| re: Was there resistance to the all-Black cast of HELLO, DOLLY! in 1967? | |
| Posted by: portenopete 09:58 am EDT 05/30/24 | |
| In reply to: re: Was there resistance to the all-Black cast of HELLO, DOLLY! in 1967? - NewtonUK 09:37 am EDT 05/30/24 | |
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| I love GYPSY but I have also seen it enough to not mind if someone like George C. Wolfe was going to rework it a bit. I understand that for many young people especially it may be their first encounter with the piece and that you would like to have them experience it intact and as written. Which I am all for, as well. But I have not read enough to know whether Merrick's decision to do an entirely Black-cast DOLLY was in order to bring in Black audiences or to capitalize on Bailey's popularity with typical Broadway audience (i.e. white) and the only way he could see fit to do that in 1967 was to surround her with only Black actors in the supporting roles (including one other legend). My question was really whether there was any sniffing in the press about the decision since to my knowledge it was a new concept for Broadway and in 1967 there were a lot of inflammatory thoughts on race, even in the North. I'm presuming that Pearl Bailey's great appeal was enough to silence doubters, but I just wondered if any of the ATC'ers who were there at the time had any memories? |
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