Jessica Vosk- Anita Video

[GreeneStreet]

That accent though.... y i k e s

[Bwayfan292]

Link?

[BroadwayConcierge]

I feel bad that she got bullied about it to the point of having to remove it from her social media.

[Bwayfan292]

BroadwayConcierge said: "I feel bad that she got bullied about it to the point of having to remove it from her social media. "

I guess I missed it, what happened? 

[Sondheimite]

CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SOME CONTEXT?!?!

[CedricOates]

What’s going on

[GreeneStreet]

She posted a video of her singing a song from West side as anita, with a thick Puerto Rican accent and then blamed it on the creative team when she received backlash, saying that her family are immigrants so it justifies the accent. Big ol Yikes!

[BroadwayConcierge]

Jessica Vosk played Anita in The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood back in July. The concert will be broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances series on December 28 at 9 PM.

I'm not sure how much of West Side Story they performed in the concert, but they did "A Boy Like That" at the very least. Vosk is obviously not Latina but she sang the song very well and, yes, in an accent. 

Vosk posted a clip of the song to her Instagram and within minutes, got horrible comments about how she's racist, responsible for whitewashing and the erasure of Latina actresses, etc., and she deleted it thereafter. She posted to her story about feeling badly about the whole thing. I think it's horrible considering she got hired for a job and, well, did the job. She also played Anita at the San Francisco Symphony in 2013 or 2014, so the Bernstein concert creative team ostensibly knew how good a job she could do in the role. But we just live in a time when everything is offensive.

[natashalost]

For anyone who missed the drama: Jessica Vosk posted a video on her instagram of her performing as Anita in a concert production of West Side Story at Tanglewood Music Festival. She was singing the music in a latin accent. People were upset as Jessica is white, and Anita is latina.

Someone screen recorded the video: https://twitter.com/micaeiamartinez/status/1070515678032080898?s=21

Many were upset with how she responded to her fans comments regarding this incident. One Instagram user commented: “Jessica I love you so much but as a latina I would beg you to please think before you do work like this with that accent”

Jessica responded in several comments: “welp. Maybe you should ask the creatives who wanted it that way! oh. I should add this is based on the original production, and it’s what was requested. Maybe send an email?

Screenshot of comments: https://twitter.com/coconuisance/status/1070684701109579776?s=21

 

(I was typing this and didn’t see others posted so sorry if this is related information.)

[Bwayfan292]

Yikes.

[Sondheimite]

1) Send me to Progressive Hell, but I didn't think the dialect she put on in the video was... like... it wasn't the *best* move she could have made but jfc it's not a big deal.  It's a concert where a couple of songs were performed out of context.  She wasn't playing a character, she was singing a song at a concert and she was cast/directed to do what she did by a creative team.

2).  I'm going to assume most of the people complaining weren't people of color but were kids bellow the age of 25 trying to make sure everyone on the internet knew just how "woke" they were.

3).  Yes, YIKES Vosk didn't reply to those comments on instagram in the best way

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Edit: Nvm.

[Bwayfan292]

Sondheimite said: "1) Send me to Progressive Hell, but I didn't think the dialect she put on in the video was... like... it wasn't the *best* move she could have made but jfc it's not a big deal. It's a concert where a couple of songs were performed out of context.

2). I'm going to assume most of the people complaining weren't people of color but were kids bellow the age of 25 trying to make sure everyone on the internet knew just how "woke" they were."

Seems like you are correct. It’s just stan twitter trying to be woke again! Nothing new! 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Here's a "tweet thread" (or whatever it's called, I'm not a Twitter person...obviously) from the person who left a particularly pointed and nasty comment on Vosk's original post.

https://twitter.com/coconuisance/status/1070681207380168704

I think it's a product of our time that people are finding this as something to be mad about. And it's a product of these angry people being beyond mind-numbingly stupid that they're choosing to blame Vosk for this "issue" and not whoever cast her to perform the song. 

[natashalost]

She also later posted an apology on her instagram story which read:
“Hey y’all! I deleted that WSS post and lemme tell you why. Several people commented on my accent and the fact that I sang a song in this concert and was not of Latinx descent. While I was asked to do so, and honored to do so, I hope you all know I hear you and acknowledge what you’re saying completely. (Part 1)”

“I consider myself to be as much of an ally as I possibly can in this community. And while it was a true honor to celebrate the life of [Leonard Bernstein], I understand those of you who’ve written me are coming from. Just know that when you spew hate, you aren’t helping anyone. I’ll have an honest conversation any day. And i will be as educated as possible on these issues. Moving forward, I’ll be sure to make better decisions on my part. Love to all. Even the haters.”

Link to screenshots https://twitter.com/coconuisance/status/1070688409524432896?s=21

[Bwayfan292]

Stan twitter is becoming more of a joke every single day.

[Sondheimite]

There are actual real problems re: theatrical diversity diversity.  And trying to make this a scapegoat battle just proves that the social justice movement started off with the right goals/ideals before crashing/burning into a pile of pretentious straw man arguments built up only so the person presenting the argument can get positive social attention from their peers on the internet.  

[SomethingPeculiar]

Reading her response and trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, it sounds like she was stuck: Someone of her stature has limited negotiation power when it comes to working with conductor/director/creative team. So she could drop out of a high-profile job and damage relationships, OR do it as directed and risk offending people.

Hopefully it can be a learning experience for all involved.


Creative team:  produced by the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood.  conductors: Keith Lockhart, Andris Nelsons, John Williams, Michael Tilson Thomas.  director: James Darrah.  Lockhart and Nelsons were probably making the big decisions for the concert (they run the orchestra), but it looks like Tilson Thomas conducted that song.

[natashalost]

I am latina and I do find a problem with this, moreso on whoever was the casting director for this show than Jessica. If you are casting someone specifically to do the Anita part of a West Side Story song, you should atleast TRY to cast a latina actress. There is a seriously problem with diversity in the theatre industry, and the casting of Jessica sure does not help the problem, neither does her accepting the role. Shame on the casting director.

I think Jessica should have just apologized, accepted that she was wrong and we all could have moved on. 

[GreeneStreet]

But you also have to realize that white puerto rican’s do exist.

[fashionguru_23]

I can't do it. I can't deal with people these days. 

Just wait until this airs on PBS at the end of the month. It's going to be a blood bath. The accent might not have been the best choice. I feel as if people would still be upset if she didn't use the accent, because its a while girl, singing a song that is done by a Puerto Rican character. There is always going to be an issue with someone.

I am now not allowed to perform "A Puzzlement" from The King and I in a cabaret? Because I am not of Thai descent? The song is written in a way that (by today's standards) is offensive. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

natashalost said: "I think Jessica should have just...accepted that she was wrong"

Respectfully, how was she wrong?

[Sondheimite]

Actors need work because actors gotta make bread.  Vosk is a working actor.  She is taking whatever gigs are thrown at her.  No stage actor really ever truly "makes it."  You can be starring on Broadway one year and back to doing dinner theatre the next year.  Stage actors take the gigs they are offered/the gigs they book.

Blame the people who cast her.

Actors ALSO only tend to do what is DIRECTED.  Talk to the director/music director/producer that let this happened/directed this to happen.

Do not blame Jessica Vosk, that's shooting the messenger.  Find the people who actually sent the message.  

But all this is too complicated and too not black/white of an issue for the twitter/insta stans to comprehend.  

[GreeneStreet]

Christy altomare has no russian heritage. Should she be playing anastasia? Or is that not culturally appropriate?

[GreeneStreet]

Patti Murin and Caissie Levy have no Norwegian heritage, guess they cant play Anna and Elsa!