Producers said Thursday that Lewis will make his debut opposite Sierra Boggess, who returns as Christine, on May 12.
“I love the show but also to have hopefully set a precedent to see more diversity in casting,” he told the Associated Press.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
‘Phantom of the Opera’ Welcomes First Black Lead on Broadway
Producers said Thursday that Lewis will make his debut opposite Sierra Boggess, who returns as Christine, on May 12.
“I love the show but also to have hopefully set a precedent to see more diversity in casting,” he told the Associated Press.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
This is a beautiful and ground breaking progression for not only the theatre and arts world in relation to race but also the black community. Norm Lewis is making wide strides and big foot prints on a barrier that is slowly but surely breaking down. This is such a powerful and appreciated moment for many I am sure. Well done, I cant wait to witness this myself.
As much as I welcome diversity in casting (what a great discussion we had about this in class) I just wish they picked someone who wasn't a huge star like Norm Lewis. They picked him to play the part because he's a star. Hopefully it will set a precedent for diversity, but it doesn't set the bar very high as far as casting goes. Any of the roles in Phantom of the Opera could be played by a person on any race and I hope they are... by the right person. Everyone should have the opportunity to sing great music and play great parts! Will I play Effie anytime soon? Probably not. But I'm not complaining. There are PLENTY of roles in the vast world of musical theater written for me. I think this ,in general, is a triumph for progress!
Regardless of skin color, I am far more interested in seeing Phantom on Broadway now that Norm Lewis is the lead, as the time I saw it a few months ago, the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway had a stale, touristy sort of feel. I think Norm Lewis is a great way to revitalize such a show, and it is a great moment for the move towards casting equality because the Phantom in particular is such an iconic role in the musical theatre canon, so there is no telling how many theatres worldwide will take Norm Lewis' casting as a cue to start taking more strides to avoid the whitewash of the performance industry. I foresee only positive results from the casting decision, both in the general move away from racial discrimination in casting and simply, I think Norm Lewis will be a very talented, fresh addition to the cast that has been heavily in need of some tune-ups.
I've heard Norm in a few things, and he has an absolutely gorgeous voice. I do not think that the phantom must be written or portrayed as white. I think he will carry the part beautifully with the power that he has in his voice, after all, that is the most important quality about him. It is his musical talent that makes him appealing. Whether he is white, black, any race, his face is disfigured and his voice is beautiful. I realize that this is a monumental moment, but mostly, I'm just hoping to get a chance to hear him perform in person.
Post a Comment