Upcoming 'Prince of Egypt' Musical Raises Issues About Diversity in Casting

Did you know that the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, Long Island, is developing a stage production of the 1998 animated musical film The Prince of Egypt? Producers have put together a star-studded cast and plan to have a free concert in August to promote the adaptation. But theater professionals, including prominent actors, have called out the production for having a mostly white cast, despite the story being set in the ancient Middle East. “The event,” reported The New York Times, “will be the first time the full script and score have been heard by the public.”

The director of this show is Scott Schwartz (the last name is not a coincidence; his father Stephen wrote the film’s songs). He responded to the controversy in part by pointing out that the ensemble is not entirely white (despite rumors to the contrary), and that it’s only about two-thirds white. He neglected to mention however is that the non-white actors are of the ensemble, rather than the principal actors: Moses, Ramses, and Miriam, for example, are all white.

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