Arizona sun., 1961-09-07
Neqro Talent and Phoenix Musical.
Theatres Show Boat

There is an inescapabe tie of mutually that binds to-
geher all the people any community matter how the var
Gus community groups differ each other in color or nation
atty requires major tragedy like flooding OF
the damage of widespread fire to convince
of the fact of this mutually Sometimes the other hand
very seemingly unmporant incident convince community
mutual nerdependence Of all the people OF the
community
The phoenix Musical Theatre formerly the Phoenix Civic
Light Opera has existed Phoenix for all of eight years but
the nature of the musical has produced with volunteer
amateur unpaid of local talent has almost never required
producers to look into the community for Negro talent IN
make the production possible Recently Mr. la te
saared director of NJ T. responsible to the F. NJ J. board
for producing selected musical show for the cultural edca
ton of the entire community discovered that Show Boat chosen
by his board this production has injected some new
problems his always difficult problem OF casting and STAGING
the production 1t this season that the box oce
recepts exceed The many many cos
period for the large cast the staging to simulate
the period boa and the considerable royalty Tor
permission to use the book all add to much larger than
budget This is true though the only
for the participating talent always only the pleasure ana Sa
faction gained privilege of participating in pro-
ducton of this kind under such professional direction
The casting problem for grows out Of the fact
that musical chosen this time that without the par
cpaOn of Negro actors and singers cannot possibly De pro
duced and bang for the first time NJ T. must 60 looking
for participation from group IN the community tial lo e
eight years existence has not needed considered nor
used finding absolutely essential to the production OF
its chosen vehicle
What does group like P NJ T. do in such circumstance?
Do YOU lust advertise as the white press Naturally p
NJ T. doesn't know what to do or how to go ABOUT DONG IT, II
needed the So when the producer ao
he talent makes the mauVerta
calling the additions for whites on certain DAY
time and the addition for Negroes another day and time
difference the kinds of contributions OF the
groups practical addition them at separately ana
racial segregation anywhere in his thinking Having had
no contacts with members of the Negro community there was
no way that the director that the nationwide stepped
up fight Negroes be rid of segregation they are not
human segregation education travel in of public ac
comodatons in employment Negroes the country un-
willing cooperate with any that to involve racial
segregation So imagine the directors surprise ana con-
persons whom he had spoken personally and VINO
peey mirteresed.
On the other hand the director had anticipated the matter
of the ofenveness uaccepaby of certain words and ex
pessions in any script using language of southern white
characters the lyrics of of the OF the period
very carefully through the script and the songs
made changes removing all terms that ne houht gn De
offensive to us any unpreuiced whites But by this time
the situation hopeless far securing Negro mem
bers of the concerned and the production into which
considerable sum had already been invested was IN danger Oh
having to be scrapped
Someone suggested to Mr. Blair that he seek the advice
of the Urban League Director request Mr. Blair and
Director Charles Harlns of the Urban League discussed the en-
plight of the Phoenix Musical Theatre ands
they the conclusion that Show Boat not only should not bes
junked rendition could become asset to better
racial relations in the Phoenix community
Mr. Harlns called Rev. George Brooks President of the
together they chose of persons from the
Negro community who they thought capable making decision
matter that would merit the confidence and approval OF
the Phoenix community Among this group of persons were
the speech of Carver High School
and teacher of English both of whom ac
quaInted with the question
performance in which Negroes should participate two
School principals officials of both the NAACP and the Urban
League of the two local Negro weekly news
papers, All agreed that regrettabe that the issue oil we
thr Show Boat could be staged with the approval ana
participation of talented in the Negro community had
settled before additions of Negroes had been
advertised All agreed that the Phoenix Musical Theatre mao
realized the wisdom involving persons representing the Negro
community the planning before seeking participation OF lnd
vduas Negro community all of the suspicion and doubt
might agreed that whether Negro
actors may be needed productions from the
Negro L. L
Phoenix to the NJ T. productions to the great
advantage of Negroes.
Finally all present the conference a4reed TO give all
aid possible filling the Show Boat cast with the necessary
Negro clearing all misunderstanding the Negro
community regarding performance of this production of
great playwright who in his lyrics end his script atened to
record the injustice to Negroes done by setting II this musical
by people very carefully taught to Ii ite