Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Broadway musical, has faced criticism for an open casting call seeking only “non-white” actors.
The hip-hop musical, which has been praised by Michelle Obama and which won a Grammy, features a diverse cast that reimagines the origin story of founding father Alexander Hamilton. The majority of the cast is multiethnic as well: African Americans play Aaron Burr, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, while a Chinese American portrays Hamilton’s wife, Eliza. Miranda, the show’s creator, is of Puerto Rican ancestry.
The open casting notice for the show’s national tour, posted on Hamilton’s official website earlier this week, called for: “NON-WHITE men and women, ages 20s to 30s.”
The advert was criticised on social media, with Actor’s Equity, the union that represents stage performers in the US, saying the posting did not adhere to the organization’s policies.
Equity’s guidelines stipulate that all actors must be considered “without discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression or political persuasion or belief”.
The association had requested that producers take down the notice.
Civil rights attorney Randolph McLaughlin went so far as to say the call amounts to a violation of the New York City Human Rights Law, which makes it unlawful “for an employer … because of the actual written or perceived … race of any person, to discriminate”.
“You cannot advertise showing that you have a preference for one racial group over another,” McLaughlin said on Tuesday to CBS. “As an artistic question – sure, he can cast whomever he wants to cast, but he has to give every actor eligible for the role an opportunity to try.”
Hamilton producers on Wednesday defended their decision.
A statement released by producer Jeffrey Seller read: “Hamilton depicts the birth of our nation in a singular way. We will continue to cast the show with the same multicultural diversity that we have employed thus far.”
A Hamilton spokesperson subsequently released a statement, stressing that “it is essential to the storytelling of Hamilton that the principal roles – which were written for non-white characters (excepting King George) – be performed by non-white actors”.
The statement also noted that the producers would amend the language of the casting call to welcome “people of all ethnicities” to audition for Hamilton.
The updated ad, posted Thursday, now calls for “men and women, ages 20s to 30s, for the non-white characters” in Hamilton. A disclaimer also reads: “Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend.”
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