Bigger Stars taking over for Big Stars

Britney Spears for Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity... hahahaha!

Lets make this Broadway stars only, so no well Brooke Shilds took over for Donna Murphy, because I dont feel Brooke is really a broadway star, although I recognize what she has done for theatre.

Liza Minelli temporarly taking over for Gwen Verdon in Chicago would be one example

A little off topic-
As much as I find Liza phony, annoying and insane, we all must thank her for replacing Gwen for those few weeks. She made Chicago a hit.

And of course, Joan Crawford taking over for her beloved daughter Christina on the TV soap when she was sick.

...Okay, that was TV, but still...

...it was creepy.

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Though Liza helped keep Chicago alive. It does not take away from Gwen Verdon's fame. She was one of the most famous Broadway stars at the time, and known as one of the best dancers. Now these days she cosidered the best female Broadway dancer of all time. People came to see Verdon, and still came to see Verdon once she returned. The entire show was created just for her, not Liza.

ljay889 --- Amen to everything you said!

But Liza was and is a bigger star. Fact of life. When she stepped in, the show sold out the entire time she appeared in it.

Gwen was/is revered, adored, amazingly talented, and a legend in the theatre world.

Liza was a household name, a Broadway star and an Oscar-winning movie star when she took over.

And there's a big difference.

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And though not perhaps to those who read this Board, Reba McEntire would be considered by a large number of people to be a much bigger star than Bernadette Peters (ANNIE GET YOUR GUN).

Reba McEntire is famous, but Bernadette isn't just known to theatre fans. She is famous for performing on Broadway, but her fame has grown past people who follow theatre. She is the closest thing to the type of Broadway star that Ethel Merman and Gwen Verdon were- people would come see her just because she's Bernadette Peters. Yes, Reba McEntire is famous and has many fans, but I wouldn't say that Bernadette Peters isn't that famous.

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I wasn't denying that Bernadette isn't known for her TV and film work and that didn't help her status as a performer. When she did Sunday in the Park with George, or Song and Dance, she was probably more well known for other things- I wasn't alive at the time so I don't know. What I was trying to say was at the time she did Annie Get Your Gun, her status of fame was for her work on Broadway, at least with the younger generation. When I first heard of Bernadette Peters, I was eight, and I was knew that she was famous for acting on Broadway, not her film work and guest appearences on TV. I didn't even know she was famous for that stuff until two years later. So her work as a Broadway star is more well known to some people that her other work.

When she is in a show, people's reactions aren't "This is a movie star on Broadway" but, "This is a "Broadway star on Broadway" Her background is theatre, those are her roots, its where she got her start. That's why I consider her to be a Broadway star, rather than a TV and film actress who has performed on Broadway.

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Updated On: 5/9/06 at 06:53 PM

Carol Channing taking over for Patti in Sweeney.

Jim Dale took over for Robert Lindsay in "Me and My Girl".

Richard Burton took over for Anthony Hopkins in "Equus".

Loretta Swit took over for Karen Morrow, who took over for Cleo Laine in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

*waits for Dollypop*

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