In 2010, when the young actor Corbin Bleu took over the lead role of Usnavi in In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who’d written the show’s score and also originated the role, hailed him in rap:
Chicago actor Tommy Rivera-Vega, who also auditioned for Porchlight’s production, makes an argument similar to Romano’s in a post in today’s Bleader:
That authentic was held against her by everyone who believed the actual casting wasn’t—though Weiss tells me she was merely repeating a claim made by Porchlight—hence the quotes. (However, Weiss wasn’t able to find the source of the quote for me, though it’s true to the spirit of Porchlight’s news release.)
Unusually “authentic” casting for #LinManuelMiranda musical @intheheights @PorchlightMT:https://t.co/SPkicdX9t9 pic.twitter.com/7Mjl68ZKz1
— Hedy Weiss (@HedyWeissCritic) July 18, 2016
Various interesting precedents have been cited in this debate to add heft to the arguments. Let’s start with Jonathan Pryce.
That brings me to the most recent precedent being kicked around now: the recent Marriott production of Evita.
