Since it debuted on Broadway in 1951 and was reprised five years

Since it debuted on Broadway in 1951 and was reprised five years later on the silver screen, “The King and I” has become a musical classic.

There is controversy, though, surrounding diversity issues with an upcoming production by Dallas Summer Musicals. An Asian-American performers group is upset that the a man of Asian descent was not originally cast in the lead role.

Around Music Hall at Fair Park, the signs show the Dallas Summer Musicals season is in full swing. However, as the group prepares for its March production of the Rogers and Hammerstein staple, there’s drama behind the scenes.

“We did have some serious concerns,” said Pun Bandhu, an actor and Steering Committee Chair for the Asian American Performers Action Coalition. The New York-based group blasted Dallas Summer Musicals’ decision to cast the show’s leading male, the King of Siam, with a Caucasian actor.

“You know, it’s 2015, and we have really talented Asian actors with Broadway credits and regional credits who could play this role,” Bandhu said.

The plot of “The King and I” centers around the relationship between king Mongkut of Siam and a British schoolteacher hired to care for his children. The role of the King has been played by Caucasian actors on stage and film in the past. Russian-born actor Yul Brynner won an Academy Award for his portrayal in 1956. The long-time casting practice is one Bandhu refers to as “yellow-facing.”

“We want to see ourselves reflected on these stages,” Bandhu said.

The Asian American Performers Action Coalition sent letters of complaint to Dallas Summer Musicals. The theater agency’s president, Michael Jenkins, said the organization “never intended or conceived a thought that this would be disruptive, negative, or disrespectful to anyone.”

Bandhu calls it a lack of cultural awareness.

“Dallas Summer Musicals would never cast a musical about an African monarch or another real life historical figure like Martin Luther King Jr. and cast it with a white actor without knowing there would be serious repercussions that could do serious damage to their reputation,” Bandhu said.

After hearing comments and concerns, Dallas Summer Musicals announced this week: “We are now going back to find an actor of Asian decent for the role of the King.”

The Asian American Performance Action Coalition calls that decision a good move.

Full text
http://www.wfaa.com/story/entertainment/2015/01/27/dallas-summer-musicals-changes-casting-for-musical-king-and-i-after-concerns-raised-by-asian-american-performers-action-coalition/22436089/