“Following Hairspray’s lead, it’s time for licensing companies to work with authors to implement casting requirements for roles of color. These roles were written for specific BIPOC’s and should be guaranteed to be portrayed that way.”

“We’re living in a time where male-female relationships in the workplace are something that’s being spoken about a lot. The world of stage management is also one where macho behavior is not uncommon and women are often underrepresented.”

“If there is one play in this world that you MUST read it is ‘Lungs’ by Duncan MacMillan. To say this play is a masterpiece would quite frankly be an understatement. In my opinion, it is a bible for how we as humans navigate the complexity of our lives.”

“Every show is different, performers can sing and act their lines slightly different because actors feed and react from and to each other, and also from the audience’s energy and reactions as well. Personally, that’s what makes live theatre so exciting to watch and the reason why recorded musicals can’t substitute theatre.”

“If you’ve seen 'Hamilton’ then I’m sure you’ve weighed in on your interpretation of Eliza’s gasp at the end of the show. I know I’ve got mine. But Mallory Ellis might have just stumbled upon the best one that I’m fine with accepting as the truth, whether or not Lin-Manuel Miranda admits it.”

“While many might dismiss #cancelhamilton out of hand as ludicrous, that would be unfair and would ignore some real flaws in the musical’s storytelling to what it ignores and how it depicts certain events. At the same time, I am more than skeptical of the intent behind the latest viral hashtag movement.”

“Sondheim’s influence on Brown’s compositions is quite thrilling to find, as are both their storytelling through beautiful, meaningful lyrics with multidimensional characters.”

“As long as there is a need and a willingness, theatre will always be around. Again, it may experience periods when it is momentarily stifled, like if someone cuts your funding or banishes you from Rome, but it always manages to come back in new, innovative ways.”

“In case you needed a good laugh today, Weird Al delivers once again. On July 4th, the parody-song king posted a video to go along with his “Hamilton Polka”.”

This August, a professional theatre company in Germany is set to mount a production of Hair that is generating outrage in its community. The reason for the outrage is that in this production, the creative team has removed Black characters, their songs, and replaced it with an all-white cast. In a time where there is a global discussion of increasing representation of Black performers, this theatre company seems okay with erasing them from the iconic musical.

“Over the next few weeks, we are going on an arduous journey unpacking the legacy of Disney’s Song of the South, and subsequent abysmal handling of one of its most controversial properties.”

“Through theatre, I was given a map to navigate the overwhelming experience of childhood loss. I often wonder, almost ten years later, what route my grief would have taken if not for the positivity taught to me through theatre?”