You realize, of course, that by saying "Not to be confused with Downton Abbey", everyone reading this entry thought first of "Downton Abbey"! It's like someone saying, "Don't think about pink elephants." Naturally, what's the first thing that pops into your head? A big pink elephant!
I think in terms of certain types of literature, "blind casting" isn't such a bad idea. I remember I watched a Masterpiece adaptation of "Oliver Twist", having never read the book, and they cast an African-American actress as Nancy. She played the role very well. Later on, my sister said, "I never would have pictured Nancy as black, but that woman did a really good job." I believe there were lots of minority performers in Moulin Rouge! and Chicago as well. Perhaps the rule doesn't apply to musicals! LOL. However, those roles are changed around so much on stage that it's probably almost expected that an unconventional person for the time period might be cast. Does that make sense
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i also am bothered by weird language stuff. and i agree that in some instances, blind casting works fine - maybe musicals are like opera and shakespeare, lol. context is so key for me on that issue.
fyi, fuck has been around a long time - according to wikipedia, first use was at least as early as 1475, and maybe even earlier. it's like cunt that way - a word that used to be more or less a descriptor that has come to be a bad word nowadays. a lot of our best curse words seem to be old english, lol.
The bit about curse words works in both directions too. I wrote some science fiction and used "shit" and "fuck" because they're so darn old and well-used I figure they'll be around for a few more centuries. I had to stop myself using "cool" and "awesome," though.
Didn't you see Silver Linings Playbook and the scene at dinner in which Pat explains the origins of "okay" and "Old Kinderhook?" LOL. That may or may not be true, but the word was apparently used first in the mid 19th Century.
LOL. Pink elephants. Actually, I have to say that Downton does an excellent job of killing all the good people maintaining historical accuracy. Thank you, PBS. You actually do care.
And, yes, I really DO think that musicals are exceptions to the historical accuracy rule. I guess since, in real life, people don't exactly burst out into song and dance numbers at any given moment, it probably doesn't matter if those who do are black or white or Asian or whatever. I may have mentioned this before, but when I directed a high school production of South Pacific I cast a half-Japanese girl as Nellie because, aside from the fact that she was descended from the enemy they were fighting, she was the perfect Nellie: cute, small, perky, amazing voice, dancer, etc.
I can see the thinking behind Masterpiece Theatre's choice to cast an African American Nancy. That could work if the actress was right. Thanks for sharing that example.
I think in terms of certain types of literature, "blind casting" isn't such a bad idea. I remember I watched a Masterpiece adaptation of "Oliver Twist", having never read the book, and they cast an African-American actress as Nancy. She played the role very well. Later on, my sister said, "I never would have pictured Nancy as black, but that woman did a really good job." I believe there were lots of minority performers in Moulin Rouge! and Chicago as well. Perhaps the rule doesn't apply to musicals! LOL. However, those roles are changed around so much on stage that it's probably almost expected that an unconventional person for the time period might be cast. Does that make sense ( ... )
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fyi, fuck has been around a long time - according to wikipedia, first use was at least as early as 1475, and maybe even earlier. it's like cunt that way - a word that used to be more or less a descriptor that has come to be a bad word nowadays. a lot of our best curse words seem to be old english, lol.
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And, yes, I really DO think that musicals are exceptions to the historical accuracy rule. I guess since, in real life, people don't exactly burst out into song and dance numbers at any given moment, it probably doesn't matter if those who do are black or white or Asian or whatever. I may have mentioned this before, but when I directed a high school production of South Pacific I cast a half-Japanese girl as Nellie because, aside from the fact that she was descended from the enemy they were fighting, she was the perfect Nellie: cute, small, perky, amazing voice, dancer, etc.
I can see the thinking behind Masterpiece Theatre's choice to cast an African American Nancy. That could work if the actress was right. Thanks for sharing that example.
Reply
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