The success of NBC’s THE WIZ, and the bizarre accusations from certain quarters that it was “racist,” reminds me of Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein’s opera, "Four Saints in Three Acts," which, in 1934, the midwestern white kid Thomson insisted ONLY be performed by “Negro” singers. That was a long, long time ago, and few directors/companies adhere to Thomson’s wishes, which can be construed as having been patronizing and racist. I knew Thomson in his later days. His interests in black folk was deeper than his critics’ imagine. An all black cast can be seen as a corrective in a culture that marginalizes and discriminates. I pray that we can all see better, hear better, hear all.
Scott
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