Theatre Faces Backlash Over Response to Criticism of Casting of ‘Elf’ Musical
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
A theatre organization in CA is facing backlash today over its response to criticism of the lack of diversity in its upcoming production of Elf: The Musical.
Broadway at Music Circus in Sacramento had been called out for their seemingly all-white ensemble of the Christmas-themed show that takes place in New York City. In response, their President and CEO suggested that it was the industry’s fault for not training BIPOC performers enough to meet their theatre’s standards.
Actor Victoria Price first called the notice of the lack of diversity in this cast on her TikTok.
Responding to backlash over the casting, Scott Klier, President & CEO of Broadway at Music Circus, posted the following comment on Instagram:
A number of you have expressed concern over the lack of representation in our upcoming production of ELF: The Musical. I hear you, understand your frustration and agree. While our casting decisions involve many people, the final choices are mine and I alone must account for them. Inclusivity has been and remains my casting and staffing goal for every production.
I fell short of that goal for ELF. There is an uncomfortable truth here: Our industry as a whole has largely failed to attract, train and foster the artists necessary to meet today's demand, and I fear this conversation will continue until it does. It will unfortunately take time. The painful reality of ELF’s casting process was that both the casting submissions and audition attendance revealed few candidates of color and, while those few were undoubtedly talented, they did not meet the dance, music and acting criteria set by our team.
I share this not as an excuse, but as a factor in my failing. In hindsight, I should not have rested with the options presented and continued our search before making offers. I welcome any ideas or input on how we might attract more artists of color to both perform on our stage and work behind the scenes, as well as expand our education efforts to cultivate the next generation of them. We encourage you to send your ideas and input via DM or to: info@broadwaysacramento.com. Please accept my apology and believe my intentions.”
Klier’s comment has been quickly condemned.
@conscious.bonnie replied: “I hope one day (or lifetime) you’ll understand how much your words have hurt, how untrue they are (literally the gag is on you bc i think you thought you ate with this response), how ignorant this is and how much pain this shows YOU have internally. I pray for you, for everyone. As for me, I am GOOD. I KNOW my value and the value of all the beautiful souls that share their talent and love.”
@josephsmith1991 said: “This is gross. The fact that you said this out loud with your full chest is even worse. Do better. Happy to help educate on this… better yet… happy to cast for you going forward. Hold more auditions. Hold open auditions. Accept online submissions. Expand your reach. If your current team are unable to do it, either expand your team or find people who can do this to ensure inclusion. Because this isn’t it.”
@_victoriaprice also said: “respectfully, Scott, the fact that you typed this out on a public platform for the world to see tells me everything I need to know about
1. how you run your business
2. how you view yourself
3. how you view people of color (full stop. not just actors, but in general)
To say that there is an “uncomfortable TRUTH” that our industry fails at attracting POCs is simply a false statement and to be honest, what every theatre tried to say back in 2020 when everyone was attempting to move this industry in a better direction. We’ve been here, we’ve always been, we will continue to be here, and not just be her, but excelling in everything we do bc (as you basically said in your response) we are expected to be TWICE as good as our white counterparts to even be SEEN. We’ve been here, eating the girlies up honestly, yet yall refuse to see us.”
My take as a former Asian performer? Klier is full of it, and his response isn’t only gaslighting, it’d dumb.
Despite the fact that there are BIPOC performers cast in some of the principal and featured roles, Klier’s claim assumes that a lack of training among BIPOC performers is the root cause of the issue. This ignores the reality that BIPOC performers are underrepresented not because they lack talent or training, but because the theatre industry has long upheld exclusionary practices.
Klier’s reasoning shifts the blame from the production team to the performers, conveniently ignoring the role of bias in the audition and casting processes. If BIPOC actors auditioned but were not cast, it points to a failure in how talent is evaluated, reflecting implicit biases that favor whiteness as the default. Even if fewer BIPOC performers auditioned, the question becomes why the production team did not prioritize diverse outreach(especially for a show taking place in NYC) or cultivate an audition environment that feels inclusive and welcoming to BIPOC talent.
As an Actor’s Equity house, Broadway at Music Circus is held to higher standards of inclusivity and equity, reflecting not just the ideals of the theatre community but also the broader commitment to dismantling systemic barriers in the arts. Failing to prioritize diversity undermines these values and perpetuates an exclusionary status quo. Klier’s comments only further that.
Theatre, especially holiday productions like Elf, has the power to reach wide audiences and shape cultural perceptions. Casting a diverse ensemble not only enriches the storytelling but also ensures that audiences see themselves represented on stage.
Broadway at Music Circus failed here in more ways than one.