Hollywood stars... Do we even care?

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:20am

I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are... Especially in recent years, broadway seems to be banking more and more on a Name to put on the marquee. Of course in my opinion some transition well to the stage (Hugh jackman, Neil patrick Harris ) and some are less well received (Julia Roberts - though I would have loved to see her in TDR). I was wondering if you think we will ever see a return of Julia, or see people like Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Anniston, Leonardo Dicaprio or Cher on Broadway. Or do theatre goers even care?

[Pootie2]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:25am

The producers aren't casting those stars for the people here, who are primarily only theatergoers and local ones at that. They're banking on those names for tourists, who comprise 70% of ticket sales.

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:28am

I have no problem with celebrities coming to Broadway. I encourage it actually.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:29am

In answer to the question posed in this thread

No

[HedwigInch]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:29am

Since a lot of theatre goers are tourists I am sure they do care about seeing someone they usually only know from TV or the movie theatre live right in front of them.

Of course if those Hollywood actors actually succeed depends on a few things. If they are comfortable to perform live on a stage, some actors just feel more comfortable in a TV studio. If an actor can actually sing, if not they should stick to plays, not musicals. 

It also might depend on the play/musical. For instance would Hedwig on Broadway be what it is if they had cast someone not famous right from the start? That musical works with peeps from TV and Hollywood. Other musicals and plays might not work if it depends too much on a name but doesn't have a strong story, not enough good songs and so on. The shows still have to be good, otherwise chances are those shows have to close despite a popular face from Hollywood.

So in general I think theatre goers are open for Hollywood faces but the faces alone don't make a good and successful show.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:31am

I care if it's someone I like.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:35am

 Cher has appeared on Broadway, in Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, a role she reprised on film. Jennifer Aniston did plays at the Public before her television career took off. 

As Pootie said, star casting is often influenced by a desire to appeal to non-regular theatergoers, tourists, business travelers, etc. A production of Three Days of Rain starring Jessica Hecht wouldn't make a cent, although she'd be better in the part than Julia Roberts. If an actor at the peak of his career, like NPH, is willing to devote 16 weeks to a Broadway run, a producer would be crazy not to hire him. Of course, there are instances where star casting backfires -- nobody much cared that Elisabeth Moss was doing The Heidi Chronicles, despite a rave review from the Times.

I've certainly seen many great performances from big celebrities and many regrettable ones. Jake Gyllenhaal has consistently impressed me with his stage chops, for example. Many decisions to cast names are related to money and visibility, but that doesn't mean that it won't result in a good performance.

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 10:35 AM

[skies]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:39am

So many TV/movie stars had prior stage training/experience that I try to keep an open mind.  Some even have a special afinity for certain roles I didnt know about, aka Bradley Cooper and the Elephant Man.

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 10:39 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:40am

"Or do theatre goers even care?"

You're acting like there's a hivemind.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:46am

Of course, there are instances where star casting backfires -- nobody much cared that Elisabeth Moss was doing The Heidi Chronicles, despite a rave review from the Times.

The same thing happened with Tony Danza in Honeymoon in Vegas.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:47am

I think one only needs to look at the box office numbers for these star vehicles to see how much theatregoers care.

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 10:55am

If they're perfect for the part, I don't mind, but it's all because money is the bottom line.

For everything.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 11:04am

As soon as I read this thread title I just thought of the show from Bojack Horseman.

Let's find out!

[Kad]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 11:06am

I had the exact same thought.

[jo]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 2:23pm

Some have had theatrical backgrounds before they became Hollywood stars.

Hugh Jackman was in the Royal National Theatre's production of OKLAHOMA! when he was discovered by Hollywood producers who saw him as Curly in the R&H musical.  XMEN film series producer Lauren Shuler Donner helped cast him in his first XMEN movie while Harvey Weinstein must have helped cast him in KATE AND LEOPOLD.

I did see Three Days of Rain -- in addition to Julia Roberts, there were Paul Rudd ( now in ANTMAN) and Bradley Cooper ( recently in AMERICAN SNIPER).

Eddie Redmayne won a TONY ( for RED) before he won an OSCAR (THEORY OF EVERYTHING).

Lesser known, but I did see Dominic Cooper in HISTORY BOYS before he was cast in the film adaptation of MAMMA MIA!

It's good to see actors who can perform very well on both mediums.

 

 

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 02:23 PM

[skies]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 2:36pm

Some can still genuinely surprise, as in I thought that Scarlet Johansson more than held her own in "A view from the bridge", she made the role her own.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:53pm

Some have had theatrical backgrounds before they became Hollywood stars.

Other examples I can think of are:

Julie Andrews
Marlon Brando
Glenn Close
Russell Crowe
Viola Davis
Judi Dench
Michael Douglas
Ansel Elgort
Laurence Fishburne
Morgan Freeman
Richard Gere
Tom Hanks
Audrey Hepburn
Dustin Hoffman
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Samuel L. Jackson
Anna Kendrick
Kevin Kline
Diane Lane
Frank Langella
John Lithgow
Al Pacino
Christopher Plummer
Zachary Quinto
Mark Ruffalo
Kevin Spacey
Meryl Streep
Barbra Streisand
Stanley Tucci
Christopher Walken
Denzel Washington
Patrick Wilson
Catherine Zeta-Jones

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 03:53 PM

[HedwigInch]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:59pm

Darren Criss also has a theatre background. He graduated from UMich with a Bachelor degree in theatre. He's what you call a theatre nerd. If he is in NY and doesn't have to work you can find him in a theatre watching a show.

He lives and breathes Broadway. That's why I wasn't surprised about the knowledge he showed on the Tony's red carpet. His team just sucked at communicating that to people beforehand.

Anyway, I don't think it's necessary to have a theatre background to be successful on Broadway as a Hollywood/TV star but it certainly helps and it prepares them. Someone who has only ever done TV or film might have problems being on stage performing live 8 times a week all of a sudden.

 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 4:24pm

I'm sure the theater going community was up-in-arms when Hollywood star Angela Lansbury was cast in ANYONE CAN WHISTLE.

Are we now going to segregate actors into mediums? Stage actors are only allowed to do theater. Movie actors are only allowed to do motion pictures, and TV actors are only allowed to do television?

That's just silly.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 4:36pm

If it's someone I find talented then it's not like I won't see them because they're primarily known for movies or TV. I'm definitely more motivated to see someone in a musical if it's something they haven't really done before. For instance, I jumped to see Emma Stone in Cabaret in a way I probably wouldn't have done if she'd just been cast in another Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams revival.

Aside from that, there are only a very small handful of actors that I would want to see regardless of the material and I admit that's mostly for stage dooring purposes.