Best/Worst Celebrities that went onto Broadway- Page 2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 2:11pm

Mark Ballas was fantastic in Jersey Boys (I didn't see him in Kinky Boots).

When Alan Rickman was in Seminar, a friend was in town for the weekend and on a whim we got tickets at TKTS and ended up in the front-row balcony. He was everything I'd hoped he'd be and more!

One celeb I wish I'd seen: Darrell Hammond as Vice Principal Panch in Spelling Bee. How was he? Mo Rocca was hilariously bizarre. I loved his performance.

[Scott Stephen]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 4:12pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "“Michelle Williams - Blackbird”

Oh no, I loved her in that. Haunts me to this day.

For worst? Kerry Washington in American Son"

Really? I personally loved Washington in American Son, but I know she gets criticized a lot for overacting. I still think she's wonderful though. As for my picks, I have to agree with above mentions of Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Groban. I also thought Sara Bareilles was a surprisingly good actress during her stints as Jenna in Waitress. As for worst, immediately Cameron Dallas in Mean Girls comes to mind. Wendy Williams in Chicago was also not great, but at least she seemed to be having fun up there, as compared to Dallas who always looked like he was thinking about what he would get for dinner after. 

[windowwaving]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 4:59pm

Sutton Ross said: "Deeply loved JordanFisher in Dear Evan Hansen and Brandon Urie in Kinky Boots (his horrible fans were a different story though)."

Best - I agree, I've seen many Evans and I found Jordan Fisher really brought a movie star-quality to the role. I saw it once with his alternate and once with Jordan, and you can tell even his cast mates gave off a heightened performance.

Ed Harris and Nick Robinson in TKAM. Stunning performances.

Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn in Network. 

Worst - Cameron Dallas. I truly felt bad for Erika Henningsen, and even she didn't look like she was having fun, but I think she was also rehearsing for her next show at the time, so she was probably over it.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 5:26pm

I didn’t see Jordan Fisher’s full performance, but from what I saw, I actually didn’t like him. He also strikes me as looking too old.

I’ll agree that Ed Harris was spectacular in To Kill a Mockingbird, as was his entire cast. Obviously it’s hard to compete with Gregory Peck, but Ed killed it.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 6:24pm

Loved Josh Groban in Great Comet. Didn't really know who he was prior to the performance, but after hearing not just his great voice but also seeing his great emotional capacity during "Dust and Ashes" I was sold, and now I consider myself mild Groban fan

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 6:27pm

Leaf Coneybear said: "Loved Josh Groban in Great Comet. Didn't really know who he was prior to the performance, but after hearing not just his great voice but also seeing his great emotional capacity during "Dust and Ashes" I was sold, and now I consider myself mild Groban fan"

It was when I heard Groban's "Dust and Ashes" live that I realized Great Comet was quickly becoming one of the best shows I have ever seen. 

I also agree with some of your faves- Gyllenhaal, Urie, Fantasia, and Reba, to name a few.

[Globefan]

Posted: 1/23/21 at 6:52pm

SmoothLover said: "I really think they should consider Claire Crawley forChicago."

YES! 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/23/21 at 10:44pm

Definitely the oddest one is Quentin Tarantino in a supporting role in Wait Until Dark (this was in 1998, after he had directed three films, won an Oscar and a Palme d'Or as a screenwriter)

[MCW1227]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 8:41am

Have to add Stamos’s performance in Bye Bye Birdie.  Just awful and an equally awful production.  So disappointing.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 10:28am

SmoothLover said: "I really think they should consider Claire Crawley forChicago."  I have no idea who she is.  I'll have to look her up.  What role do you think she'd be good at in "Chicago"?  I did look her up.  She's been involved in reality (? ) tv.  There is no mention of her having any singing or dancing ability.  However, she is a professional hairstylist.  

 

 

Updated On: 1/24/21 at 10:28 AM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 11:05am

I can't say that he was the best or worst, however, I caught Kevin Richardson from Backstreet Boys as Billy Flynn, and I was surprised by his performance. Not as bad as you would think.

[Globefan]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 1:20pm

Wendy Williams in Chicago 

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 1:45pm

For one of the best, I saw Melissa Benoist as Carole King in Beautiful and she was brilliant!  She has such a good, clear voice, and she acted the part really well - there's a fine line between subtle acting and not acting, and she was on the correct side of that line.  I also second the person who said Sara Bareilles in Waitress - obviously she wrote the music, so she has that personal connection to the score and the story, but she was such a wonderfully subtle and nuanced Jenna, and she pulled off a remarkably good southern accent.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 2:07pm

Loved Julia Roberts in “Three Days”. She’s said for a long time now she wants to return to Broadway and I really hope she does. When theater resumes, she’s the kind of name that creates an “event” that will help usher people back into seats.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 2:54pm

Agreed that Sara Bareilles was wonderful in Waitress. I think she’s my favorite Jenna that I’ve seen, to be honest.

I was impressed by Jake Gyllenhaal in Little Shop of Horrors. He was much better at the whole handsome-guy-playing-a-nerd-falling-for-an-older-woman act than Jonathan Groff. I didn’t think he’d be able to pull off Sunday in the Park With George, but I was very wrong. He’s quite a talented actor.

Speaking of that Little Shop production, Taran Killam was really great in that and I’d love to see him doing more musical comedy.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 3:22pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Loved Julia Roberts in “Three Days”. She’s said for a long time now she wants to return to Broadway and I really hope she does. When theater resumes, she’s the kind of name that creates an “event” that will help usher people back into seats."

Exactly! I could see her or names like Oprah, Meryl being brought in to really sell an "event" to bring people back

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 6:07pm

I'm dating myself here but:
 

meh: Madonna  SPEED THE PLOW 

impressive:  Lou Diamond Phillips  THE KING AND I

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 10:04pm

Globefan said: "Wendy Williams in Chicago"

I would second that.  I imagine some in the cast would agree as well.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 1/24/21 at 10:12pm

HeyMrMusic said: "Agreed that Sara Bareilles was wonderful in Waitress. I think she’s my favorite Jenna that I’ve seen, to be honest.

I was impressed by Jake Gyllenhaal in Little Shop of Horrors. He was much better at the whole handsome-guy-playing-a-nerd-falling-for-an-older-woman act than Jonathan Groff. I didn’t think he’d be able to pull off Sunday in the Park With George, but I was very wrong. He’s quite a talented actor.

Speaking of that Little Shop production, Taran Killam was really great in that and I’d love to see him doing more musical comedy."

OOh I forgot. Sara Bareilles was incredible as Jenna in Waitress. I never felt like she was acting, actually.

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 5:34am

jvoom said: "I didn't see her myself but I have a friend who will go to his grave swearing Reba in "Annie Get Your Gun" is the best example of perfect star casting ."

Online friend who saw Ethel Merman in the Annie Get Your Gun revival of the 60's (and had seen her in the original Gypsy) says Reba was better than Merman in Annie.

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 5:49am

To me, this is either the worst or the best, depending on your level of schadenfreude.

I'm unsure if he was bored, embarrassed, confused, lost, hungover or a combination of them all.

http://youtu.be/uFatMjn_lYU

[superiska123]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 12:18pm

Certainly not the worst, but I thought Billy Ray Cyrus in Chicago was really dull. As for the best (that hasn't been mentioned already) I'd say Brandy as Roxie in Chicago... The best I've ever heard the role sung, and she was hilarious, too.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 6:23pm

I feel like there's a couple more sub-categories here. In addition to "best" and "worst," there's also "celebrities who delivered passable performances, but were obviously only cast for their fame." Like, some celebrities aren't bad onstage, but just probably weren't the best actor for the role. For me, those are:

-Uma Thurman - "Parisian Woman"

-James Franco - "Of Mice and Men"

-Bob Saget - "Hand to God"

-Matt Bomer - "Boys in the Band" (though I actually liked his performance in the movie more)

-Jennifer Hudson - "The Color Purple"

-Jason Biggs - "The Heidi Chronicles"

-Amy Schumer - "Meteor Shower"

-Cobie Smulders - "Present Laughter"

-Kiera Knightly - "Therese Raquin"

-Richard Armitage - "Uncle Vanya" (actually, I would probably move this to my "least favorites" list)

 

And then there's the pleasant surprises. Nobody is shocked when Denzel Washington knocks it out of the park, but some celebrities give really strong, solid performances, and I wouldn't have known they had it in them. Some examples for me include:

--Rupert Grint - "It's Only a Play"

--Chris Evans - "Lobby Hero"

--Bradley Cooper - "Elephant Man" (at this point in his career, he hadn't done as many high-profile dramatic roles. And in any case, this performance was so different from anything he's done on film before or since - so it's not necessarily that his talent surprised me, so much as his range)

--Taylor Schilling - "A Month in the Country" - excellent performance, better than anything she ever did on Orange is the New Black.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 9:40pm

I worked a couple of shifts at Chicago when Christie Brinkley was in it. She can’t sing, act, or dance. Me and my co workers there were scratching our heads as to why the hell she was there in the first place.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 10:00pm

Best:

Wayne Brady in Kinky Boots

David Cook in Kinky Boots

Deborah Cox in Aida

Ana Gasteyer in Wicked

Kelsey Grammer in La Cage

 

Worst:

Mario Lopez in A Chorus Line

Raven Symone in Sister Act

Rosie O'Donnell in Fiddler on the Roof

Ace Young in Hair

Michelle Williams in Aida