Racial Disney-fication

I absolutely agree and noticed it right away. Historically it is totally incorrect but Disney is worried more about being politically correct.

TxMike, you make a good point. Why stir up things that our country would like to move away from... No, not forget, just move past. I agree that certian ethnic minorities have struggled to gain equality in the past, and their struggle should not be forgotten, but it should also not be dwelled upon. We need to teach our children that everyone is equal in God's eyes, not just the whites or Robert Preston's of the world. (But the original will always be first in my heart)

If we follow this logic, no non-white actor or actress would ever get a meaningful part in any period play or film, unless the subject matter was linked to racism, slavery or whatever. Many theatre and other performing arts companies have chosen to simply ignore race and ethnicity when casting unless it adversely affects the content of the text. It's called "color-blind casting". I recall a member of of our community theatre group who (25 years ago) worried about a planned production "A Raisin in the Sun". She said the cast of the play would want to be involved in other productions which would be a problem. "After all," she said, "how many plays are there with roles for butlers and maids?" What about roles as doctors. lawyers, cops or robbers? It never even entered her mind that blacks could play roles that weren't servants, because she had never seen a play or film where they did. This is what "color-blind casting" helps to overcome.

"The Music Man" is a light-hearted fiction, not a Ken Burns documentary. If you can't suspend your disbelief enough to accept a few black actors milling about with the townsfolk, you're not paying attention to the play. Since the author intended this play to be a fond look back at his boyhood home town, let's imagine that there are black people living in Iowa in 1912 (there were, of course) and that the stubborn, but basically good-hearted population of River City doesn't throw sheets over there heads every time a black person walks down the street. Is that too much to believe in River City? There don't seem to be many nasty people in this town (how realistic is that?), so maybe some of the white citizens are even friendly with the black ones. And wouldn't these black River "citiziens" be just as excited about the Wells Fargo wagon or as concerned about that pool hall as any other member of the community? So why is this a problem? Maybe you should just take note ("Say, one member of the barbershop quartet is Chinese. How about that?") and get back to enjoying the show.

Let's suppose that near River City there's an all-black college, founded by abolitionists, and the teachers and students wander over to the town now and then to spend their money in the local businesses. Some may even live there, not next door to Mayor Shinn perhaps, but in the town. Isn't that at least as plausible as the idea that there shouldn't be any blacks on the street because they all - 100% of them - would be stashed away in rich white peoples' kitchens and pantries? Wait a minute. How many Greeks or Italians were there in Iowa in 1912? Let's be sure we don't have too many Greek or Italian-looking actors in this play.

No, Danny Glover should not be considered for the role of George Wallace and Tom Hanks won't ever get the lead role in "Raisin". But Robert Guillaume did play the Phantom of the Opera. So if it's just a matter of actors playing everyday people in a musical comedy, I think it's an issue we should be able to get past.

I agee, in the real world things were different in 1912. But this is a fantasy. A real feel good movie. Disney's Music Man depicts a truly perfect place to live, where people of all colors live in harmony and share the same ideals, and where the town folks burst into song at a moments notice. While we don't want to forget, we don't need to be reminded constantly of the harsh realities of life either. We live it. We do not need to see it in every media event. Life would become unbearable. We have the Drama and Documentary's for that purpose. Musicals are a wonderful way to escape a diseased reality. Relax and enjoy them. They are our treasure and pleasure. In my opinion Disney is right on target by adding diversity. Good for them.

I must reply: WHO CARES!!! Why can't we just enjoy the show and not worry about who is sitting with who and what it was really like back then, etc. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION!!! Maybe if we all just forgot about the color or creed or what the other person has that we don't, we might actually start to get along without all the strife that is rampant in our society. JUST LEAVE IT BE AND ENJOY THE SHOW!!! You might just have a happier life.

I agree; I found this jarring as well.

I understand the good intentions, but you can't go back and rewrite history. American society of the time was NOT integrated, and the idea that a black woman could go into the same ice cream shop as whites at the time is just absurd.

I understand the desire to provide "equal opportunity" in productions, but here it just stuck out like a sore thumb....not to mention the fact that this sort of treatment "whitewashes" (so to speak) the racist history of this country. Iowa was a pretty progressive state, but it wasn't THAT progressive. We shouldn't forget that history; those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

Now, in the proposed remake/movie version of GUYS AND DOLLS, I can see having, say, a black Sky Masterson (Taye Diggs???) and/or black Sarah Brown; but here it just doesn't fit and it's dishonest to boot.

Don't Worry about it Disney made up for daring to have black actors appear in The Music Man by having absolutely noe black people at all on the Continent of Africa in their animated remake of Tarzan.

"It's a diferent kind of flying,altogetther.
JJ Johnson

I have to agree with a previous poster on this one. I know it's not exactly historically accurate to portray black River Citizians on equal footing with those in the town who are white, but it employs the "color-blind casting" tactic which theatre directors often use. If we had to cast shows like this with complete racial accuracy, then we'd only see minority performers appear in "Showboat", "West Side Story", and "Flower Drum Song". There should be more opportunities out there than that! And there weren't even any minority actors in leading roles, unlike the previous productions of "Cinderella" (which I will admit did go a bit overboard with Cindy's step-family and the royal family) and "Annie". Speaking as a minority who's appeared in a very color-blindly cast "Music Man" (featuring a Hispanic Marian, a white Winthrop, and a black Mrs. Paroo), I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to appear in that musical without the director wondering if there really would have been an integrated River City. While I won't cry racism, because you seem to be an intellectual, reasonable person, I will ask you to think about the chances provided to minority actors and actresses when a director is more concerned with talent than complete, 100% historical accuracy.