He would have had a better chance of joining \u201cWicked\u201d if he was green.<\/p>\n
An NYC-based composer claimed he was cheated out of a Broadway directing opportunity with the iconic musical \u201cWicked\u201d<\/a> because he\u2019s a white man.<\/p>\n Kevin Lynch wasn\u2019t even considered for a three-week paid apprenticeship with the show because the nonprofits behind the program only hire racial minorities, women and nonbinary people, which is against the law, he said in a Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit.<\/p>\n Kevin Lynch, 35, is a NYC-based composer and producer. YouTube \/ Kevin Lynch<\/p>\n Lynch is suing \u201cWicked\u201d and two nonprofits because he allegedly missed out on an apprenticeship because he is a white man. Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cBroadway is known for breaking rules, suspending reality, and\u2014in the case of the blockbuster musical Wicked\u2014defying gravity,\u201d he said in court papers filed this week against the musical and the nonprofits.<\/p>\n \u201cBut one thing Broadway can\u2019t defy is the law, including the many laws banning status-based discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n The 35-year-old producer, composer and songwriter\u2019s eyes lit up when he came across a Facebook post by Maestra and Musicians United for Social Equity, or MUSE, in June 2023, according to court papers.<\/p>\n The two nonprofits announced they were partnering with the smash Broadway hit <\/a>and were scoping out aspiring directors for its \u201cMusic Director Experience\u201d \u2014 a role Lynch thought he\u2019d be perfect for.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lynch, is a graduate of Juilliard. Courtesy Kevin Lynch<\/p>\n A graphic allegedly shared as part of the post stressed the competitive experience was only for \u201cMUSE and Maestra directory members.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n MUSE\u2019s directory is specifically for people of color, while Maestra\u2019s is catered toward women and nonbinary people.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Lynch, a Juilliard graduate with accompanist experience, thought he was perfect for the role and tried to apply anyway, attempting to join the two groups \u2014 only to get shot down, he said in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n About a month later, the lucky winner of the \u201cMusic Director Experience\u201d \u2014 who would have the chance to work on the set of the musical that has grossed more than $1.8 billion since 2003 \u2014 was announced as a nonbinary person of color.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Lynch does not name the winning musician, Maestra member PJ Ju, who according to their LinkdIn uses they\/them pronouns, announced they had earned the coveted spot on Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWicked\u201d has been on Broadway since 2003 and grossed $1.8 billion. Corbis via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cSince the MD Experience, I\u2019ve gotten six jobs. I\u2019ve music directed seven new works.<\/p>\n \u2026 It\u2019s been great, I\u2019m getting jobs, getting paid, and then hiring people,\u201d Ju said, according to the lawsuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lynch, who is backed by anti-discrimination advocacy group American Alliance for Equal Rights, argued that \u201cWicked\u201d and the nonprofits are violating both state and federal civil rights laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n He demands that the groups be banned from considering people\u2019s races during the application process and is seeking unspecified damages.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lynch and his legal team declined to comment. Wicked, Maestra, MUSE and Ju did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lynch\u2019s fight for Broadway justice began in December, when he sued Playwrights Horizons after it discounted ticket prices for patrons who identified as people of color during a \u201cBIPOC night.\u201d Both parties later settled the matter out of court.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t