Rosie O’Donnell is joining the cast of the Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” She’ll be playing Golde, the love interest of Harvey Fierstein’s Tevye. This is not, as some would have it, “stunt casting.” Still, wonders the NYT this morning, it’s remarkable that “two openly gay and outspoken actors will play husband and wife in a musical all about the breaking of traditions.” Yeah, yeah-gay audiences have endured the casting of straight actors in gay roles for, like, ever. From Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas in “Philadelphia” to the entirely unbelievable Eric McCormack in the entirely unbearable “Will and Grace” to Charlton Heston in “Ben-Hur” (AKA “Get Her”), we’ve always been willing to suspend our disbelief and buy off on straight actors playing gay. Indeed, playing gay, like playing the endearingly retarded, has always been a way for a straight actor to demonstrate his or her chops. Why not the reverse for Rosie?
And, hey, Rosie once made the whole country believe she was in love with Tom Cruise. Surely she can convince Broadway audiences that she’s in love with Harvey.
-posted by Dan
The Dish 