‘Miscast’ fundraiser retired; community input sought on moving forward
For six years, the tagline for the popular annual “Miscast” fundraiser was: “It may be all wrong … but it feels so right.”
It no longer feels right.
From 2014 through 2019, hundreds of area actors and musicians kindly donated their time and talents to the feel-good fundraiser, which was billed as an opportunity for members of the local theatre community “to sing songs from roles they would never get cast to perform on any legitimate stage.”
The effort, produced by local directors and performers Robert Michael Sanders and Kenny Moten as their own personal, in-kind donation to The DAF, raised nearly $35,000 for the non-profit that since 2014 has made $900,000 available to Colorado theatre artists in medical or pandemic need.
“‘Miscast’ engendered great goodwill around a common cause each year, but the time has come to retire the concept,” DAF Executive Director and co-founder John Moore said in announcing the change on Aug. 24, 2021.
While performers self-submitted the songs they wished to perform, “it is wrong to even inadvertently suggest that anyone is inherently miscast for any role,” Moore added. “Continuing to present ‘Miscast’ as we always have would not only miss the moment we are living in, but the opportunity it affords for all of us to show up and do better.”
One of the great lessons of the past year in the American theatre has been the need for all of us to engage in new ways of thinking, Moore said. “It’s long past time for a new era where directors are not only open to the unique possibilities any individual actor might bring into an audition, but seek to create a new model for how local theatre gets made from the ground up.”
Sanders agrees that this is an opportunity to try a new approach for the annual fundraiser. “Times change. We listen, we grow, and we learn,” he said.
The annual “Miscast” tradition was born in New York more than 20 years ago, with the presenting Manhattan Theatre Club recently revising its own description of the event to one that features stage and screen stars performing songs from roles “in which they wouldn’t traditionally be cast.” The 2021 New York gala featured Broadway stars including Denver’s Annaleigh Ashford, Billy Porter, LaChanze, Robin De Jesús, Idina Menzel, Melissa Barrera, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Cheyenne Jackson and more.
The local “Miscast” tradition began in the 2000s as fundraisers for the late Next Stage and Paragon theatre companies before Sanders revived the dormant tradition to benefit the DAF in 2014. Since then, local performers have provided many unforgettable moments for “Miscast” audiences. The long list includes barrier-breaking performances in 2019 including an all-female ensemble performing from “Hamilton,” and a group of BIPOC performers presenting an original variation on “The Nicest Kids in Town,” a popular song from “Hairspray,” as “The Blackest Kids in Town.” In 2020, “Miscast” pivoted to “CAST” as a specific response to the pandemic. That was a virtual concert featuring local actors singing songs they WERE cast to perform, but never got the chance because their shows were shuttered.
“We have been treated to many hilarious, controversial, poignant, witty, raunchy and absolutely soaring performances since 2014, and we cannot thank all of the local performers enough for lending themselves to this important cause,” Moore said.
The change in thinking creates an opportunity to launch a new performative fundraising tradition, and The DAF, along with Sanders and Moten, are seeking community input on possible themes. “We look forward to working with Robert Michael and Kenny for many years to come on the next iteration of our annual fundraiser,” Moore said.
Please relay any ideas to denveractorsfund@gmail.com.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Denver Actors Fund is an entirely volunteer, grassroots nonprofit that has no employees, but adheres to an adopted Non-Discrimination Policy.
“The DAF is by its very existence a non-discriminatory agency,” said Moore. “Our eligibility guidelines simply require that anyone seeking medical compensation must have worked in a creative capacity on a credible Colorado theatre production anytime within the past five years. Our applicants provide actual medical bills for potential dollar-for-dollar compensation, and that is the only thing all the Board of Directors takes into consideration in its deliberations.”
The policy reads, in part: “The Denver Actors Fund deeply values its community of volunteers and network of partnering organizations. The Denver Actors Fund does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. This policy extends to employment, recruitment, Board membership, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant. The Denver Actors Fund is expressly nonpolitical and is not aligned with any political party, creed, organization, or movement.”
For more information on The Denver Actors Fund, or to apply for medical assistance, go to denveractorsfund.org. To contact The Denver Actors Fund for any reason, email denveractorsfund@gmail.com.
