredible talent, but her Twitter looks like it's run by a 16 year old girl.  She needs to learn to block out the haters and not engage with them.

[Audrey33]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:07am

One of the most outstanding vocalists around.

Average-to-decent actress.

Incredibly irritating on social media.

[Audrey33]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:09am

And yes it's true that her West End peers dislike her and openly say so on their Twitter accounts. A few weeks ago when the Hercules dreamcasting drama was going down with Cynthia she ended up openly arguing with them.

They basically think that since she's had success in the US she has become incredibly egotistical and ungracious.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:16am

Not being gracious to whom? What do you even mean? Should she just shut up and cater to whatever this country's elite class wants and loves? She is entitled to her opinions just as much as you are to yours, and it's incredibly ironic that in a country branding itself for its "freedom," or whatever it stands for, her being opinionated is considered not "gracious."

Updated On: 8/6/17 at 01:16 AM

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:16am

Love her onstage, cannot stand her on social media. I'm literally afraid to compliment her on Twitter, because I've seen her jump down people's throats for the tiniest things. I get that it's kind of a poopy world right now, but sometimes she just needs to take a breath and let people live. And YES, with the dreamcasting thing. That was so rude and ungracious. If someone tells you something that is meant to be a compliment, just say thank you, and go on about your day. Or don't say anything at all.

To me, it sounds like her success has more than gone to her head.

[Audrey33]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:47am

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Not being gracious to whom? What do you even mean? Should her just shut up and cater to whatever this country's elite class wants and loves? She is entitled to her opinions just as much as yours, and it's incredibly ironic that in a country branding itself for its "freedom," or whatever it stands for, her being opinionated is considered not "gracious.""

I'm literally just reporting what her London co-stars and peers have said about her. 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 2:06am

Thoughts on Cynthia Erivo....hmm...I like her. I really, really like her. Anything else you wanna know?

[Princeton2]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 2:45am

Her BF (if they are still together) is also annoying on social media and seems to have let one major role (Aladdin) go to his head.

She can still have an opinion without attacking people , no one should ever assume they are 100% right. Ive had a few occasions where ive disagreed with an actors viewpoint, theyve replied and we actually had an interesting debate where we both took on a bit of the others viewpoint. made me like.and respect them a.lot more.

 

In fairness though, they wouldnt be the first to do this, and at least they dont hide their ego i guess.  Ive seen some (quite well worshipped stars on the uk boards) act and think very differently when fans arent around.

[HennySlay]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:11am

What West End costars have turned on her?

[HD1313]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:21am

Basically the gist of what I got from reading ~most~ of her recent twitter drama over the Hercules dream casting (it was hard to read all of those quote tweets) was, someone dream casted Cynthia as what she felt was an "ensemble" role, she turned it into a racial slam, then someone called her bluff, which I assume the person who called her out sort of knew her personally because at one point he said something along the lines of "that girl I knew a few years ago"?, and then she turned it back on him by calling him sexist

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:26am

She's working her way towards Lauryn Hill territory

[ukpuppetboy]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:35am

Audrey33 said:
"I'm literally just reporting what her London co-stars and peers have said about her. "

aka ****-stirring. 

[Audrey33]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:38am

ukpuppetboy said: "Audrey33 said:
"I'm literally just reporting what her London co-stars and peers have said about her. "

aka ****-stirring. "

HD1313 explicitly asked so I answered. It's not **** stirring when it's all done for the public to see, it's public knowledge.

London theatre stars that have tweeted about her: Sabrina Aloueche, Ben Forster, Darren Bell, Benjamin Yates, Chris Jenkins, Scott Alan, Dale Evans, Simon Lipkin, Simon Bailey, Scott Garnham and probably more.

[HD1313]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:41am

Correcting myself: She did say later on in her replies that she doesn't think of the Muses (which she was dream cast as) as ensemble, but rather, accessories to the story. But I do find it interesting that once Playbill dream cast her as Meg she didn't feel the need to make a fuss about the other insanely talented women of color that playbill still dream cast as Muses

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 3:44am

HD1313 said: "Basically the gist of what I got from reading ~most~ of her recent twitter drama over the Hercules dream casting (it was hard to read all of those quote tweets) was, someone dream casted Cynthia as what she felt was an "ensemble" role, she turned it into a racial slam, then someone called her bluff, which I assume the person who called her out sort of knew her personally because at one point he said something along the lines of "that girl I knew a few years ago"?, and then she turned it back on him by calling him sexist

 

"

I agree that she has gone off the rails with some of her fights, but she does concede her fault when she agrees she was wrong. She does it more conspicously than the actual arguments which I'm sure she'll learn to work out. Her fights get more viral attention than her apologies.

 

Re: the Hercules dream-casting fight, I was on her side 100% . It wasn't just about being an ensemble role. She has actively been saying she wants to break the black-woman-on-stage stereotypes. They are more often than not "accessories" to the actual story, exploited for comic-relief. Muses are a prime example of that. She has previously said she wants to play women with desires, & who are desired. She wanted to know why exceptionally talented black women were passed over for Megan dream-casting, and delegated to a Muse role - this person had likes of Danielle Brookes, Jennifer Hudson, & Anika Noni Rose as other Muses with (I think) Benanti as Megan. The person escalated it further by saying Erivo should be thankful that fans thought of her - and she said I don't have to be thankful because (in her opinion) you think so little of me and my sisters, and you're being awfully privileged if you think world owes you a thanks for saying someone's name out loud. It went forever from there. The "girl" comment was really one of her previous acquaintance almost trying to cash in on the event to get some Twitter action, insulting a 30+ year adult woman with casual sexism, and piling on her because that was cool to do at that time on social media.

 

(My two cents)

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 4:13am

I have a feeling that if they had dream cast the muses as anything but black she would have had a big problem with that too.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 4:26am

Valentina3 said: "someone dream casted Cynthia as what she felt was an "ensemble" role, she turned it into a racial slam,

She has actively been saying she wants to break the black-woman-on-stage stereotypes.

The muses are "accessories" to the actual story, exploited "

Breaking those stereotypes is not done by presenting yourself as the biggest race queen out there, literally saying you are above anyone else, and that you're too good for small roles.

Small roles don't exist. Only small actors.

Getting engaged into a fight with a fan about a fantasy, a fan who clearly thinks highly of these muses and passionately mentioned she would love to hear her sing that part is beyond any form of professionalism or character, and really accentuates how pathetic Cynthia is. She should visit a good psychiatrist before things get out of hand. 

Does she realize she is fighting against equality this way?

Updated On: 8/6/17 at 04:26 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 4:47am

TotallyEffed said: "I have a feeling that if they had dream cast the muses as anything but black she would have had a big problem with that too.

 

"

This 100 per cent.

Loved her in the Color Purple but she comes across as a racist 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 6:27am

This got wild real fast.......

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 6:40am

Not wild at all , just calling out a racist. Simple as that. 

Sometimes the truth hurts other times it sets you free 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 6:48am

On the Hercules casting discussion I agreed with her sentimate but I think that the discussion  should have been with a hypothetical casting director/ producer I.e If she was invited to audition for a Muse then try to pusuade them to consider her for Megan or post a you tube video of her self covering " I won't say I' m in love", a Megan solo in the movie.  Fighting with some kid on twitter isn't going to achieve anything. It's about picking your battles. 

 

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 6:49am

rosscoe(au) said: "Not wild at all , just calling out a racist. Simple as that. 

Sometimes the truth hurts other times it sets you free"

Um ok.

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 7:02am

She'll be fine.  She's a young woman who is still getting used to being in the spotlight.  Her view of the world will change and grow.  As a mixed black and Asian woman who grew up in America back when there was real, daily, systematic, unapologetic racism, I just want these kids today to realize how much easier they have it now.  I'm not saying that there isn't still a long way to go to completely break down the racism in this country, but times are certainly much easier for actors of color these days and so I hate to see them take it for granted.  That being said, it's really not ok to say that she needs to be institutionalized.  That's kind of scary that you would say that.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 7:19am

^Well, I wouldn't go as far as too say that, but yes, it could hurt her career.  It's very tense right now in America and in the UK and everyone's a bit on edge, but she's really very confrontational on Twitter without much of a reason to be.  It's getting pretty old, but I do understand why she would like to be considered for more roles than just the black gospel greek chorus member #3.  She'd like to play wholesome and human parts and I understand her opinion there, but she doesn't need to bitch out a fan on Twitter over it.  It's just unprofessional.

Also, I can't recall her posting anything that could be considered "racist."  Most of her posts about race involve her expressing pride and love for her skin color and her culture, which isn't a bad thing at all.