Actually, Molina's English...his heritage may be Spanish/Italian...but he grew up...and may have been born there, for all I know...in England.
But I also read this article and was a bit baffled about what point they were trying to make. Isn't the point of theatre to try and strike a chord that is universal to us all? To find the universal in the specific? A point of human drama that resonates with everybody?
And I continue to be baffled by a theatre world that screams for colour-blind casting, yet will scream when certain casting is not ethnic-specific. It seems colour-blind casting is okay as long as that means minorities can be cast in any role. I mean when was the last time you saw a white actor get to essay Othello? Why does the character even have to be black, persay? Can't a Moor be Moorish? Perhaps more Arab than black? If Denzel Washington can play Richard III or Laurence Fishburne Henry II in Lion in Winter, why can't Johnathan Price play the Eurasian character in Miss Saigon without a hue and cry? Doesn't a European actor have has much claim on a role that is half- European as an Asian actor on a role that is half-Asian? Jewish or not, why can't Molina play Tevye? Is it any more a stretch than when he played Destry years ago? He's a terrific actor, I'll watch him in anything.
It's called acting, people...pretending to be something you're not. Isn't that the point? Creating the illusion of truth?
Hell, I just read where the Frasier cast is going to do a reading of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST with John Mahoney playing Lady Bracknell. Won't he be taking away the role from a qualified actress? Let's get a petition up.
Who said a career in the Arts had to be fair?
Personally, I want to do an all-black...oh, excuse me, African-American...production of FLOWER DRUM SONG.
Robin Anderson, I have an autographed copy of John F. Roy's Guide to Barsoom that he sent me back in 1987 (with his business card still inside it) when I was going off to do my draft of Princess of Mars and was getting in contact with all those people in the Burroughs fan world that I had known in my teen years. I think I have another copy somewhere, but so many of my poorer editions are stacked on the bookshelves behind the upgraded editions and many of my paper editions and doubles are boxed (which gnaws my soul...books should be displayed).
Lovely Valentine's at home last night, culiminating with a viewing of the original GOODBYE GIRL on TCM. The perfect Valentine's movie for a couple of old show folk.