Which "movie stars" do you think will return to Broadway?

Posted: 6/16/10 at 1:58am

I've been seeing a lot of cynical comments (not just here, but online at other places), that now some of these big Hollywood stars have got the Stage glory they were looking for, they won't neccesarily be back anytime soon, as they've ticked "succesful stage actor" off their resume's. That they were basically just hit and run merchants. I don't neccearily think that's true in most of the cases. Here's whom I think will be back within the next few years.

Catharine Zeta Jones: She's a huge star in the "celebrity" sense, but she's not really a huge movie star anymore is she? And she's on the wrong side of 40 for the film industry. I could see her doing Broadway on a regular basis. The only thing that concerns me is the amount of time she had to take off sick. THat might affect her willingness to do longer runs. Actually, CZJ could go either way...part of me thinks, that now she has her Tony award, if she wonders whether the daily grind of theatre is still worth the hassel. She's probably more concerned about completing the mythical EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). She's got half of it...now I think she'll do some television to get that Emmy, and do some sort of album for a Grammy.

Jude Law: One of those guys for whom stage is in the blood. Can see him becoming a full time theatre actor when the movie career winds down. I do think he'll keep his toe in the theatre every few years, at least in London, if not Broadway.

Denzel Washington: Fences was his second Broadway show in 5 years (after Julius Ceasar), which is almost unheard of for an Hollywood A-lister like him. He genuinely loves the stage, and I think he finds it a lot more fufilling than a lot of the movies he's doing lately. I think he'll be back on Broadway quite soon....within the next 2-3 years, maybe. He's also Broadway's biggest box office star, according to Michael Reidel. Combined with his critical success for Fences, he'll be offered everything under the Sun by producers to make a return as soon as possible.

It's too early to say for Scarlett Johansson. She's been a punching bag for movie critics lately, so she may find more solace in stage work (though she shouldn't expect critical acclaim every time she does stage, either). Guys like Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are already seen as regular returners.
Some movie stars ho returned to stage in recent years had a torrid time, and I don't see them coming back anytime soon (Terrence Howard and Morgan Freeman spring to mind).

Updated On: 6/16/10 at 01:58 AM

[philly03]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 1:59am

David Hasselhoff, ... if someone will let him. LOL

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:03am

I think CZJ will easily be back. The absences really aren't that big of a deal. She's the only one of these stars that signed a 6 month contract. That says a lot right there. The others did/are doing short limited runs.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:07am

I'm sure Scarlett will return to the boards. She seems to hav enjoyed the experience quite a bit.

Scarlett and Denzel may have had shorter contracts but they both managed to help their shows recoup. Zeta-Jones may have sold well, but not well enough for her show to recoup.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:10am

Plays also cost less than musicals. Anyway, there are rumblings that Night Music will indeed recoup.
Updated On: 6/16/10 at 02:10 AM

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:11am

Like I said though, CZJ's movie career in't exactly smoking hot at the moment. Of all the big names this season, I think she's was always the most likely to have the least film commitmemts and most free time available to be able to sign on for a 6 month run.

Scarlett is young and in heavy demand for film (even if it's blockbuster crap like Iron Man 2....she still probably has to film her Black Widow role in a couple more of those Marvel/Avengers films). Jude Law has been seeing a resurgance in demand for him as a film actor (Sherlock Holmes ect), and Denzel is Denzel....he's always going to have major film commitmemts.
Updated On: 6/16/10 at 02:11 AM

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:13am

To be fair, it probably cost more to run NIGHT MUSIC then FENCES or BRIDGE.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:30am

I don't think Catherine Zeta-Jones is exactly lacking in the film commitments. She has other priorities like being with her family. She certainly has done well enough where she can afford to sit back for a little bit and enjoy the life she has created for herself. I am positive that she would have no problem getting back to being in films if she wanted to.

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:40am

I like CZJ, but she hasn't been in a succesful movie in years. She's not considered a box office draw by studios, and her Oscar for Chicago aside, she's not one of those actresses that's regarded as "awards bait" by studios (like Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney or Kate Winslet), which helps you get cast in quality films even if you aren't a big draw. Her film career has been treading water for awhile now....she's made several in the last few years, it's just that no one really cared. For CZJ, more than any of the other big stars, Broadway was more of a neccesary move to re-ignite her career. The Tony may have helped her get noticed by producers in Hollywood again.
Updated On: 6/16/10 at 02:40 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:43am

Well luckily she turned down the film of NINE. That was probably one of the wisest decisions of her entire career.

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:49am

By all accounts, CZJ turned down Nine because her part was practically a cameo role/walk-on. I think she felt insulted, that in previous years, she would have been offered to big female leads that went to Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard. I think Nicole Kidman only accepted CZJ's part, as a respite from having to burden the responsibility of being the lead all the time, and to work with the cast, paricularly Daniel Day Lewis, whom most actresses seem to love.

Nine was a disaster that she was fortunate to avoid, but if CZJ had been offered one of the bigger parts, she'd have done it in a shot. To be honest though, I don't think Nine will really affect the careers of any of the actors (maybe Daniel Day Lewis won't be offered anymore musical leads, thankfully). Rob Marshall is probably going to be in Director Jail for awhile though.
Updated On: 6/16/10 at 02:49 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 2:51am

Yes, we all know the story. But she is still really lucky she didn't do it.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 3:00am

Well, Rob Marshall is already set to direct PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4 with Oscar-nominee Johnny Depp and Oscar winners Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush, so I think he's kind of doing alright.
Nicole Kidman has said openly that she took NINE because she wanted to have a small role that would still allow her to be with her newborn baby. There's also the fact she loved and respected Anthony Minghella and the project sounded good on paper.
Zeta-Jones is a movie star, she's not a BO draw necessarily, but I highly doubt she's having to beg directors to cast her in movies. She's not like Meg Ryan, Melanie Griffith, Geena Davis, Helen Hunt and other actresses who probably do need to beg casting directors to even let them in an audition room. She's respected, she's an Oscar winner and she's married to Hollywood royalty. I imagine she'll return to Broadway if the right role comes along and at the right moment. I'd love to see her in a musical that requires more singing and obviously, a much stronger production than the hit-and-miss NIGHT MUSIC revival she's a part of.
I don't know if Scarlett Johansson will return or not, I imagine she will, but not anytime soon. I'd love for her to do as much theatre as she can, I thought she was terrific on stage. She's someone else whose film career is not faltering, she was Woody Allen's muse for some time, is a BAFTA winner for Lead Actress and is in the only real blockbuster of the summer so far. Will see what she decides to do about her new stage career.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 3:21am

Folks like Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, Peter Dinklage, Cherry Jones, Ralph Fiennes and Hugh Jackman all seem to thrive in the theatre scene.

John Stamos will definately be back. I could see Roundabout hiring him yet again.

How 'bout Jeremy Piven? I must admit I'm so curious about that rotten apple. I mean, I just wanna know if he's ever going to try! Though I can't imagine any investors being willing to take a chance on him.

And although he's not one of those big bankable movie stars yet, I'd love to see Lee Pace back in the theatre scene.

[binau]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 3:35am

" Zeta-Jones may have sold well, but not well enough for her show to recoup."

The Night Music grosses are consistently really good...I don't know why it hasn't recouped yet.

About 23M in grosses..the startup costs were something like 5 million. It must be costing over $600,000 a week to run if it hasn't recouped yet, right? (Bad producing?)

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 3:41am

And that set cost, what, 100 bucks from Ikea?

[binau]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 4:25am

Arguably yes :P (which I thought has been accounted for in the 5 million startup costs).

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 6:19am

How can it be HER fault it hasn't yet recouped? It's consistantly in the 90th percentage range (exceptions are when she was OUT) so it is reaching its potential pretty consistantly.

To the op: why are you so incredibly ANTI-CZJ? I have no idea which starts will return. WE don't know how they personally view the experience. And so what if it IS a checklist? They aren't harming the b'way experience...if anything, many of the names help it even by appearing once. They are putting audience members in the seats....SOME which will return even if they aren't ANY stars. THEIR presence gives more standard Bway actors opportunities as well. It's not a one thing or other battle. I don't NEED a big star to see a show, but I don't mind if they do -- as long as they are well cast.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 8:36am

I think CZJ, Scarlett, and Denzel will all be back. Relatively soon too.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 8:36am

Even beyond How to Succeed, I can see Daniel Radcliffe doing more theatre both here and in the West End after everything with Harry Potter is wrapped up.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 8:46am

How 'bout Jeremy Piven? I must admit I'm so curious about that rotten apple. I mean, I just wanna know if he's ever going to try! Though I can't imagine any investors being willing to take a chance on him.

I doubt he'd be able to get insured after the stunt he pulled in Speed-the-Plow. It's a shame, as he was really good, but he's just not reliable.

I definitely see Scarlett returning, especially after her Tony win. Denzel said in an interview that, now that he's more than financially secure and his children are grown, he plans to do more theatre--a play every few years.

Catherine Zeta-Jones could well become the next Lauren Bacall, who turned to theatre when her film career was on the wane and found a real second home.

Not film stars, but I'm sure that the theatre vets from Glee will be back on the boards at some point. Does anybody know if there's any truth to that rumor about Morrison returning for the last two weeks of South Pacific?

[quitetheatrical23]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 11:01am

I think Denzel, Scarlett, and and CZJ will all be back soon. I do think that them all winning Tonys helps chances of their return. I think it would unusual for someone to say after their Broadway debut (or second play in Denzel's case) "Ok, won a Tony! done with Broadway" If anything I think winning a Tony makes them want to come back, either because they've been validated or because they'd like to win another one. I'm not by any means saying that is a driving force, but I think there have been relatively few cases of people who won Tonys for their Broadway debut and never came back. That would be sort of silly to stop after an acclaimed award winning debut

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 11:22am

Denzel's Broadway debut was the 1988 play Checkmates, and he has a long history of off-Broadway work (the original A Soldier's Play, lots of stuff at the Public). He has a long history of doing theatre.

[littlepaperstars]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 12:22pm

I hope CZJ comes back. She surpassed my expectations in Night Music - great stage presence and though she's been sick lately, when I saw her in February she sounded fantastic.

Also would love to see Mary Louise Parker come back to Broadway...Hedda Gabbler was dreadful, but I'd love to see her in something with better direction.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/16/10 at 12:31pm

Denzel has said repeatedly how much he loves returning to the stage to work on his craft so whether it's Broadway or somewhere else he'll certainly return. Scarlett has also said that this experience was better than she even could have imagined and she will come back when the right project presents itself. I personally can't wait to see her again after her stellar debut.

Julia Roberts is another person who has recently expressed interest in returning sometime soon. If and when she does, just like for her last show I will be first in line the day tickets go on sale and see it over and over and over and over again. God, I love that woman.