Amid intense backlash from outraged critics and activists that left producers “shaken,” a musical directed by an acclaimed French-Canadian gay director was shut down on Wednesday despite having sold thousands of tickets and having over a dozen performances still scheduled. The source of the outrage: The director had cast white women to play many of the black slaves.
The musical, “Slav,” premiered at the Montreal International Jazz Festival last week, but by Wednesday the “storm proved too much,” the New York Times’ Dan Bilefsky writes. The play, which was inspired by “traditional African-American slave and work songs,” featured “a nearly all-white cast,” including star Betty Bonifassi, notes Bilefsky.
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