The other night on TV, there was a short feature about a young Polynesian New Zealander who had recently won the role of George Washington in the musical “Hamilton”, scheduled to begin its Sydney run early next year.
Well done, him, were my first thoughts, but then I recalled some of the hysteria that erupted earlier this year when the cancel-culture mob in NZ were outraged by perceived “cultural appropriation” in another production. They were outraged that European actors had been allowed to perform in a lowly, high school run of the originally black American musical “The Wiz”. The fuss they made was so bad that that the production bowed to their pressure and cancelled the show altogether.
Someone on this forum will enlighten me because I am sure other shows, whose names escape me at the moment, have also been forced to cancel this year for similar reasons. I haven’t heard any shrieks of protest over this particular musical, which is intriguing. As far as I know, George Washington was Caucasian, and by all accounts, he also kept slaves, as well as being a little bit anti the abolitionist movement, so how does this square with the perspectives of the loony left? Is it okay to have a white character played by a non-white, but if it’s the other way around, it’s racist and culturally insensitive?
And what about the fact that the main character supported slavery? Come on, guys, you need to catch up!
Looking on the net for more information about “Hamilton”, I came across some comments from a young actress, Phillipa Soo, who has played one of the roles in an overseas production. She was asked about cancel culture in the theatre, and how she felt about it. Apparently she has never been “cancelled” herself, but her words are as follows – (the capitalisation is as it was originally printed):
“ If you are cancelled, but do not wish to be, you must WORK TO EARN back people’s respect by owning up to the thing that cancelled you in the first place – LISTENING to others, EDUCATING yourself, and ADVOCATING on behalf of the people you have offended or harmed”
Chilling words, and surely only a small step away from the reasons for the forced “re-education” camps of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
I can only assume that in accepting and being delighted by this opportunity in the theatre world, the young Polynesian actor is far more sensible, balanced and rational than the ugly, screaming loony left, who would otherwise be claiming that they advocate for people like him.
Or is it because as the cynics say, money talks?
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