One of the most beautiful Houston venues is The Hobby Center for Performing Arts where Theatre Under the Stars, TUTS, stages productions.
Last week, I had the chance to see “The Music Man” with a group of teens, most of whom had never been to the center.
They were amazed at the majesty of the theater, and we were all holding our breath when the curtain went up for the first scene. “The Music Man” opens with a group of fast-talking traveling salesmen. The dialogue is rapid fire, the stage car set was beautiful and the costumes were spot on.
And then I noticed it – all the salesmen were White. In fact, there wasn’t a person of color in the entire cast.
I know “The Music Man” takes place in Iowa in 1912. Back then, people of color, if they were even included in a show, were either chauffeurs or maids. I’m sure when Meredith Wilson wrote the musical in the 1950s, he didn’t think about including different races.
As I sat there, squirming a little in my seat, I wondered why TUTS was staging a musical with an all-white cast in a city as diverse as Houston. It could be for the money as “The Music Man” is a well-known play and brings in the bucks.
Perhaps they think we shouldn’t tamper with the original script or change the writer’s vision or words.
Rubbish.
Theater and music are nothing if not creative and cutting edge. True artists push the envelope for society and, as a result, works of art are often adapted to reach a modern audience.
One of the most popular modern musicals is “West Side Story.” It was written in the 1960s as an updated Romeo and Juliet love story. I don’t remember Shakespeare reciting “When you’re a shark,” in his works, but the new story line stayed true to Shakespeare’s words while still reflecting prejudices between families, races and cultures.
I flipped through the playbook to see what TUTS is offering the rest of the season, and here’s a list of their upcoming shows: “Matilda The Musical,” “A Christmas Story, “Bridges of Madison County, “Mary Poppins,” “Oliver” and “A Gentleman’s Guide.”
All White people. To be fair, two productions, “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella” feature one or two cast members who are different ethnicities. “Hairspray” has a strong message about the Civil Rights movement. But it’s not being staged in The Hobby Centre. We’ll have to sit outside to see that one.
During intermission, I asked some of the teens if they were enjoying the show. They gushed about the beautiful surroundings and the quality of the performers and the orchestra. Then I asked if they noticed anything about the cast.
One Black girl said she noticed there wasn’t a face of color in the cast but said that’s just the way it is. A young man standing nearby said he noticed the same thing and came to the same conclusion. White teens noticed the same omission and said it was a bit uncomfortable to be sitting next to students of different races and not seeing anybody like their friends on the stage.
That the White students noticed the slight gave me hope. But the students of color who said “that’s just the way it is” saddened me more than the lack of diversity on the stage.
Our high schools don’t have a problem mixing races and cultures when casting plays, and the audience, the players and our communities are richer for that decision. Those directors understand that talent trumps ethnicity and race every single time.
Too bad the “professionals” don’t get it.