“The Scottsboro Boys” inspires protest in NYC
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Joshua Henry in The Scottsboro Boys
Credit: Paul Kolnik/Associated Press
During its run at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the musical "The Scottsboro Boys" drew some strong responses - but nobody protested.
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On Broadway, however the show has drawn picketers who argue that the use of minstrelsy and blackface are racist.
About thirty people gathered this past weekend in front of the Lyceum Theater, organized by a group called the "Freedom Party."
In response director Susan Stroman said - according to a report by the New York Times - 'she was disappointed that people who probably had not seen the musical misunderstood that the creators were not celebrating the minstrel tradition but rather using it to reveal the evils of the system.'
New York Times has this look at the fine line the musical walks... or, in this case, cake-walks.