Dispute Could Delay Opening of ‘Miss Saigon’ : Broadway: Producer gives Actors’ Equity two weeks to drop opposition to Caucasian’s playing Eurasian in musical.

The Broadway production of the London hit “Miss Saigon” may be postponed because of complaints that the English star, a Caucasian, is being brought over to play the role of a Eurasian.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh said Wednesday that unless Actors’ Equity, the U.S. union, drops its opposition to lead actor Jonathan Pryce within two weeks, the play will be withdrawn.

The union met Tuesday but failed to resolve the issue of whether Pryce, who plays a Eurasian brothel owner, will be permitted to perform in the American version of the musical. It will meet again, but the date for a new meeting has yet to be set.

“Unless Equity changes its position within the next two weeks, I will have no choice but to withdraw the production,” Mackintosh said. “This is because any interruption in our current production schedule would leave us with insufficient time to prepare this huge and complicated show for a March, 1991, opening.”

The earliest “Miss Saigon” could be rescheduled is autumn of 1992 because of “all of the other professional commitments of our creative team,” Mackintosh said.

The controversy arose after a complaint was filed with Equity by David Henry Hwang, author of “M. Butterfly,” and B. D. Wong, star of the same play. They were critical of the casting of Pryce in the musical, which is set in Saigon during the Vietnam War.

In a letter to Equity President Colleen Dewhurst, Wong wrote, “There is no doubt in my mind of the irreparable damage to my rights as an actor that would be wrought if . . . Asian actors are kept from bringing their unique dignity to the specifically Asian roles in ‘Miss Saigon’ and therefore to all racially specific roles in every future production which will look to the precedent ‘Miss Saigon’ is about to set as a concrete model.”

In London, Pryce won the Olivier Award as best actor in a musical for his performance in “Miss Saigon.” He has starred on Broadway before, winning praise for his performances in Trevor Griffiths’ ‘Comedians” in 1976 and in Dario Fo’s “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” in 1984.

“Miss Saigon” is one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the 1990-91 Broadway season.