Saturday, December 04, 2004
"Mattress" trivia that will blow your mind!
I was reading some notes from Greg on the show and ran across the tidbit that the Queen Aggravain in the original Broadway production was played by a woman named Jane White.
So?
Well, Jane was the daughter of the man who founded the NAACP, and she contracted to do the role, understanding she would play it in white face!
I had no idea.
And it's not as though the show was produced in the dark ages; it opened in 1959. I guess the North wasn't always as open-minded and advanced as I thought.
I'm sure there are many other noteworthy things about the original production, but this one really did surprise me.
So?
Well, Jane was the daughter of the man who founded the NAACP, and she contracted to do the role, understanding she would play it in white face!
I had no idea.
And it's not as though the show was produced in the dark ages; it opened in 1959. I guess the North wasn't always as open-minded and advanced as I thought.
I'm sure there are many other noteworthy things about the original production, but this one really did surprise me.
// posted by ElisaC @ 9:31 AM 
