<\/p>\n
Recently, strolling down Broadway has felt more like scrolling through Netflix. Names like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Daniel Craig, Keanu Reeves, Sarah Paulson, Eddie Redmayne, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Daniel Radcliffe, Rachel McAdams, Lola Tung, Nick Jonas<\/span>\u00a0and countless others have all been written in Broadway\u2019s flashing lights over the past few years<\/span>. MTA subway advertisements urge commuters not to miss<\/span> Steve Carell in \u201c<\/span>Uncle Vanya\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>or<\/span> George Clooney in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Good Night, and Good Luck\u201d<\/span>\u00a0while<\/span> Sandra Oh waltzes around the stage of a star-studded Shakespeare in the Park<\/span>\u00a0production for those lucky enough to possess coveted tickets.<\/span><\/p>\n Broadway is no stranger to stardom \u2014 it has produced its fair share o<\/span>f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Barbara Streisand<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jonathan Groff<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0\u2014 and<\/span> celebrity casting has been present<\/span>\u00a0since the early 2000s.<\/span> But the craze seems to<\/span> have reached new heights in the years following the pandemic. Screen actors have begun to replace lesser-known stage actors in lead roles across almost every recent Broadway production<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0The phenomenon isn\u2019t limited to Broadway stages, either. The Brooklyn Academy of Music presented<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Paul Mescal in \u201c<\/span>A Streetcar Named Desire\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>last spring, and bo<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Euphoria\u201d actress Maud Apatow<\/span>\u00a0and \u201c<\/span>Modern Family\u201d star Sarah Hyland<\/span>\u00a0stepped into the role of female lead Audrey in an off-Broadway revival of \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0Celebrity casting occurs so often that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Broadway.com<\/span>\u00a0even<\/span> has a subsection entitled \u201cStars on Stage\u201d to make it easier for people to find the shows that feature their favorite movie stars.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The sheer quantity of A-listers in the theater has unsurprisingly sparked controversy. In the debate over whether Hollywood celebrities belong on Broadway stages, one major argument dominates the defense of their increased presence:<\/span>\u00a0They bring in the bucks. Many believe that the allure of Hollywood stars has helped theaters draw audiences back in a post-COVID-19 economy. In an article investigating Hollywood\u2019s role in Broadway, Rosa Sanchez, senior news editor at Harper\u2019s Magazine, writes that many find themselves \u201c<\/span>plagued with entertainment opportunities and anxious about spending money\u201d<\/span>\u00a0after the pandemic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To compete with streaming services that feature A-listers on demand, theaters have turned to a competitive alternative: the chance to see them live. And their strategy seems to be working.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Three of the<\/span> 2024\u201325 season\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0highest-grossing shows<\/span> \u2014<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe Picture of Dorian Gray\u201d (starring Sarah Snook), \u201cOthello\u201d (Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal) and \u201cGood Night, and Good Luck\u201d (George Clooney)<\/span> \u2014<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>all featured celebrities. Additionally, \u201c<\/span>Good Night, and Good Luck,\u201d \u201cOthello\u201d and \u201cGlengarry, Glen Ross\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk) were the shows with the highest average paid admissions of the season. Without these celebrity headliners, this season\u2019s average admission price would have been $125.03<\/span>\u00a0\u2014 which is\u00a0<\/span>$3.40 less than the 2022\u201323 season.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, the outliers \u2014 those with significantly greater average paid admission\u00a0\u2014 from the past few seasons almost always featured celebrities in their casts. For 2023<\/span>\u2013<\/span>24, it was \u201c<\/span>Merrily We Roll Along\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathon Groff) and \u201c<\/span>Cabaret\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Eddie Redmayne). The year before, it was \u201c<\/span>The Music Man<\/span>,\u201d with leading man Hugh Jackman.<\/span><\/p>\n The 2024<\/span>\u2013<\/span>25 season now holds Broadway\u2019s all-time record for highest gross at a whopping $1.89 billion,<\/span>\u00a0a record previously held by the 2018-19 season with around $1.83 billion.<\/span> Without the celebrity component, it\u2019s clear that Broadway may not have staged such a comeback.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite celebrities\u2019 financial help, many still doubt their place on Broadway. Some believe their presence is a classic example of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>stunt casting<\/span> \u2014<\/span> the practice of hiring big names as a gimmick to attract paying customers<\/span> \u2014<\/span>\u00a0rather than<\/span>\u00a0an act of artistic integrity. It\u2019s also my belief that it commoditizes the experience; a show\u2019s creative value is eclipsed by its casting.<\/span> The first thing mentioned about a given show is who you were lucky enough to see in it. Name-dropping celebrities seen on stage obscures the experience of the show itself and replaces it as the primary topic of conversation surrounding Broadway. There\u2019s also the fact that celebrities aren\u2019t being hired because there is a lack of local stage talent; rather, they are replacing cultivated stage actors in major roles.<\/span><\/p>\n Behind the curtai<\/span>ns, many Hollywood stars have also had a hand in the production process of Broadway shows<\/span>. Prolific music producer Jack Antonoff composed songs for Sam Gold\u2019s recent<\/span> \u201cRomeo + Juliet,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0starring Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor. Likewise, Mindy Kaling, Mariah Carey and Angelina Jolie<\/span> have all recently produced Tony-winning musicals<\/span>, leading many to the conclusion that Broadway has grow<\/span>n<\/span> a bit<\/span> obsessed with Hollywood. Even some of the shows themselves are about celebrities:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cMJ the Musical,\u201d<\/span> \u201cDolly: A True Original Musical,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0\u201cThe Cher Show,\u201d \u201c<\/span>Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,<\/span>\u201d \u201cA Beautiful Noise\u201d and \u201cTina: The Tina Turner Musical\u201d a<\/span>re all examples of a newly popular genre of musical biopics\u2019. Shows like these cover the pages of Broadway ticket websites, while long-running originals like \u201cThe<\/span> Phantom of the Opera\u201d<\/span>\u00a0have closed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s even hard not to feel cynical about<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Leslie Odom Jr.’s return to \u201c<\/span>Hamilton\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>when it now seems like a shameless financial appeal, regardless of his Broadway beginnings.<\/span><\/p>\n Seeing as Broadway i<\/span>s a hugely important part of the New York City economy,<\/span> it\u2019s crucial that it continue generating revenue and creating jobs. Simultaneously, we must wonder what is at risk for Broadway\u2019s \u2018real\u2019 actors \u2014 and for the artistry and authenticity that the theater has long represented. After the COVID-19 pandemic, as Broadway seems to be a new career milestone for Hollywood actors and their names begin to replace smaller ones on playbills, the question begs to be asked: What are we willing to surrender to keep Broadway alive?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n