1,995 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Mar 29, 2018 17:51:09 GMT
Just going to play devil's advocate here, but in this era of colourblind casting, is imperative that Rachel is played by an African-Caribbean actress?
There is no reference to Rachel's ethnicity in the stage script (if I recall) and nothing is made of it being an interracial relationship or any other race related theme to the show...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2018 18:34:05 GMT
I swear I've heard nothing of Cynthia since Color Purple closed bar her controversial twitter account and showing up at random events. I don't mean that to be rude, just true.
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on Mar 29, 2018 22:30:12 GMT
Just going to play devil's advocate here, but in this era of colourblind casting, is imperative that Rachel is played by an African-Caribbean actress? There is no reference to Rachel's ethnicity in the stage script (if I recall) and nothing is made of it being an interracial relationship or any other race related theme to the show... Let's define color blind casting. Color blind casting is a practice used to give minorities, people of color, a chance to play parts that they would not be able to normally book because of their ethnicity. So it's really a problem to cast a white person in a role typically played by a person of color and call it color blind casting. Big big no no. |
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Post by theatremadness on May 27, 2018 12:50:34 GMT
Casting calls have gone out, looks to be touring from Dec '18 - Dec '19, UK, Ireland and possible international dates.
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Post by martello736 on May 27, 2018 13:19:19 GMT
I'd like to see Marisha Wallace give it a go if she leaves Dreamgirls this year. I'd also go back if Beverley returned to do it, I saw her in London and she was fantastic.
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Post by Dave25 on May 27, 2018 14:50:49 GMT
Color blind casting is a practice used to give minorities, people of color, a chance to play parts that they would not be able to normally book because of their ethnicity. So it's really a problem to cast a white person in a role typically played by a person of color and call it color blind casting. Big big no no. Actually no, that is color focused casting. Which maintains racial separation. You might not feel comfortable with this truth yet, or feel that color focused casting (while a role does not ask for it) is necessary to let the statistics of POC getting the right percentage of roles grow even more (even though it is fairly balanced at the moment), but it is color focused casting, while the role does not ask for it, and that is toxic, both ways. Color blind casting is the opposite. |
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Post by daniel on May 27, 2018 21:06:45 GMT
I hear that Melody Thornton is being considered, currently Rachel Marron in the Chinese production.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2018 23:02:07 GMT
I hear that Melody Thornton is being considered, currently Rachel Marron in the Chinese production. I said this simply given because I couldn’t see them hiring her just to do the Chinese tour (where she probably isn’t well known) but to test her in the role. She could be advertised as from the pussycat dolls but to be honest i Think the songs and show self itself anyway |
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2018 23:03:46 GMT
Color blind casting is a practice used to give minorities, people of color, a chance to play parts that they would not be able to normally book because of their ethnicity. So it's really a problem to cast a white person in a role typically played by a person of color and call it color blind casting. Big big no no. Actually no, that is color focused casting. Which maintains racial separation. You might not feel comfortable with this truth yet, or feel that color focused casting (while a role does not ask for it) is necessary to let the statistics of POC getting the right percentage of roles grow even more (even though it is fairly balanced at the moment), but it is color focused casting, while the role does not ask for it, and that is toxic, both ways. Color blind casting is the opposite. You made that Ito something it’s not. The Bodyguard is well known for Whitney Houston songs and Whitney Houston playing Rachel Maron..having a white Rachel is something that wouldn’t work on so many levels - it is so much different to having say a black actress in Les Mis |
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19,659 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 28, 2018 6:46:58 GMT
The Bodyguard was originally a star vehicle for Diana Ross back in the 70’s. It never got made because the interracial relationship element was deemed controversial then.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 17:29:02 GMT
The Bodyguard was originally a star vehicle for Diana Ross back in the 70’s. It never got made because the interracial relationship element was deemed controversial then. And also because Miss Ross and Steve McQueen (the intended co-star) couldn't agree on who would get star and second billing. |
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19,659 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 28, 2018 17:38:32 GMT
I’d read it was Ryan O’Neil. Either would have been good though.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 21:07:17 GMT
I’d read it was Ryan O’Neil. Either would have been good though. Steve McQueen was first choice, they then tried again later with Ryan O'Neal with the same result. Mary and Florence knew that Miss Ross only takes top billing. |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 21:47:30 GMT
Is this show needed again? It's not bad, but I'm sure there are better shows that haven't toured before (i.e. Memphis). It's closing soon in Madrid, hasn't even survived the first year; clearly not the big hit they were expecting it to be (even with stunt casting).
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Post by anthem on May 28, 2018 22:23:33 GMT
Is this show needed again? It's not bad, but I'm sure there are better shows that haven't toured before (i.e. Memphis). It's closing soon in Madrid, hasn't even survived the first year; clearly not the big hit they were expecting it to be (even with stunt casting). There are definitely other things I’d prefer to see touring before this but it does seem to be a cash cow in the UK/Ireland. Missed out on Memphis when it was in the West End; would love to see that tour. |
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 0:23:35 GMT
The Bodyguard was originally a star vehicle for Diana Ross back in the 70’s. It never got made because the interracial relationship element was deemed controversial then. And also because Miss Ross and Steve McQueen (the intended co-star) couldn't agree on who would get star and second billing. Diana Ross and the Cooler King were the two names I heard it was considered for. But Steve didn't make any films after the Towering Inferno so it got shelved. |
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on May 29, 2018 2:29:35 GMT
Is this show needed again? It's not bad, but I'm sure there are better shows that haven't toured before (i.e. Memphis). It's closing soon in Madrid, hasn't even survived the first year; clearly not the big hit they were expecting it to be (even with stunt casting). I love me some Whitney, and I love The Bodyguard. I saw the West End run (which was much better than the tour in book and direction IMO) more times than I'd care to share. Plus it's a show that offers some really great diva worshipping opportunities. And these songs sung by Heather, Gloria and Beverley were just gay boy dreams. Just to get technical, the Madrid production wasn't the same version that is currently touring the US, currently in Germany & Australia and the former West End/UK productions. It's its own version (but stage entertainment, I think?) based on the Dutch production. Different set, different direction, arrangements, etc. |
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 3:17:48 GMT
Is this show needed again? It's not bad, but I'm sure there are better shows that haven't toured before (i.e. Memphis). It's closing soon in Madrid, hasn't even survived the first year; clearly not the big hit they were expecting it to be (even with stunt casting). I love me some Whitney, and I love The Bodyguard. I saw the West End run (which was much better than the tour in book and direction IMO) more times than I'd care to share. Plus it's a show that offers some really great diva worshipping opportunities. And these songs sung by Heather, Gloria and Beverley were just gay boy dreams. Just to get technical, the Madrid production wasn't the same version that is currently touring the US, currently in Germany & Australia and the former West End/UK productions. It's its own version (but stage entertainment, I think?) based on the Dutch production. Different set, different direction, arrangements, etc. Yeah, I know, I saw both West End and Madrid productions. It's a different set, direction, etc... but still the same story, characters, songlist...
One of their mistakes in Madrid was probably the decision to not translate songs. Obviously these are great hits and everyone has listened to them at some point, and it would be kinda weird to hear Spanish versions of well-known songs, but if you are telling a story on a stage, having actors speak both Spanish and English can be confusing (especially when not everyone in the audience is able to understand English).
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3,057 posts
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Post by ali973 on May 29, 2018 3:32:19 GMT
^ yea, that's kind of a common practice with jukebox musicals. It's strange. I saw this version in the Netherlands. Not as good as the Thea Sharrock version, but I appreciated how they decided to use the original Whitney keys  |
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Post by Dave25 on May 29, 2018 8:05:42 GMT
Actually no, that is color focused casting. Which maintains racial separation. You might not feel comfortable with this truth yet, or feel that color focused casting (while a role does not ask for it) is necessary to let the statistics of POC getting the right percentage of roles grow even more (even though it is fairly balanced at the moment), but it is color focused casting, while the role does not ask for it, and that is toxic, both ways. Color blind casting is the opposite. You made that Ito something it’s not. The Bodyguard is well known for Whitney Houston songs and Whitney Houston playing Rachel Maron..having a white Rachel is something that wouldn’t work on so many levels - it is so much different to having say a black actress in Les Mis I am not making anything of it. I just say it's not colorblind casting, but color focused casing, the thing I hope you are against too, not just in the 1 way that suits you, because in the end that given maintains racial separation per definition. That will never be the solution to equality. |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2018 7:05:55 GMT
Is this show needed again? It's not bad, but I'm sure there are better shows that haven't toured before (i.e. Memphis). It's closing soon in Madrid, hasn't even survived the first year; clearly not the big hit they were expecting it to be (even with stunt casting).
I've not seen any sales figures for the Madrid production, so I have no idea how well it has done, but I'm not sure the fact it's closing in July is a reflection on sales. It's closing to make way for the first European production of Anastasia, which opens at the Coliseum in October.
Les Mis in 2010 had a shorter run (November 2010 to July 2011), which closed to make way for The Lion King.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2018 7:29:00 GMT
Didn't know Anastasia was coming to Spain, thanks @ali for letting me know. It's been a good couple of years for musicals here after a long time: Billy Elliot is selling well, Next to Normal was amazing, and Young Frankenstein and a West Side Story revival are opening later this year. And there are rumours about a The Last 5 Years adaptation. [/off-topic]
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2018 7:41:00 GMT
Yeah, I know, I saw both West End and Madrid productions. It's a different set, direction, etc... but still the same story, characters, songlist...
One of their mistakes in Madrid was probably the decision to not translate songs. Obviously these are great hits and everyone has listened to them at some point, and it would be kinda weird to hear Spanish versions of well-known songs, but if you are telling a story on a stage, having actors speak both Spanish and English can be confusing (especially when not everyone in the audience is able to understand English).
It's easier to reply to this seperately from my other post...
As I said, I have no idea how well this has done during it's run, but I don't think the songs being in English particularly affected it. I know everything else in Spain is usually translated for stage and screen, but I think these songs are famous enough. People know and love the original versions, and the songs aren't really used to push the story along (I'm assuming they weren't translated in the film version either). Similarly Priscilla didn't translate the popular disco hits in the Spanish version. Whereas I think the likes of Mamma Mia is different, with the songs being used more to tell the story.
I only saw the show for the first time in Madrid a few weeks ago. It's not a show I ever had any interest in seeing before - I knew the film and the songs, but as a stage musical, it didn't particularly interest me (especially in London, where there were a lot of other shows I would rather see). But I was pleasantly surprised. I got a €20 lottery seat (located in the premium stalls), and I thought the production/set/performances were really good. That said, the theatre was far from full, but I think it's more just a lack of interest in the show itself/subject matter that put people off. I don't think The Bodyguard has the same appeal as the other big musicals they've done here, so perhaps people just aren't prepared to pay the ticket prices. Or perhaps it was just because it was a mid-week performance.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2018 7:45:46 GMT
Didn't know Anastasia was coming to Spain, thanks @ali for letting me know. It's been a good couple of years for musicals here after a long time: Billy Elliot is selling well, Next to Normal was amazing, and Young Frankenstein and a West Side Story revival are opening later this year. And there are rumours about a The Last 5 Years adaptation. [/off-topic] Yes, Stage Entertainment are opening Anastasia in October, with Jana Gomez (from Next to Normal) as Anya. I'm also looking forward to West Side Story having never seen a live stage production of this before. |
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Post by geeky101 on Jun 21, 2018 15:54:32 GMT
Alexandra Burke's cancelled her upcoming solo tour, due to start in September, because of "a change in her schedule"... potentially Bodyguard-related?
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