With the casting of Wei-Huang as one of the lead actors in La Boheme, Broadway shows that talent ultimately and rightly rules over ethnic disposition.
La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini's famous Italian opera, has been revamped by revolutionary director Baz Luhrmann for the Broadway stage and has been playing at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles since January 9th. Luhrmann has worked his Moulin Rouge magic on the theatrical stage with La Bohème and as a director known for his avant-garde style, cast triple threat Wei-Huang from Jiangxi province in China as Mimi, the lead female role, in one of the opera's three rotating couples. Huang, who received her opera training from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a graduate of vocal performance from Brooklyn College, won first prize in the 4th National Singing Competition in Budapest. She also had the opportunity to train in Italy at the International Institute of Visual Arts. Huang demonstrates these cultivated vocal abilities by singing this opera entirely in Italian.
The language and subject matter of the opera is in no way a barrier for Huang, nor was her ethnicity an issue to Luhrmann when casting her; Huang's talent ultimately and rightly ruled over issues of race or ethnicity. Unlike works such as Madama Butterfly or Miss Saigon, it is uncommon to see an Asian play a lead role on Broadway, whose subject has no concern for the Asian culture, but Huang and Luhrmann transcend the conventional to produce a work of spectacular artistic talent. The entire production flows smoothly without any disturbance by or reference to Huang's ethnicity. The love between her and Rodolfo, the lead male, is not questioned or made to feel awkward. The spectacular talent, set design, and directing, shine through to immerse and amaze the audience in the “the greatest love story ever sung.”
Huang's musical career began at the age of fourteen when a music teacher heard her sing and brought her to a music school in Jiangxi. She originally wanted to be a pop singer but she ultimately fulfilled her subsequent dream of performing in major opera houses across America and Europe. She first debuted as Mimi at the Hungarian State Opera House and the Theater im Pfzalbau. She now wants to expand her abilities and play different roles, which she accomplishes in La Bohème. “What Baz is doing is drawing people into the story,” comments Huang. “Baz's directing is very convincing, very detailed. No matter how big or small the role, he really digs in and works hard on every detail.” It is those details that are significant. What is seen by the audience is a reflection of the labor put into perfecting the inner details and complexities of the characters to effectively convey the message of the story and convince the audience of the emotions the characters feel. The most important aspect of outward appearance has nothing to do with race, the actors must accurately reflect the character and his or her emotions being portrayed.
Race, however, cannot be completely disregarded. Huang, as a Chinese artist, should be commended and recognized for her great success in the art world. Her work should be an encouragement to other Asians with similar aspirations to continue to demonstrate their talent and work for their passions in life; to not feel limited by their race and to fight for the roles they desire. Her role as Mimi shows that race does not hinder mainstream success, and Asians can be successful in a place where their presence is often overlooked or never given a chance to exist.
www.bohemeonbroadway.com