Charlotte theater company leans into diverse casting

CHILDREN'S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE

Children's Theatre of Charlotte's casting Nonye Obichere as Elsa in "Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical" has drawn criticism and kudos, but company leaders are committed to hiring on merit.

Inclusion is intentional at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

The diverse casting of “Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical” April 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 300 E 7th St. isn’t meant to make a statement but reflects the company’s priorities of representation, inclusivity and accessibility.

Its production of “Disney’s Frozen” has received positive and negative feedback from audiences, mostly about casting a Black woman, Nonye Obichere, as Elsa. However, when it comes to casting, artistic director Adam Burke said it's about choosing the best person for the role.

“The artists that are working on any given show reflect the community that we live in,” he said. “We ensure that when any child is going to come and see the show, they see people that they believe reflect their community, however they define that, up on stage.”

Casting actors relies on more than appearance and physical characteristics, but professionalism and accountability. While the choice of Obichere, as Elsa challenges traditional expectations of the character's appearance, the priority was on talent and opportunity.

“I thought, do I take this opportunity away from an actor, let's say this child who showed up, did their work, is fantastic, great for the role, because of that confusion possibility, or do I assume that we live in a world where an audience will accept that, will buy that?” Burke said. “We just chose to cast the best possible people.” 

Obichere is not the only person of color in the cast, which features a diverse group of local actors. Burke shared that race is only considered when it is essential to the story.

“This show is not about something having to do with race,” he said. “Whereas if we were going to cast Jackie Robinson, we would not cast a non-African American as Jackie Robinson because race is core to what that story is.” 

The company’s goal is that when children and adults see the show, they feel a sense of empowerment and see that age, race, or other physical characteristics are not limitations. The commitment to inclusion isn’t new. Alongside productions like “Frozen,” the company has initiatives like sensory-friendly shows, including “Peter Pan’s Adventure.”

“Ensuring that all the young people that come here feel comfortable, feel seen, and feel that they can see themselves reflected on stage is a value that we hold,” Burke said. “We're going to do that whether we get criticism or not.”

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