In these days of non-traditional casting, it is not unusual for BIPOC women to be cast in roles originated by White women. However, the reverse is rarely done, and for good reasons.
Color-blind casting is perfectly acceptable, as long as it doesn’t affect the storyline. For example, non-traditional casting would destroy the point of the story of Hairspray (and yet it’s been done). Casting White people in Once on this Island (the full production or the junior one), even in the roles of the light-skinned Black characters, is inappropriate and unnecessary (and yet it’s been done). Casting White people in Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess is supposed to be prohibited by Tams-Witmark on behalf of the Gershwin estate (and yet, it’s been done).
As someone who has played Katisha (twice) and Pitti-Sing (once) in The Mikado and has been in the chorus of Madama Butterfly (twice), I can say, with more than a little embarrassment, that if a show cannot be cast using the people of the race intended by the story, the show should not be done. If there is no one in your studio who would sing “Your daddy’s son” or “Waiting for life” in a production, you simply don’t teach that song to anyone until you get a student who could be cast in those shows. Doing otherwise would cross the line from appreciation to appropriation.
There are tons of songs to sing and to teach. If a song is for a character in a show and that show is racially or culturally focused, like Ragtime, like Hairspray, like Porgy and Bess, it is not for you or your students if neither you nor they are a POC.
To a certain extent, exceptions may be made in a jazz or cabaret format – the song “Summertime,” taken out of context, has been sung by men and women of all races and ethnicities. I believe “Something wonderful” could also be sung in that setting. But above all, if you are singing a song that has a dialect written in and you are not of the race that uses that dialect (or if you are and it feels uncomfortable for you), DO NOT USE IT. (Which reminds me of the judge at the Wisconsin State Music Association Solo-Ensemble Festival who told my Polish-American blonde HS student that she should be singing “Something wonderful” with an Asian accent. Oy.)
Here are a few roles and songs that should be sung by BIPOC women of a certain age:
- Bloody Mary, South Pacific – AAPI
- Bali Ha’i
- Lady Thiang, King and I – AAPI
- Something wonderful
- Mrs. Natsumi Tanaka, Allegiance – AAPI
- Mrs. Kaori Maruyama/Sansei Woman, Allegiance – AAPI
- Katisha, The Mikado – AAPI
- Alone, but yet alive;
- Madame Liang, Flower Drum Song – AAPI
- Chop suey
- Aurora Aquina, Here Lies Love – AAPI
- Just ask the flowers
- Christmas Eve, Avenue Q – AAPI
- The more you ruv [love] someone
- Madam, Pacific Overtures – AAPI (role originated by a man)
- Welcome to Kanagawa
- Motormouth Maybelle, Hairspray – Black
- Big, blonde, and beautiful; I know where I’ve been
- Julie, Show Boat – Black
- Bill, Can’t help lovin’ that man
- Queenie, Show Boat – Black
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- Queenie’s Ballyhoo; also featured on Can’t help lovin’ that man
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- Marie Christine’s mother, Marie Christine – Black
- Miracles and mysteries; Your grandfather is the sun
- Evilene, The Wiz – Black
- Don’t nobody bring me no bad news
- Mama, Hallelujah Baby! – Black
- I don’t know where she got it
- Mama Euralie, Once on this Island – Black
- Asaka, Once on this Island – Black
- Mama will provide
- Erzulie, Once on this Island – Black
- The human heart
- Mama Lena, Raisin – Black
- A whole lotta sunlight; Measure the valleys
- Granny, Bubbly Black Girl Sheds her Chameleon Skin
- Granny’s Advice
- Abuela, In the Heights – Latin
- Paciencia Y Fe
- Consuelo Garcia, On Your Feet
