A popular Broadway show is the latest victim of a racial controversy, and it’s led to the show’s cancellation.
Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, a 12 time Tony award nominated Broadway musical, has been cancelled.
The issue? Replacing a black actor with a white actor.
Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan, known for his work on the Broadway mega-hit Hamilton was initially brought on to replace singer-songwriter Josh Groban in the lead role of Pierre in Great Comet, after Groban had to depart the role in May. White actor replaced by a black actor? Everything is fine.
Without the star power of Groban, the show began to struggle financially and eventually, Onaodowan stepped aside and was replaced by Mandy Patinkin, most famously known for playing Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, to give the show some more star power.
Black actor, replaced by a white actor? All hell breaks loose.
The controversy forced Patinkin to withdraw from the role, leading to the full cancellation of the show.
In classic identity politics fashion, racial optics became more important than the enjoyment of the art being presented. And now, a whole bunch of people are out of jobs because people got upset that a white guy replaced a black guy who had originally replaced a white guy. Absolutely remarkable.
