The Broadway smash Hamilton, which has been cheered for reclaiming the nation’s founding story by a multicultural cast, has oddly come under fire for specifically seeking “nonwhite men and women” for upcoming roles in future versions.
That went too far for the Actors’ Equity Association union, which said Wednesday that the show’s language was not official or in compliance with their rules.
The show responded by saying it regretted the confusion and will amend the notice to add that “we welcome people of all ethnicities to audition.”
No such outcry was heard when the show was first being mounted, which called specifically for nonwhite actors to play the likes of Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson and Eliza Hamilton. Only King George III was supposed to be filled by a white man.
Hamilton producers said such a stance adheres to the accepted practice that certain characteristics in certain roles constitute a legal and “bona fide occupational qualification.” Other shows also cast with ethnicity in mind.
Since it opened off-Broadway last year, the show has been celebrated for putting minorities at the center of America’s birth. The show’s African-American, Asian and Latino actors have been cheered by President Barak Obama, British actress Helen Mirren and many others.
