Celebs Who Have Smashed Broadway?

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:15pm

I am interested in finding out those stars who can sell out a whole run on Broadway? Who are/were those Broadway A list celebs?

Good examples are;

Denzel Washington

Helen Mirren

Tom Hanks

But I also love to hear those celebs who pack a house from years ago?

Updated On: 1/13/17 at 07:15 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:15pm

Neil Patrick Harris.

[Petralicious]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:17pm

Emma Stone

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 9:51pm

Actually most actors mentioned didn't sell out as far as I know. Only Nathan Lane (along Matthew Broderick) completely sold out while in The Producers. Hugh Jackman sold out his musical, but there were tickets available when he did a straight play. There were plenty of tickets available to see Emma Stone in Cabaret, the same goes for Helen Mirren, she sold her play very well, but it was not sold out. The only star that comes to mind is Julia Roberts...that terrible play she was in, was sold out, and I am sure that Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd helped a bit. Although Cooper was not nearly as famous as he is now.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 9:56pm

Also Denzel Washington pretty much sold out his play, and Viola Davis probably helped too. 

In the past, Glenn Close had a huge advance for Sunset BLVD. and her whole run was sold out, although once Betty Buckley took over, tickets were easy to get, also tickets were easy to get with Elaine Paige. 

Liza Minnelli also sold her last show very well if I'm not mistaken.

Catherine Zeta Jones's run in A Little Night Music was completely sold-out, and once Bernadette Peters took over, tickets were easy to get.

Nicole Kidman's run in The Blue Room was sold out too.

Updated On: 1/14/17 at 09:56 PM

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 9:58pm

Larry David

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 10:25pm

Wayne Brady?

[green waver]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 10:57pm

Montgomery and Stone, Faye Templeton, and Marilyn Miller...Oops, wrong century!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 12:04am

Kristin didn't sell out her one woman show, but her show was only a week long or so...so it wasn't a regular Broadway run. I don't think her name alone sells(obviously if she wasn't able to sell a show for just a few dates and comps were given left and right), but if you put her name with someone like Sean Hayes and you put them in a Broadway show that people may love like Promises, Promises, it definitely sold very well, although it didn't sell out its entire run, but the grosses and the sales were pretty good throughout the run.

 

Audra may sell tix, but her shows weren't sold out either.

 

Bette Middler is proving to sell out, I'm sure that David Hyde Pierce and some other celebrities help as well, and also the name Hello Dolly! sells a lot, but Bette's solo show wasn't sold out, but had good sales...so Bette in the right vehicle sells out.

Updated On: 1/14/17 at 12:04 AM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 12:33am

Ivy Lynn.

[@z5]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 1:33am

Bradley Cooper did a damn good job with the Elephant Man! Sales were awesome. 

I think thus far, Cate Blanchett has also been good for the Present.

The excellent ensemble of stars has proven successful for the Front Page this season, too.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 1:20pm

Daniel Craig just popped into my head and Al Pacino in Merchant of Venice, but sales for Glenglarry Glen Ross and China Doll were nearly not as strong.

[adrnyc]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 1:33pm

Scarlett Johanson 

Al Pacino

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/14/17 at 7:31pm

Maybe I was wrong...I remember that tickets to Bette's show were available...but maybe I'm wrong. So, thanks for correcting me.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 12:52am

Would like to see how Mark Ruffalo does this season.

I was surprised Emma Stone wasn't more of a draw for folks. Cabaret is a popular show, with her name it shouldn't have been on TKTS as often as it was. Viola Davis wasn't as big of a name in 2010 as she is today, so Fences doing well on Broadway was almost entirely on Denzel and August Wilson's name.

If Meryl Streep were to bring a show on Broadway, I can see it being an instant box office hit. Anything Lin Manuel Miranda does going forward is probably going to be a massive financial hit because of his huge and seemingly dedicated following.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 3:15am

I said that Viola "probably" helped, but yes, I agree she wasn't as famous. Definitely Denzel was the main reason why the play was a hit.

Emma Stone as you said, wasn't a draw at all and Meryl Streep would probably sell very well. 

Scarlett Johanson was in a big hit, but it was also an Arthur Miller's play, which sells well on its own and Liev Schrieber was in it and he was already very famous at the time. She was the main draw for sure though, and her Tony was totally not deserved for her work in this play I may add! 

 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 10:29am

Scarlett Johansen in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF of a couple years ago was a very easy ticket to get; it was constantly on TKTS.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 10:51am

When Emma Stone was in Cabaret, attendance was consistently above 95% with very few exceptions. 

 

http://www.playbill.com/production/gross?production=00000150-aea8-d936-a7fd-eefc73620004

Posted: 1/15/17 at 12:10pm

Bette Midler

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 12:23pm

Valentina3 said: "Would like to see how Mark Ruffalo does this season.

I was surprised Emma Stone wasn't more of a draw for folks. Cabaret is a popular show, with her name it shouldn't have been on TKTS as often as it was. Viola Davis wasn't as big of a name in 2010 as she is today, so Fences doing well on Broadway was almost entirely on Denzel and August Wilson's name.

If Meryl Streep were to bring a show on Broadway, I can see it being an instant box office hit. Anything Lin Manuel Miranda does going forward is probably going to be a massive financial hit because of his huge and seemingly dedicated following.

I like Mark Ruffalo, but I don't expect his presence to have any impact on the grosses of The Price.  I do not see him as a box office attraction.  

There really are not a lot with proven strength.  All but two that I can think of have been bona fide movie stars:  Nathan Lane in comedies and musicals, and Baryshnikov in Metamorphosis definitely make a huge difference.

Since the 70s, repeaters that I can think of include Katherine Hepburn, George C. Scott, Al Pacino, (hell, given the reviews of China Doll, it is amazing it sold any tickets after the reviews came to), Richard Burton, all big movie stars.  Interesting to see what happens with Pacino's next show, given how let down people were with his last one. 

Scarlett Johansen (sic) proved not to be a big draw for Cat...it lost money and was only half-filled when I saw it during its limited engagement.  Kathleen Turner was at the height of her movie career when she appeared in Cat and, if I remember correctly, that entire engagement was a hot ticket.  

 

 

 

[Demitri2]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 12:54pm

Streisand in FUNNY GIRL was one of the hardest tickets to get back in the mid sixties. I recall going to the box office in June and the earliest available tickets were in December.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 8:22pm

All this talk on here of the great Arthur Miller reminds me of Salesman with the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfiels that was a very hot ticket.

Updated On: 1/15/17 at 08:22 PM

[pupscotch]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 8:47pm

I remember it being rather difficult to obtain tickets to Emma Stone's run of Cabaret, and believed it did rather well grosses-wise. I don't remember if it was a "sold out for months" kind of hit but the show did very well with her at the helm.

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 8:50pm

With La La Land, the next time Emma comes to Broadway, I'd buy tickets quickly because she'll be selling even better than before.

[skies]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 12:53pm

Someone mentioned Katharine Hepburn and back in the day she was in the most horrific musical ever "Coco", who thought she was anything remotely like the French fashion designer is beyond me but she sold out tickets on BW.  Her replacement, the French actress, Danielle Darrieux was so much more believable in the role but the show limped along and closed quickly.  Not a dig on Hepburn who I love but it was sheer box office power that made that show a success.