Broadway's latest casting decision has ignited a firestorm, with Constance Wu raising her voice against actor Andrew Barth Feldman's casting in *Maybe Happy Ending*. The actress took to Instagram, sharing a lengthy note where she detailed her conversations with Andrew via phone calls and messages regarding Asian American representation. Initially, she felt a glimmer of hope, but later confessed to being "profoundly disappointed" after listening to a recent voice memo from him.
Andrew stepped into the role of Oliver on September 2, performing alongside his girlfriend, Helen J Shen. He filled in for Darren Criss, who took a hiatus from his performance on August 31 and was slated to return in November. Darren, a Filipino American, had originally portrayed the character before his temporary departure.
Wu didn't mince her words, expressing her frustration that Asian Americans were, once again, being "overlooked, ignored, and rendered invisible." She also noted the silence from those behind the production, implying that they were hoping the controversy would blow over, and quipped, "Your strategy seems to be working, folks. I hear your box office numbers are doing just fine."
Writers Hue Park and Will Aronson responded, explaining that the narrative revolved around two robots created by a global corporation, hence the characters did not possess Korean names. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that the casting choice had reopened old wounds within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
Actor B.D. Wong also weighed in, launching a petition that condemned the decision as "a painful slap in the face." The petition garnered over 2,400 signatures. Wu concluded her message by stating that Andrew had been entrusted with this responsibility and now faced the crucial decision of how he would navigate it.
