Lower Hudson Valley School Cancels Musical Over Racism Concerns

A Lower Hudson Valley school district canceled its musical production of "Tarzan" over racism concerns.

Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford canceled auditions for its spring musical after parents complained the original Tarzan story is racist.

Although the drama club intended to perform the Disney version of Tarzan there were concerns over Rice Burroughs' original story.

According to WCBS, the original story, written in 1912, follows a shipwrecked man in Africa who is raised by apes after his parents die. The man is given the name "Tarzan" because it means "white skin" in the ape tribe's language.

“Through some of the discussion and the choice of the play this year, there were several concerns that were brought to our attention that our students would maybe be depicted in a negative light with the selection of the play,” Superintendent Marc Baiocco said, WCBS reports.

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The Westchester County high school will now perform a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

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