One title that immediately comes to mind is Preminger's *Carmen Jones*, in which Bizet's opera is "updated" and transported to the US: here, not just a single character, but the entire piece is transported from the mean streets of Seville to the mean streets of the south (and eventually, Chicago). Here, the entire cast is African-American. (Harry Belafonte plays Joe, aka Don Jose.) Hope that helps. David Levin email: [log in to unmask]