The second protest of Amar Ramasar’s casting in ‘West Side Story’ is set for Jan 31st. Now, a NYCB dancer and longtime girlfriend of Mr. Ramasar has released a statement to defend him and provide information regarding the situation.
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In 2018, Producer Barry Diller voiced his support for the “#metoo” movement. Has his tune changed with the controversy over Amar Ramasar’s casting in his production of '“West Side Story”?
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Before last night’s performance of the Broadway revival of West Side Story, a group of about a dozen protesters gathered outside to peacefully voice their outrage over the casting of Amar Ramasar in the show. And their display did not go unnoticed.
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While I will not go see the show, those who have told me that rather than doing individual curtain call bows, the cast of the revival of West Side Story is bowing as one big ensemble. Now, this could be for a number of reasons. But for me, the reason why they’re doing this is to protect Amar Ramasar.
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For many Broadway fans, this weekend is their Super Bowl. Yes, BroadwayCon is exploding in New York City at the Midtown Hilton where fans from all over the world will converge for three days of theatre heaven. So for people coming for the first time, what are some tips to help navigate the convention to get your money’s worth?
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Aviva Sokolow-Shahar unassuming front does not pay homage to the powerhouse within. A Broadway influencer with an account called “Humans of Broadway,” with more than 65,200 followers and an activist for improvement in the theater community and an orthodox Jew.
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“I have found if actors feel as though they have a friend in each castmate, it creates an environment where they feel trust and support.”
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“Allegory, drama, scripture, midrash, passion plays, musical, parable. Adam and Eve, Tevye and Golde. These are stories about our lives. Stories that turn our lives into art. If that isn’t something to worship, I don’t know what is.”
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Larger bodies seem to be the last frontier in the push for greater inclusivity in casting. The topic is only beginning to surface in the theatre community. And this is why the casting in the current Broadway production of The Rose Tattoo rubs me the wrong way, like my thighs on a hot summer day.
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In 2020, a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece Company will be opening on Broadway for the third time. As is usual with incarnations of this show, the creative team has assembled a cast chock full of incredible talent. However, as is also usual with incarnations of this show, the cast is almost all-white.
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When Amar Ramasar takes his first bows as Bernardo, it will have been just a year and a half since he was fired from the New York City Ballet for sharing nude photos of female company members without their knowledge or consent. Yet, in typical professional theatre industry fashion, the powers-that-be decided to overlook egregious behavior and declare that talent trumps unethical behavior, no matter how vile.
So when Ramasar takes his first bows, I encourage you to give him the reception he deserves - boo him.
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It is more important than ever before that we continue to have strong females on the stage, as directors and on creative teams in the theatre.
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