A musical is drawing a lot of controversy in Calgary and it hasn’t even hit the stage yet.
The director and two staff members of “South Pacific” have quit after they say Calgary Opera considered casting a white actor for a Southeast Asian character.
"South Pacific” debuted on Broadway in 1949 and the musical still resonates with audiences today.
The story is set on a Polynesian island during the Second World War and poised to be part of Calgary Opera’s Summer Festival in August.
However, the potential casting of a Polynesian or Tonkinese character “Bloody Mary” with a white actor erupted in controversy so much so its director, set designer and a performer all quit.
"I felt that it was really important to me as a director to honour the intention in the script of having that character portrayed by an artist of colour,” says Mark Bellamy the former South Pacific director.
Bellamy says racial tensions and intolerance are the main theme acrs that drive the play and to casr a white actor in a role for a Southeast Asian would not do the story justice.
Calgary Opera says nobody has actually been hired yet as the company continues searching for a suitable Asian performer.
In a statement, Calgary Opera’s Chair of the Board Michael Brown stated:
Regarding the controversy surrounding the casting of “South Pacific,” to be produced as part of the company’s summer outdoor opera festival, Opera in the Village in August. The production has seen the original director, set designer and a supporting role depart the production recently over the casting of the role of “Bloody Mary,” in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Originally, the role was put on hold, but not contracted, to a mezzo‐soprano who is Caucasian. Since then, Calgary Opera has been searching for an Asian mezzo‐soprano. Calgary Opera has been searching for a person of ethnic background to fulfill the role, and will soon be casting an appropriate Bloody Mary. Every effort is being made to present this socially important production of South Pacific, and we intend to do the production justice in all aspects. The original role was written for a Tonkinese female, and debuted with a mezzosoprano African‐American in the role. In Canada and in the opera world, this combination is hard to come by, but we are ardently working on and committed to finding the voice and attributes that best suit the role. This leads us to the question – do now all roles, a significantly small pool of opera professionals from which we already have to choose from, become only available to those with the original ethnicity in mind? This opens up a whole series of debates.
"I think there's an ability to look beyond the world of opera to cast this role,” says Bellamy. “South Pacific has been performed for over 70 years and not exclusively by opera singers. I'm happy to hear the opera has moved forward and is renewed a search for someone appropriate to play that role I wish them all the best in their search.”
Bellamy says the issue of casting white characters in minority roles is an ongoing problem not just in theatre and opera but film and television.
He says it not only sends the wrong message to the audience but the lack of representation on the stage might create an environment where minorities feel unwelcomed.
Rehearsals for the opera are set to start in July.
(With files from Kathy Le)
