Overview
- Andrew Barth Feldman will assume the role of Oliver on September 2 for a nine-week limited engagement, following Tony winner Darren Criss’s departure on August 31.
- The Asian American Performers Action Coalition publicly expressed “profound disappointment,” calling the casting of a non-AANHPI actor in a Korean-set musical a setback for cultural representation.
- Tony-winning actor B. D. Wong described the move as “a hard slap in the face” and gathered over 1,000 signatures for an open letter criticizing the decision.
- In response, Conrad Ricamora launched The Right to Be There scholarship for male actors of Asian descent, raising more than $47,000 to support emerging talent.
- Creators Hue Park and Will Aronson defended color-blind casting as essential to the show’s universal themes, and star Helen J. Shen urged ongoing dialogue about inclusion in theater.