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Maybe Happy Ending to Recast Oliver With Andrew Barth Feldman; AAPI Groups Decry Loss of Representation

The decision to replace Darren Criss highlights a rift over cultural specificity versus universal casting in a musical set in South Korea.

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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.