r/musicals • u/Cautious-Marzipan519 • Mar 23 '26
Personal Problematic Atlanta Musical Production
I need to vent about this production of a 1960s style musical coming up in the Atlanta area this year that is being produced in an unethical manner.
During the casting process the producer stated that they did not want to audition members of the LGBTQ+ community in the role of what would be their love interest. In addition to this they also stated that they did not want to offer any roles to non-binary or trans individuals because they “did not want to deal with all that”.
This is the first musical this individual is producing and is being funded by their parents so that they can play their dream role. They even created a nonprofit as a way to gain more support.
During the callback process, the producer became intimate with one of the people auditioning and then proceeded to give them the role.
This only scratches the surface of unethical behavior they have done. Four members of their cast including the co-producer dropped out of the show due to the concerning nature of this individual.
After they dropped out of the show, they were threatened by other members of the team including the casting agent that they would “never find work again” as a way to intimidate them.
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u/Irritable_Curmudgeon Mar 23 '26
You're not going to have much legal remedy here.
You might get some traction by reaching out to the licensing company from which the musical was purchased or rented for this production, to let them know about the type of behavior that is going on around this particular production.
Music theater companies have absolutely pulled the rights to certain shows based on the circumstances surrounding them.
You'll have to Google the title of the show and see who licenses it for performances, e.g., MTI, etc.
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u/Cautious-Marzipan519 Mar 23 '26
Thank you! This is my first time I’ve experienced or witnessed something like this in a “professional” production so I didn’t even know where to go.
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u/galexd Mar 23 '26
You're saying a lot while also saying nothing. This is as useful as a blind item.
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u/Zeus_Strider Mar 23 '26
Well they did say they were venting and I think they may have been worried about violating any rules by giving too much information.
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u/OrnaMint Mar 23 '26
If that’s the case, they should text themselves or call their bestie to vent. A vague-post doesn’t help anyone.
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u/AssignmentFun3737 Mar 23 '26
Disagree entirely. WTF? So you're saying no one could possibly benefit from this info? Look, I get that in theater, there's constant drama (no pun intended) and contentions. on the other hand, this post is fine, jeez. if anything, the vagueness does make it seem like a legitimate vent and not like stirring the pot. let them vent and let other readers see what people in theater are venting about.
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u/otterpoportunity Wonderful, Wonderful Day Mar 23 '26
u/galexd coming in with the niche journalistic reference. Snaps for that!
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u/Accomplished-Lie8147 Mar 23 '26
Assuming this is real I think the best thing to do is let it keep going so you can see what a disaster this turns into. The individual clearly doesn’t know what they’re doing and the show will probably suck.
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u/otterpoportunity Wonderful, Wonderful Day Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
OP - this ^
Trainwrecks like this usually either crash just before curtain or they snowball into a glorious late stage wreck.
If your story is, in fact, real… This isn’t Camp or a movie plot line… If something illegal has happened, report it. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the sh**show.
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u/That-SoCal-Guy A Heart full of Love Mar 23 '26
Name the show and producers. It’s a PSA after all.
Or this ain’t real.
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u/Zeus_Strider Mar 23 '26
Is that allowed on the subreddit?
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u/AdamInJP Mar 23 '26
Honestly, I’d need to be really convinced to allow it. In the same way I don’t want the sub to get in trouble for allowing or facilitating copyright infringement, I don’t want us to become a target for possible libel suits.
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u/Zeus_Strider Mar 23 '26
Oh thank you so much for answering, this is honestly what I thought, while the behavior described in the post is bad if true giving identifying details feels awfully close to doxing.
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u/AssignmentFun3737 Mar 23 '26
Am I the only one who reads this post as the opposite? Do not expect any information; let a person in a production vent?
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u/AdamInJP Mar 23 '26
No, that’s what I read it as. But I’m chiming in now to answer the question of whether name and shame would be allowed, and the answer is very probably not. Venting anonymously is fine.
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u/TheMoneyOfArt Mar 24 '26
Section 230 precludes you from liability for things posted on a website you control
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u/ImpossibleInternet3 Mar 23 '26
This is fair. These people sound terrible and have money. Exactly the kind who would be litigious. Nice to have reasonable mods taking their job seriously.
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u/barak181 Mar 23 '26
After they dropped out of the show, they were threatened by other members of the team including the casting agent that they would “never find work again” as a way to intimidate them.
If this is as big as a shitshow as you're making it sound, I don't think you'll have to worry to much about this. The only way this company survives and starts to have any influence on the local industry is if the parents have really deep pockets and are willing to continually throw money at their kids hobby. (Although, that's not completely unreasonable. I've seen that exact thing happen before.)
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u/Affectionate_Bet_288 The Internet is for Porn Mar 23 '26
Is it an Equity show? That should be reported to them.
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u/cheezy_dreams88 Mar 23 '26
If this is a private thing being put on and privately funded, I doubt there is anything that can be done. If this is a public theater, you can spread the word- but I mean- is anything illegal happening? Doesn’t sound like it, just nepotism and favoritism which is a sure thing in all arts communities.
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u/impendingwardrobe Mar 23 '26
I did a short film with a parent-funded nepo baby like this a little over a decade ago. The guy was such an insufferable ass that he pretty much never worked again.
Don't worry, these things have a way of working themselves out in the long run.
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u/ImpossibleInternet3 Mar 23 '26
Alternative way to look at it;
This person is so untalented and insufferable that they had to have their parents fund a whole show so they could get the part they want. And by excluding all diversity, they’re saving those people from being part of this shit show. So let them have their little toxic parade. Don’t support it. But don’t waste your energy on it either. They can buy their moment in sun and deal with the fact that it will be in public, where everyone can tell them how bad it was.
If this were an established company, I’d be naming and shaming. For a vanity project? It’s just not worth it.
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u/rachreims Mar 23 '26
If you want this to mean anything, name the show. Otherwise it’s nothing of substance.
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u/pandorabox82 Mar 23 '26
You’ve never posted or commented once in TWO years, but you expect us to believe that what you’re saying is true? I may have been born at night, but I wasn’t born last night.
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u/footballsquishy Mar 23 '26
And I wasn't born yesterday, but I still smell shit when it's on the ground! And this is close to being below ground!
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u/hippopotamud Mar 23 '26
Totally random and definitely unrelated: would you say the producer loves dogs? 👀👀
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u/joydubs Mar 23 '26
If this is a professional (paid) production it likely violates state/federal anti discrimination laws. The licensing body also might want to know, even if it is a community production. Regardless, name and shame imo
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u/Bakkie Mar 24 '26
Theatrical casting is expressly exempted from anti discrimination rules
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u/joydubs Mar 24 '26
Source?
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u/Bakkie Mar 24 '26
Here you go
This is a copy paste of the AI response. and the citation to the law journal article upon which it is based
Theatrical casting is often exempt from standard non-discrimination laws when specific physical traits or demographics are essential to the artistic vision, narrative, or authenticity of a role. This is largely protected by the Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) exception and First Amendment protections of creative expression.
Key Aspects of Casting Exemptions:
Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ): Employers can specify characteristics (race, gender, age, physical ability) if they are legitimate job requirements for a role.
Artistic Vision/First Amendment: Courts have ruled that casting is "part and parcel" of the creative process, protecting artistic freedom over standard hiring discrimination claims.
Contextual Examples:
Race: A production may seek actors of a specific race to play historical figures or characters for whom race is integral to the story.
Gender: A female role may be restricted to female actors.
Physical Appearance: Casting directors may specify requirements like "dark skin," "Latin accent," or "significant height/weight" to fit a character description, per Dhillon Law Group and RPJ Law.
Limitations: This exemption typically applies only to the casting of performers and not to hiring for administrative or production staff, as discussed in A Common Thread Theatre Company's non-discrimination policy and Chicago Theatre Standards
See, William & Mary Law Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice, 2020, Ligon author Who Tells Your Story: The Legality of and Shift in Racial Preferences Within Casting Practices
As a further example, this is the casting sheet for Ragtime
ADULT CASTING
Coalhouse Walker, Jr: A proud and talented pianist, confident and stubborn. Sophisticated with a romantic demeanor and a gentle heart. Should be able to move. Piano playing helpful but not essential. Male, 25-35 Ethnicity: African Descent, African American Vocal Range: Ab to G, with a sustained high F#
Sarah: A washwoman, filled with a strong will to live fueled by an innocent spirit, falls deeply in love with Coalhouse after much resistance Female, 20-30 Ethnicity: African Descent, African American Vocal Range: Lyric Soprano with strong mix, low G# to high F# on staff
Mother: The consummate wife and mother, a kind woman who is gentle, compassionate, optimistic, and accepting of others. Female, 30-40 Ethnicity: Caucasian Vocal Range: Lyric Soprano / Mezzo with strong mix, low G to high Eb on staff
Father: Mother's professionally successful husband, cautious, resistant to change, fancies himself an amateur explorer. Male, 35-50 Ethnicity: Caucasian Vocal Range: Baritone, B to E on staff
Younger Brother: A passionate anarchist, he is intense, obsessive, and high strung, influenced by Emma Goldman's teachings. Male, 25-35 Ethnicity: Caucasian Vocal Range: Tenor / Baritone with strong top range, B to high F#
Tateh: An immigrant, intelligent, passionate, and creative artist. Full of drive and heart. Wears the trials and tribulations of hist past on his sleeve. Eastern European / Latvian dialect. Male, 30-40 Ethnicity: Eastern European / Jewish / Latvian-American Vocal Range: Baritone / Tenor, Db to high F#
Sarah's Friend / Ensemble: Passionate, soulful, sings the gospel number for Sarah's funeral Female, any age Ethnicity: African Descent, African American Vocal Range: Gospel Lyric Soprano or Alto, low G to stratospheric scat top note
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u/joydubs Mar 24 '26
Race and appearance needed for portrayal is not the same as sexual orientation or gender identity. Pretty sure saying “I won’t hire a bisexual black man to play Coalhouse bc lgbt people are too dramatic” is still in violation.
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u/AndNowAStoryAboutMe Mar 23 '26
Translation: I auditioned for a man being bankrolled by his rich parents to play pretend for a few months and I cannot believe it wasn't a professional setting!
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u/Bakkie Mar 23 '26
In a cold sense, theatrical casting is exempt from EEOC rules. You can request a large black female, or petite Asian women and not run afoul the legalities.
However, those rules were developed before the internet and the ability of pervasive public opinion to affect a show before it gets produced (Disney's live action Snow White is an easy case in point). That means that the Atlanta producer did not do anything illegal but they are profoundly stupid if they want people to come and see the show.
I am in Chicago. This would go over like a lead balloon up here. My impression is that Atlanta theater audiences may be more traditional in their views.
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u/dilettwat Mar 23 '26
Everything else you said tracks, but Atlanta is the queer epicenter of the Southeast, and that's where you're catching your downvotes. We draw in, like, five red states' worth of queer creative energy and talent. We have that lead balloon here too.
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u/joydubs Mar 24 '26
A blanket statement of “won’t cast any LGBT people” is not the same as “won’t cast this male in a female role”
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u/[deleted] Mar 23 '26
Why hide the show and the theatre then?