Yesterday came FilmTotaal’s article regarding the “charge” of coloring in the musical adaptation of Into the Heights. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the Broadway musical and the mastermind behind the popular musical Hamilton, apologized immediately. Actress Rita Moreno thinks this is not necessary.
Best known for her original West Side Story, the 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress thinks it’s nonsense for some to say there aren’t enough dark-skinned Latina actors.
defense
For example, Moreno says:This is no longer true. Lin-Manuel Miranda single-handedly introduced Latin American and Puerto Rican culture to the United States. This is something I’ve never been able to do, despite the fact that I really wanted to do it. He only did it for a moment!“
Moreno admits that Puerto Ricans can be either light-skinned or dark-skinned: “You see a lot of different people and colors in Puerto Rico. Can’t we leave her alone? They are attacking the wrong person“.
Cash
However, it didn’t take long before the necessary people also lashed out at Moreno. She, too, eventually felt the need to apologize.
“I feel very disappointed in myself. In my statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda, I did not consider blacks in the Latino communitySee her full letter below.
I am incredibly frustrated with myself. While making a statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda on The Colbert Show last night, I was clearly rejecting the black lives that matter to our Latino community. It’s all too easy to forget how sad a celebration is for some and sad for others.
– Rita Moreno (@TheRitaMoreno) June 17, 2021
