A well written interesting article making important points powerfully, but, as a review of a musical, had nothing to say about this production's qualities as a musical.
Well, Victoria, I thought that I was paying for a newspaper, not essays on cultural imperialism. Couldn't you have limited your no doubt impeccably correct and up-to-the-minute views to three paras, and told us a bit about the music, the singing, the acting, the dancing, the sets, the vibe, etc.? I'm sure you could have managed that, in spite of not being a professional theatre critic.
After ploughing through your article, I had to go to Google and YouTube to find out what I needed to know. Mmm. The music's not that good. I'd rather watch a revival of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." In this musical, six women are abducted and kept prisoner in an inaccessible location, whereafter they all suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. And all this without a hint of criticism from the scriptwriters. Goodness me, how will we cope?
It's interesting isn't it. I don't know the story but is racism integral to it or is it just that its set elsewhere? If it was set in England with English characters woukd it be racist? I guess I'm saying does it paint all Vietnamese people as somehow bad or is it just that the main characters were flawed and happened to be Vietnamese? It sounds like the producers have done what they can and at the end of the day free speech x public reception should win the day. If it tanks it was probably ill judged, if it does well, well we all have a right to our opinions. Shame that that other company couldn't engage with them to 'make it better'. That's diplomacy isn't it?
Thank you for a thought provoking article. It reminded me of the Oliver Mears piece last year about whether opera can address predudice without cancelling it - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/14/oliver-mears-beyond-black-and-yellowface-opera-prejudice-madama-butterfly
Thanks, will give this a read
Good article.
A good thoughtful article
I really enjoyed reading this, it's a questionable decision to put the production on and I thought it was explored well.
Thanks!
A well written interesting article making important points powerfully, but, as a review of a musical, had nothing to say about this production's qualities as a musical.
It wasn’t intended as a review of the musical (I’ll leave that to theatre critics who will do a far better job than me).
Well, Victoria, I thought that I was paying for a newspaper, not essays on cultural imperialism. Couldn't you have limited your no doubt impeccably correct and up-to-the-minute views to three paras, and told us a bit about the music, the singing, the acting, the dancing, the sets, the vibe, etc.? I'm sure you could have managed that, in spite of not being a professional theatre critic.
After ploughing through your article, I had to go to Google and YouTube to find out what I needed to know. Mmm. The music's not that good. I'd rather watch a revival of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." In this musical, six women are abducted and kept prisoner in an inaccessible location, whereafter they all suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. And all this without a hint of criticism from the scriptwriters. Goodness me, how will we cope?
It's interesting isn't it. I don't know the story but is racism integral to it or is it just that its set elsewhere? If it was set in England with English characters woukd it be racist? I guess I'm saying does it paint all Vietnamese people as somehow bad or is it just that the main characters were flawed and happened to be Vietnamese? It sounds like the producers have done what they can and at the end of the day free speech x public reception should win the day. If it tanks it was probably ill judged, if it does well, well we all have a right to our opinions. Shame that that other company couldn't engage with them to 'make it better'. That's diplomacy isn't it?
Er....please excuse me for asking, but is the music any good?