‘Will Rogers’ Charged With Racial Discrimination : * Stage: Activist group meets a musical it doesn’t like and is joined by Actors’ Equity, which files a grievance. The show’s producer calls the charges ‘1,000% untrue.’

“The Will Rogers Follies,” which defeated “Miss Saigon” for the best Broadway musical Tony, has now replaced its rival on the hot seat of the continuing issue of minority casting.

“Rogers” opened on May 1 with no minorities in the cast. A group called Performers Against Racism on the Theatrical Stage sent a letter of complaint to the New York City Commission on Human Rights in June.

The commission began an informal investigation, and on Tuesday Actors’ Equity joined the fray, filing a formal grievance with the Broadway producers’ group, the League of American Theatres and Producers. The union charged that the “Rogers’ ” producers violated their collective bargaining agreement, which prohibits racial discrimination in casting.

In the meantime, two black women were added to the cast--”weeks ago,” said a spokeswoman for the company. But producer Pierre Cossette said their hiring had “zero” relationship to any pressure from anyone on the minority casting issue.

The statement released Tuesday by Equity executive secretary Alan Eisenberg focused on the original cast.

Eisenberg said he was “dismayed that no minority performers were employed in the original cast, particularly given the colorblind view represented by Will Rogers.”

Cossette responded that charges of discrimination are “absolutely, 1,000% untrue.” He said many minority actors were auditioned among the “hundreds of girls in different parts of the country” who tried out for the show, and that one of the black women eventually hired was planned as a replacement “all along.”

However, “we never had any intention of putting in two of this, four of that,” he said, adding that chorus members had to be about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, in addition to being “terrific” tap dancers and singers.

He said he is willing to meet with anyone on the issue and remains confident that his position will be vindicated.

The dispute will go to a committee consisting of five Equity representatives and five representatives from the producers’ league. If the committee cannot agree, an arbitrator will be called in.

Equity’s most famous foray into the arena of minority casting occurred last year, when the union raised a ruckus over the casting of Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in a Eurasian role in the Broadway production of “Miss Saigon.” The union eventually backed down from its confrontational stance and allowed Pryce to perform in the role, for which he won a Tony.

“Rogers” is expected to go on tour next year. Cossette said he is discussing the possibility of booking it into the Ahmanson Theatre after the downtown Los Angeles facility is remodeled, a process that won’t begin until after “The Phantom of the Opera” departs. No “Phantom” closing date has been set.