19/20 REVIVALS

[troynow]

So far we have :

Audra in Frankie and Johnny
Glengary Glenross
Whos Afraid...


All white directors, all white playwrights, and no one else of color other than Audra!

Come on!!!,

[Miles2Go2]

I agree that we could use more diversity on Broadway, especially in authorship of plays. But the season hasn’t even started yet. This time last year, we didn’t know Choir Boy (not a revival admittedly) was going to be on Broadway although we did have Denzel in The Iceman Cometh. So can we wait and see what the season brings before we get upset? We don’t even know if Glengarry is coming for sure and what the casting choices will be within it.

[haterobics]

troynow said: "All white directors, all white playwrights, and no one else of color other than Audra!"

Eddie Izzard gets no props for being transgender?

[Synecdoche2]

trans ≠ nonwhite (though it can) - the two are separate categories of people. Also Eddie Izzard isn't trans.

[DoTheDood]

Synecdoche2 said: "trans ? nonwhite (though it can) - the two are separate categories of people. Also Eddie Izzard isn't trans."

https://youtu.be/ARKUJIoeZpw?t=25

[\_(•_•)_/]

My dude, it’s been two productions announced. This type of reaction is a little premature, no?

[Jordan Catalano]

YOU MEAN THERES NO TRANS HATIAN LESBIAN SINGLE MOTHER AMPUTEE RECOVERING ALCOHOLICS BEING REPRESENTED IN PRODUCTIONS NEXT YEAR?!?!

I. AM. OUTRAGED.

[Here I Am]

Wow, people REALLY go out of their way to find something to be offended by...

[LuPita2]

Make sure you super sensitive bros FREAK OUT ON TWITTER so merch from HIGHLY OFFENSIVE shows gets pulled immediately!!!!

[Jordan Catalano]

If you don’t freak out on twitter over an injustice you’ve manufactured in your head, are you even really woke?

[Valentina3]

Lea Michelle will be cast in Ivan Van Hove's WSS as Maria, don't worry. We shall have diversity.

[Jordan Catalano]

^The first truly unlikable Maria is a step in the right direction for equality for everyone.

[troynow]

Thank
You for understanding and agreeing. It is only two shows announced.

I’ll wait, but I really hope it changes. Great point about Choir Boy.

There are so many talented woman of color, and other sexualities, I hope they get a chance to lead on broadway as actors, actresses, playwrights, directors etc...

Kamilah Forbes
Whitney White
Awoye Tiempo
Phylicia Rashad
Schelle Williams

Many more. Lets get new folks, new blood, new work and new visions up there

[Jordan Catalano]

As long as they are new voices that are not male and not white.

[haterobics]

troynow said: "Lets get new folks, new blood, new work and new visions up there"

If there is one thing all revivals always seem to lack is new work... you're onto something there!

[GeorgeandDot]

The sad truth is that the majority of theatre goers are old and white and therefore producers tend to put money into projects that appeal to that demographic. That being said, there's been a huge push for diverse storytelling in the musical theatre world. That's where we're seeing a lot of artists of color.

Also, as a person of color, I'm looking forward to all three revivals that you mention. I'm happy to see great artists of all color. I mean, Laurie Metcalf in Virginia Wolfe?!?! What a blessing.

Also, I get the impression from you that "diverse" means "black," which it does not.  Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin, etc. artists are even more underrepresented in the theatre community.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Look, it's a totally valid concern that there is a lack of diversity on Broadway, especially when it comes to play revivals. And it can be hard for newer artists to break in if producers want to utilize people with a proven track record (with hits, at the box office, or in Hollywood).

Only going by the 7 shows that have been announced with theatres, there is a decent (if not great) representation of women and artists of color so far:

–  Tina (directed by Phyllida Lloyd, co-written by Katori Hall, and the London production had a 70% nonwhite cast)

–  Moulin Rouge! (featuring a 53% nonwhite cast)

–  Grand Horizons (written by Bess Wohl, directed by Leigh Silverman)

–  Frankie & Johnny (directed by Arin Arbus, starring Audra McDonald)

In the pipeline, there's also Jagged Little Pill (featuring a mostly-female creative team), West Side (choreographed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and featuring a half-Latinx cast), all-female Glengarry (if it happens), a rumored transfer of Slave Play, and other things that we don't know about yet.

Again, I'm not saying those are GREAT stats, or that Broadway should be patting itself on its back. But it's a step in the right direction for an industry controlled by older white men and driven by ticketbuyers that are largely white women ages 50+.

[magictodo123]

I'd also like to point out that while a bunch of these are "in Development", there are a  bunch of revivals in this mix? A lot of shows that are happening right now are limited runs, so the shows coming into those theaters next could be revivals. We'll see! 

[magictodo123]

Shoot sorry I forgot the link....

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/schedule-of-upcoming-and-announced-broadway-shows-com-113677

[Mike Barrett]

Ive heard just incredible things about Slave Play. I really hope it makes its way to broadway. 

[JVJ93]

Any chance that the Renee Fleming Light in the Piazza could make it’s way into Spring 2020? Beaumont

[RippedMan]

If you want diversity you need to talk about it on a casting level. We keep getting the same musical theater schools churning out the same types, etc. And I feel like every Broadway show has the same 10 actors just getting used and reused. It gets boring.

[SomethingPeculiar]

JVJ93 said: "Any chance that the Renee Fleming Light in the Piazza could make it’s way into Spring 2020? Beaumont"

Hope not! Her previous 2 Broadway shows have been financial disasters. (And I can't imagine LCT would produce a revival of their own show less than 15 years later.)

[SomethingPeculiar]

RippedMan said: "If you want diversity you need to talk about it on a casting level. We keep getting the same musical theater schools churning out the same types, etc. And I feel like every Broadway show has the same 10 actors just getting used and reused. It gets boring."

Yes, there's a lot of truth in this. It's a vicious cycle. It all starts with proper theatre training for kids from childhood through highschool. Going to the theatre is expensive. Many schools don't have great drama programs. Colleges choose the most talented kids with the best training. After college, there are the costs of surviving in NYC as a young out-of-work actor. (All of this could also be applied to aspiring playwrights, writers, directors, producers, etc.)

Theatre is a lifechanging art form, but it caters to audiences and participants who are privileged. This is why shows like Hamilton and Lion King and Ain't Too Proud and Miss Saigon and In The Heights are crucial when it comes to representation.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Don’t put any weight into this, just something I found interesting:

https://twitter.com/itsdlevy/status/1118185783314276352?s=21