Is Maria a “White” Role? Let’s Talk About That

by Chris Peterson

When Broadway revisits a beloved classic, it doesn’t just cast a show. It ignites a conversation. So imagine Rachel Zegler, or any woman of color, stepping into the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. You can already hear the reactions. The fanfare. The backlash. The praise. The comment sections. The Reddit threads. The op-eds. The same old tug-of-war about tradition, intent, and whether some roles are meant to stay locked in the past.

It’s a pattern we know well. Brandy as Cinderella. Norm Lewis as the Phantom. Denee Benton on The Gilded Age. Halle Bailey as Ariel. And, most recently, Rachel Zegler as Snow White, which brought on an avalanche of online vitriol before a frame of the film was even released. For some audiences, change, especially when it involves race, still feels threatening.

Now, no official announcement has been made, but rumors are circulating that Zegler may be cast as Maria in a future Broadway revival of The Sound of Music. Predictably, some critics/trolls are already sharpening their arguments. It’s not historically accurate. Rodgers and Hammerstein wouldn’t have approved. It’s reverse racism. Why is everything getting race-swapped?

Let’s take a breath. First, let’s talk about this idea of accuracy. The Sound of Music is loosely based on a real story, yes, but so is Titanic, and nobody is arguing that only British actors from the early 1900s should be cast in Titanic: The Musical. The real Maria von Trapp didn’t burst into song in the hills, didn’t lead a perfectly choreographed number in a gazebo, and definitely didn’t teach Austrian children solfège using upholstery. The show is not a documentary. It is a musical. A metaphor. A theatrical experience.

Theatre, by its nature, is interpretive. It reimagines. It reinvents. When done well, it reveals new truths in familiar stories. There’s no reason why Maria, a character defined by optimism, warmth, resistance, and belief in the power of music, must be played by a white actress. Those traits are not exclusive to one identity. They are universal.

Still, we know what the counterpoint will be. The same people who cry “let the classics be”, will turn around and invoke Hamilton as proof that race-based casting can be a double standard. “Why is it okay for Hamilton to cast people of color as white historical figures, but not the other way around?” they’ll ask, confident they’ve found a trap door.

But Hamilton was never race-blind. It was race-conscious. It was built with the explicit intention of reclaiming American history through a contemporary and inclusive lens. Its casting was not just about who could sing the fastest or dance the sharpest. It was about redefining who gets to tell the story of America. That is not the same thing as ignoring racial context. It’s the opposite. Casting a woman of color as Maria in The Sound of Music can be just as intentional. It can expand the narrative, not erase it.

At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge the emotional labor that women of color take on when stepping into these roles. We’ve seen how cruel the public can be, especially online, when a woman of color is cast in an iconic role. Zegler herself has been subject to waves of criticism, microaggressions, and outright racism. From Disney executives questioning her Latina heritage, to fans tearing apart her performance choices before even seeing the final cut, she’s become a lightning rod for backlash. So yes, when someone asks whether this casting is worth the drama, I understand where that question is coming from.

But representation is not about avoiding discomfort. It’s about pushing through it. When done with care, when the creative team is aligned, when the direction is clear, when the casting is rooted in intention rather than optics, these choices become transformative. They deepen the work. They invite new audiences. They challenge long-held assumptions.

Maria is not defined by the color of her skin. She is defined by her defiance in the face of fascism. By the way she leads with joy. By how she opens the hearts of others. She is a woman who loves fiercely, teaches boldly, and dares to change her world. That story doesn’t belong to one group. It belongs to all of us.

This doesn’t mean every role should be open to every actor. Context matters. Some stories are deeply linked to specific cultures, histories, and lived experiences. But The Sound of Music is not a museum piece. It is a living, breathing work of art. And in 2025, a modern production has room for a Maria who looks like the world we’re trying to build.

If the goal of theatre is to reflect humanity, to stretch our imagination, to offer possibility, then we have to stop defaulting to whiteness as neutral. And we have to stop acting like inclusion is a threat to legacy. In many cases, it’s the thing that ensures the legacy continues.

So if Rachel Zegler, or any talented woman of color, is cast as Maria, I say let her sing. Let her twirl. Let her teach the von Trapp children how to find their voices. Let her run across those hills with a sound the world hasn’t heard before.

Because if we’re really serious about keeping the classics alive, we have to be willing to let them grow.