Broadway hit ‘Hamilton’ accused of discrimination for ‘non-white’ actors open casting call
Hamilton has been making waves on Broadway for its clever lyrics as well as its portrayal of the Founding Fathers and Revolutionary Americans in a racially diverse cast, but now it looks like the play is making waves in a strange role-reversal: its open casting call is being criticized for discrimination.
Hamilton has been making waves on Broadway for its clever lyrics as well as its portrayal of the Founding Fathers and Revolutionary Americans in a racially diverse cast, but now it looks like the play is making waves in a strange role-reversal: its open casting call is being criticized for discrimination.
One of the drawing points of Hamilton is its diverse cast, and to that end, an open casting call asked for “non-white men and women, ages 20s to 30s.”
But Attorney Randolph McLaughlin, of Newman Ferrara Law Firm, is challenging the casting call, saying it is discriminatory.
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“What if they put an ad out that said, ‘Whites only need apply?’” he told CBS. “Why, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians would be outraged.”
The show’s producer Jeffrey Seller claimed that the Broadway union, Actors Equity, approved the notice, saying, “I stand by it and believe it to be legal.”
“You cannot advertise showing that you have a preference for one racial group over another,” says McLaughlin. “As an artistic question—sure, he can cast whomever he wants to cast, but he has to give every actor eligible for the role an opportunity to try.”
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The city Commission on Human Rights reportedly has not received a complaint about the ad but would not say if it was investigating.
Check out the casting call here.
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