Elizabeth,
I'm sorry, and with all due respect, but I couldn't disagree with you more.

The casting choices and the choice to do totally ignore race is the best possible way for any piece of entertainment to move the community forwards to the day when race is really not relevant at all.

Both Star Trek and I Spy were just two excellent examples of entertainment where race diversity existed, but were utterly ignored.

This is the highest form of service to the public on the issue of race, the most productive way to deal with race and the best way to move us all forwards without basing people in the face about it.

I also respectively disagree that the play itself, even the original My Fair Lady movie, in any manner glorifies or defends misogyny. In fact the whole point of the play has always been, for me at least, an intelligent, almost mathematical "proof" that men and women are indeed equals and any thoughts to the contrary are the source of comedy, not an argument for some other unequal "status quo".

The only people who see that "elephant in the room" are those who don't have enough faith in humanity and in the ability of people to grow and evolve.

Ironically, a quote from Darth Vader popped into my mind just now:
"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

No, the best thing the entertainment industry can do for race issues is exactly what this play has done. Cast people based on their interest and abilities and cast out of typical race and then totally ignore this fact.

Make race irrelevant to the characters in the performance and the audience will too.

I have tickets for this over the weekend and am looking forward to seeing it.

I am however, highly amused by both these comments. Presumably all the leads are actually American actors and not actually English or even Londoners or Cockneys, which to me makes this discussion moot.

If you do think the casting should be 100% accurate, then all the actors should be born within the sound of Bow Bells.