‘Miss Saigon’ Canceled on Road to Broadway : Theater: The decision follows a union ruling against casting a white star in an Asian role.

The Broadway production of “Miss Saigon” was canceled today after Actors Equity refused to allow a white British actor to play the role of a Eurasian in the musical.

“The debate is no longer about the casting of ‘Miss Saigon’ but the art of acting itself,” producer Cameron Mackintosh said in a statement issued on behalf of the creative team for the hit London musical.

The show, scheduled to open in March at the Broadway Theater, had advance sales of more than $25 million, the largest in Broadway history. The money, Mackintosh said, will be refunded.

Bowing to pressure from Asian groups, Actors Equity on Tuesday rejected the application of British actor Jonathan Pryce, denying him the chance to repeat his award-winning London performance as a brothel owner.

“The casting of a Caucasian actor made up to appear Asian is an affront to the Asian community,” said Alan Eisenberg, the union’s executive secretary.

“The casting choice is especially disturbing when the casting of an Asian actor in this role would be an important and significant opportunity to break the usual pattern of casting Asians in minor roles.”

The union has jurisdiction over all performers appearing on Broadway and must give its approval to actors from foreign countries who appear there, except for British “stars.” But the definition of “star” is hazy.

“We did not deal with the issue of whether this man is a star or not,” Eisenberg said.

Mackintosh said he would not take the matter to arbitration, a process that Equity suggested Tuesday might be the next step.

Mackintosh and other producers have argued that the ban is an infringement on their right to choose the performers they want.

“When my production team cast the noted black actor Robert Guillaume to replace Michael Crawford as the Phantom in the Los Angeles company of ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ we did so purely on the grounds of talent and suitability,” Mackintosh said last week.

“Ironically, in the current Broadway production of ‘Phantom’ we have an Amerasian actor of tremendous ability playing the lead role of the Vicomte de Chagny. Why is it quite proper for him to play a European aristocrat and not for Jonathan Pryce to play a Eurasian?”

Robert Stigwood, who produced the musical “Evita,” said in a letter to Equity earlier this week that he is casting the film version of the show.

“Does the view of Actors Equity concerning ethnic casting preclude my consideration of an American-Italian female star (Madonna) to play the title role?” he asked. “Will I incur the wrath and condemnation of Actors Equity for casting a non-Hispanic in the role of Che?”

Eisenberg said the union’s decision was made “in full awareness that many jobs may be lost to actors of Asian background” if “Miss Saigon” were canceled.