‘Comet’ needs a star
Racial politics won’t save show
THE actors and activists appalled that Mandy Patinkin was going to replace a black actor in the Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” scored a victory on Friday when Patinkin, reluctant to step into a minefield of racial politics, withdrew from the production.
But that victory may turn out to be a bitter one if “Great Comet” posts a closing notice in the fall, taking down with it some 35 acting jobs, many filled by performers of color.
Patinkin was going to take over the role of Pierre from Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan, a black actor who was in the original cast of “Hamilton.”
As talented as Onaodowan is, he’s not a star, and he was not selling tickets the way his predecessor, Josh Groban, did. Even more troubling, advance sales had taken a dive, theater sources say.
Panicked, producers Howard and Janet Kagan reached out to Patinkin, a Tony-winner and a star of “Homeland.” His box office clout is indisputable. But he had to come in fast to punch up the grosses. Onaodowan would have to step aside for three weeks starting Aug. 13 (though he would have been paid the run of his contract, and could have returned in the fall).
Then the backlash hit, and the Kagans said in a windy statement, “We had the wrong impression of how Oak felt about the casting announcement and how it would be received by members of the theater commu- nity, which we appreciate is deeply invested in actors of color — as are we.”
The Kagans should stop groveling. They should not have to apologize for doing their job — which is to save their show.
“Comet” had been a big hit — grossing more than $1 million a week — and the Kagans have a responsibility to fight for it. If that means bringing in a household name at the expense of a fine but unknown actor, so be it.
The mistake they made was thinking “Great Comet” could survive on Broadway without a name. The show is based on “War and Peace.” It wasn’t Leo Tolstoy who turned out the crowds. It was Josh Groban.
The racial brouhaha engulfing “Great Comet” has its roots in the controversy that rattled the original production of “Miss Saigon” in 1991. Producer Cam- eron Mackintosh cast Jonathan Pryce in the role of the Engineer, who is Eurasian. When Asian-American theater people kicked up a fuss, Actors Equity refused to give Pryce permission to work on Broadway.
Mackintosh, the most powerful producer of his day, didn’t grovel. He announced he was cancelling the Broadway engagement. Equity immediately caved, and “Miss Saigon” went on to run 10 years on Broadway and spawn productions around the world. It’s provided hundreds of jobs for Asian actors, including Filipino star Jon Jon Briones, who received raves this year for his portrayal of the Engineer in the Broadway revival.
A lot of good comes from a Broadway show that runs. Nothing comes from one that closes.