What About Pierre? or Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Casting Controversy of 2017

As I write these words, Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan is preparing to take his last bow as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, almost certainly the most underrated and Tony-robbed musical in recent history. Oak, as he is fondly known and likes people to refer to him as, is leaving the glitz and glamour of 19^th Century Moscow and Great Comet as a result of botched casting and conflict resolution attempts on the behalf of the show’s producers. The little Ars Nova, Off-Broadway production that could has erupted into a novella as intricate as that unfolding on the Great Comet stage 8 times a week, and as a result has recently been on the lips of all remotely invested in the Broadway community as intricate as that unfolding on To quote the show’s “Prologue,” you’re “gonna’ have to study up a little bit if you wanna’ keep with the plot, ‘cuz it’s a complicated Russian novel.”

Allow me to illuminate you regarding what’s going on here. Dave Malloy’s fantastic and brave idea to translate a section of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace was an off-Broadway sensation. The musical was put up on Broadway and nominated for a few Tony Awards (12 to be exact, the most nominations for any production at the 2017 Tonys). Josh Groban catapulted Great Comet into the stratosphere, and he guided his vehicle magnificently in his Broadway debut. However, Groban’s tenure as Pierre was announced as being set to end July 2^nd, and a replacement was needed. That’s where everyone’s favorite Irish spy/tailor from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s opus Hamilton came into play and it was announced that the original Hercules Mulligan, Onaodowan, would take over the role from Groban beginning July 3^rd. This is where the plot truly gets thicker than day old Stroganoff. On July 1^st, the day before Groban’s final show, Great Comet’s creator Dave Malloy announced he’d be reprising his role as Pierre from July 3^rd- 9^th, and Oak was prompted to announce on his social media that he’d be postponing his entry into the show, noting the date change on his official Twitter and Instagram pages and declaring “They need another week 2get ready for Oak!” After finally assuming the role after his forced delayed debut as Pierre, on July 26^th it was announced that Oak had been asked to step out of the role to “make room” for stage and screen veteran Mandy Patinkin to take a turn starring in the role of Pierre.

The racial optics surrounding Oak’s hand being forced once again and his being booted out of the role of Pierre he had spent months preparing for vocally and learning the accordion were not ignored, and there was subsequent huge outcry on social media. One of the first to come to Oak’s defense and express her dissatisfaction with his being pressured out of the role was 2016 Tony winner for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple Cynthia Erivo, stating that she offered “sincere apologies for this mishandling” and declared “You deserve better, and are worth much more than this.” Rafael Casal, part of Oak’s self-dubbed #TheHomies crew (and frequent artistic collaborator with Onaodowan and their best friend Daveed Diggs), too expressed disappointment on social medias and in interviews, and being privy to the more intimate details of the situation, proclaimed that it was “infuriating” and likened it to “the integration of baseball, where a black player has to be twice as good.” Tony nominee for Shuffle Along Adrienne Warren also expressed her outrage and heartbreak over the situation and treatment of Oak, empathizing and stating “This is a familiar feeling,” and fellow Hamilton alumna now starring in the musical adaptation of A Bronx Tale and proud member of the #BroadwayBlack community Ariana DeBose offered “It doesn’t matter if this was pre-planned, the optics on it just aren’t good.” Also, Broadway performer and member of  2017's Best Musical Tony Winner Dear Evan Hansen, Kristolyn Lloyd responded candidly to the hoopla with “Oh, I know this game … #BS #Nope.”

Then Patinkin backed out of playing the role of Pierre, referencing on social media that the request to have him step into the Russian aristocrat’s shoes was not as it was portrayed, stating “I hear what members of the community have said and I agree with them. I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show.” Oak, then, responded stating that he would be leaving Great Comet August 13^th regardless. Composer Dave Malloy also offered apologies and explanations on Twitter regarding the casting decision, referencing that Brittain Ashford also had to be asked to step out of the role of Sonya to permit Ingrid Michaelson to have a limited run in the show and therefore neglected to account for how asking Oak to cut his already short tenure as Pierre even shorter would appear, that such decisions had to be made because the show was on the brink of closing, and that he deeply regretted how things had played out and was uncertain of the musical’s future. Also, the producers of the show (including Howard Kagan) offered two statements, one assuring commitment to diversity in casting/artists of color and expressing how the mistake was regretted deeply; and another statement apologizing to Patinkin for any misunderstanding,  professing his decision to withdraw from his agreement to appear in the production was understood, and that the creative team wrongly perceived Oak’s feelings regarding the casting decision. Then, on August 8^th,

it was announced Broadway’s resident wild, extravagant Russian Supper Club would be closing it’s doors for good on Sept. 3^rd.

Phew. That was a lot. Thanks for hanging in there with me. So, now, let’s get to the griping, the venting, and the real think-piecey part, shall we? I just want to consider, before anything, exactly how Oak was set up to fail from the beginning when “Great Comet” brought him on board. Primarily, too much pressure was put on Brother Oak, banking on his Hamilton claim-to-fame to sell tickets. Groban is much more well-known household name and his fandom rolls deep, extending back to well over 10 years ago when he was a teenage singing prodigy heralded by Oprah. Although the Hamilton fandom is quite profound and highly-devoted (and I'm sure that did result in some ticket sales), Oak is unfortunately not highly recognized outside of the musical theatre and #Ham circle. To be honest, many familiar with and who like Hamilton still probably don’t recognize who he is unless they’ve studied the jacket of the cast album or saw the Original Broadway Cast. That was a lot to put riding on Oak, to

, to expect he and the bit of notoriety from his previous work would carry the show at the box office.

Additionally, Oak was not given the same opportunities for media exposure and his turn as Pierre was not publicized well. Whereas Groban and singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson had billboards plastered throughout Times Square, TV spots, and huge social media campaigns promoting them and their turns in the show, Oak did not get these same chances, this same amount of publicity. People only really knew about him joining the production via his personal social media, if they follow it,  and word of mouth amongst #HamFans. This man was not given the same respect and same opportunities for marketing to make his run in Great Comet a success, and therefore began with a deficit.

And, now for the extremely painful part of this to write. What’s happened here with the Great Comet and Oak controversy is really the direct result of white privilege. Whereas Ingrid Michaelson simply had to mention after a performance one night “Oh, I really like Sonya, I’d love to play that part one day,” and she’s offered the job on the spot and two days later doing press and an official photo shoot for the production, Oak had to audition normally and prove himself and his talent. Just as his confidante Casal mentioned, Oak had to endure the “black tax” and more to prove himself worthy of the job. The fact that his performance is technically brilliant and his vocal prowess is on par with that of Groban’s (if you don’t believe me, take a peek at this #Ham4All video where he mashes up Aaron Burr’s signature song “Wait for It” from Hamilton  and Pierre’s show-stopper “Dust and Ashes” – https://youtu.be/yx3zHB_Lou4) was not enough. Oak had to be more, simply because of his Nigerian name and melanin, even though everything about him and his talent is 100% meant and perfect for the challenging role of Pierre. He also had to be more humble, more easy to work with, more personable as a part of his “black tax.” And when he did not cow-tow to having the part he spent months preparing for, learning both the piano and accordion, ripped from his fingers just because the producers wanted to replace him the someone with more box office appeal, someone safer, someone paler. When confronted white privilege, Oak became an “uppity negro” in the eyes of the Broadway community and show's producers; and was then unfairly scapegoated and painted to look like some sort of Prima Donna. 

   

And last, but not least, the simple fact that it is desired that Broadway remain still “The Great White Way” cannot be ignored. Oak is unabashedly blamed for the drop in ticket sales once he came on board, and the excuse given for attempting to bring in Patinkin was to save the sinking ship and keep the show from closing. And Oak is to blame for the drop in ticket sales, for the simple reason that he is black and individuals did not want this black man playing a 19^th Century Russian aristocrat, much like many I can assure you had issues with him playing a Revolutionary War Hero and a Founding Father in his dual roles in Hamilton. And with him and another black Broadway performer Deneé Benton in the two title roles in the show, that was too much to handle. As long as there was only one safe, acceptably black lead in the production, the rest of the POC performers were resigned to the ensemble, and there was a white voice as the major draw/selling point, diversity was tolerated – but once the dynamics shifted, this was simply too much for the alabaster institution of Broadway and it’s patrons to accept – although most will be to blind to admit this and own up to their own prejudice and learned/expected white privilege.

As a very wise young theatre scholar and dear friend expressed at the time of this year’s Tony Awards, only 5% of the nominees have been POC in the show's entire 70 year history. That Broadway still intends to and does cater to it’s vast majority white audience, and any shows such as Hamilton where diversity is so prevalent and celebrated are flukes, is irrefutable. As this intelligent talent rightly brought to my attention, every video such as the one included here in this link - https://youtu.be/4UifRWYiA9EI - and #tonyssodiverse hash tag from 2016 highlights the Broadway and musical theatre community’s white privilege and quickness to self-congratulate/pat itself on the back when it allows a little diversity to seep through, while still making utterly clear artists of color (and particularly black artists) are expendable. And the Great Comet evidences this profoundly, which causes all the apology and videos promoting and attempting to prove commitment to diversity to feel insincere and offensive - because true colors have already been flagrantly displayed, and those colors are white and not-too off-white. 

I pen this on Oak’s closing day and on the heels of the atrocity in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is another painful reminder of the society we are currently living in and the lack respect there is for black lives, artistic and otherwise. And although it would easy to choose to be bitter, hurt, and upset, in this moment, where it is harrowingly plain the prejudiced foundation of this nation that has corrupted every medium, every facet of this country, where the existence of people of color and especially black lives continue to be mistreated and miscounted in any and every arena, where a very special show with so much heart, potential to dismantle the racist institution and status quo of Broadway and our country and foster awareness, light, love, and acceptance during such tumultuous times is closing because individuals cannot see past skin color, I choose to be hopeful. I choose to be proud, inspired, and heartened by the fact that POC and particularly black voices are being heard. There is well-deserved outrage on social media and coverage on major new outlets of the tragedy unfolding in Virginia, there is visibility, it is being noticed, and individuals are galvanizing and being emboldened to resist such malevolence. A black man and black supporters stood up for what was right and closed a Broadway show, proving their cries echoed and voices mattered.

So when I think about the current state of our nation and the Great Comet situation, the question resounds in my mind, “What about Pierre? Dear bewildered and awkward Pierre?” Truth is, POC, black people, we are all Pierre. We are Oak. We are these slights because of the shades of our skin, these situations, these predicaments, these controversies. But we are also the Great Comet. We are this marvel, because Pierre is the Great Comet, and the Great Comet is Pierre. The two exist in and of each other, they cannot be separated. We are all the Great Comet. And as the Great Comet, we all, everyone together, are a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon just like this show and it’s meteorlogical wonder namesake it lives up to; a phenomenon unparalleled in it’s power and has the ability to inspire awe and the greatest beauty and light in the darkest, most desolate night.

Right now, more than ever, we all are and have to be the Great Comet – we must band together and show that the hate and obscurity that has plagued our nation, our world for far too long will not be accepted. And what offers just a bit of solace is that it appears we are embracing this and seizing the opportunity to be that spark, that beacon, that changing and guiding light. A comet burns only once in a lifetime, and I appreciate, commend, and honestly pray that we muster the courage to be and continue to be the comet that irradiates this generation, this lifetime. We are all more than and are meant to be more than, as Pierre laments, dust and ashes. And as is also sung in the progratonist’s seminal number, “They say we are asleep until we fall in love, and I’m so ready to wake up now.” Just as the main character expresses in the balled, we cannot die in our sleep, we all must learn to embrace one another, to learn to love and fall in love with each other; and we must wake up. It seems like we are taking steps to do that. It is long overdue, but we may finally be on the path to falling in love and waking up. I, just as Pierre, am so ready to wake up now; and resolve that I will commit to love, being completely alert, totally, 100% awake. I hope that you join me and also resolve to wake up. I want to wake up now. Let’s all wake up now – and let’s remain #woke.

P.S. If you want to hear some great rhetoric from the extremely articulate and intelligent Brother Oak, please check out the following links to his Tedx Talk on empathy https://youtu.be/7mlV_bSBUi0 and his interview with Broadway.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UifRWYiA9E about his participation in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.