jeezus. the stupid knows no bounds: School District scraps 1954 Tony Award winning musical Kismet

[cali]

Kismet,' Play About Muslim Poet, Pulled By School Over 9/11 Complaints
Muslim Poet Play


Associated Press

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A western Pennsylvania school district has decided not to stage a Tony Award-winning musical about a Muslim street poet after members of the community complained about the play on the heels of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The Tribune Democrat of Johnstown reports Richland School District had planned to stage "Kismet" in February but Superintendent Thomas Fleming says it was scrapped to avoid controversy.

Fleming tells the newspaper that sensitivity is understandable in part because one of the hijacked planes crashed in nearby Shanksville.

Miller says the play has no inappropriate content but he and other members of the performing arts committee decided to switch to "Oklahoma!" after hearing complaints.

"Kismet" won the Tony for best musical in 1954.

http://www.aol.com/2011/09/20/muslim-poet-play_n_971589.html

[sakabatou]

1. Lots of stupid and bigotry.

[rurallib]

2. well this should send a lesson to the students

back down in the face of bullying.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Yes, I'm sure there's a connection...... somehow.

[Blue_Tires]

4. I hope no one tells those teabag parents where numbers and algebra come from

[elleng]

10. No one will, of course!

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Just watched it on AMC the other night

There is NOTHING political or controversial in this show. Nada.

[Ken Burch]

6. I wonder if they'd ban a production of "Oklahoma!"

If it was scheduled near the anniversary of the Murrah Building bombing?

[Chorophyll]

8. Oops, that's what I said, a split second after you.

Great minds. :)

[Ken Burch]

11. Indeed.

And, really, by this logic, they can't do ANY musical that's set in Manhattan...even "Knickerbocker Holiday"(whose big number is "September Song").

Also, they couldn't stage "The Fantasticks" because it's big song has the line "Try to remember the days of September".

[Chorophyll]

13. If they did that, they would be guilty of extreme over-sensitivity. As it is,

they're guilty of bigotry. Muslim characters, you know.

:banghead:

[Golden Raisin]

16. And OKLAHOMA! has

that Persian peddler Ali Hakim. Gotta be something suspicious about that! :sarcasm:

[Chorophyll]

7. And... they switched to 'Oklahoma,' because Oklahoma has absolutely no

association with terror attacks, right?

Do we have an irony emoticon?

[elleng]

9. I was in Kismet in MY high school's performance! (a few years ago!)

Remember ALMOST every word! GREAT MUSIC, and great fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Cxa-NY0QM&feature=related

[WCGreen]

12. Well, some might say that some of the songs in that play are

torture to listen too...

I was watching the movie the other day and I was taken aback at how awful some of the numbers were....

[jberryhill]

14. Oklahoma has an Arab character - Ali Hakim

The traveling salesman has a suspicious name, and he sells a dangerous concealed weapon.

[happyslug]

15. This was reported yesterday, 9-19-2011, in the local Johnstown Newspaper

http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x221222290/School-changes-play-plans

One last comment, Richland School District is a Suburb of Johnstown Pa. Several years ago, it was determined that the total value of the housings and buildings in Richland Township was higher then the total value of housing and buildings in the City of Johnstown. It has since gotten worse.

Richland is the richest school district in the area, through it does contain at least one Section 8 housing Complex (Arbutus Village) and has several old mining towns with a lot of very old, through well maintained, but low value housing. In most people's mind it is the best school district (Through some locals will advocate other Suburban School district with that title).

Richland is on top of Allegheny Mountain, while the City of Johnstown in in the River valley below that Mountain. 15 minute drive from Johnstown, 1 1/2 hour bike ride (20 minutes back, on the way to Richland it is all uphill, on the way back it is all downhill).

Just some background on Richland School District.

One last comment, the Superintendent's wife is now a Cambria County Court Judge (Both the City of Johnstown and Richland Township are in Cambria County).