Broadway -American Idol Dumping Ground?

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 8:54pm

In addition to Diana "show killer" Degarmo there are more and more of them. Don't they go on AI to be pop stars? What happens? They fail and feel Broadway is a good second option?

Discuss

[zepka102]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 9:03pm

She didn't kill Hairspray... she was an awesome Penny.

I don't see Broadway as a "dumping ground." It's just another option in the entertainment world. If they can do it, why not go for it? As long as they're not thrown in there because people know who they are, but because they can act the roles. We're quick to judge ahead of time, but they can surprise us, as Diana's Penny did. I know we're all nervous about Jordin Sparks, but I guess we'll see when the time comes.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 9:07pm

A lot of AI contestants do really well on Broadway & theatre elsewhere. There are even some that I would call theatre actors now. Such as Diana & Constantine.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 9:56pm

I agree with Theatrefan4.

Wasn't Josh Strickland an AI alumnus as well?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:05pm

AI alumni bring with them a larger fan base then someone who solely does NY theatre.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:21pm

Yeah I guess you could call it that, but most of them have been very good, if not fantastic in their respective shows:

Fantasia in THE COLOR PURPLE
Constantine in THE WEDDING SINGER & ROCK OF AGES
Diana DeGarmo in HAIRSPRAY & HAIR
Clay Aiken in SPAMALOT
Tamyra Grey in RENT
and not exactly Broadway, but Syesha Mercado in DREAMGIRLS

I bet Jordin Sparks is good in IN THE HEIGHTS as well.

Updated On: 7/3/10 at 10:21 PM

[BroadwayBound17]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:24pm

Diana DeGarmo is perfection in Hair.

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:24pm

Diana DeGarmo is not a show kill.

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:50pm

Annie Get Your Gun should be revived for Diana DeGarmo. It would be nice to (finally) see an age-apprpriate Annie Oakley.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:55pm

Ruben Studdard, Trenyce Cobbins & Frenchie Davis were also all quite good in Ain't Misbehavin'.

Granted there isn't really much acting...

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:58pm

Frenchie Davis was a meh Effie White in Dreamgirls.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 1:13am

I assume the Diana DeGarmo "show killer" comments were more about Toxic Avenger and Hair, seeing as Hairspray still managed almost two full years after she left.

Unfortunately I think she has a case of the Cousin Oliver syndrome amongst some fans. To clarify; the character of Cousin Oliver was brought in to The Brady Bunch as it was losing what little ratings power it already had (which was never really very much to begin with). It was a case of hoping that the new character would give a dying show a jolt. However, that clearly didn't work, but fans looked at it as if that poor little actor killed the show. The show was struggling before he came along, and would have died with or without him. He was hardly to blame.

Diana now has been put into that situation twice, both with Toxic Avenger and Hair. They were already beginning to struggle when she went in. As others have pointed out in other threads about Hair the numbers were already slipping. Some people just want a scapegoat and are quick to pin it on the new cast, and it seems like Diana and Ace Young are getting the brunt of it because they are "names" who "should have been able to keep the show open if they were any good."

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 1:28am

I've been referring to Ace Young as the Ted McGinley of Broadway lately.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:00am

While many of them have been great, I'm irritated that Broadway is the last resort for some of them. The recording career didn't pan out, so why not Broadway?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:10am

While many of them have been great, I'm irritated that Broadway is the last resort for some of them. The recording career didn't pan out, so why not Broadway?

I find that irritating myself. I cannot tell you how many different Aceholes made comments along the lines of "If Ace's career was going well he wouldn't be doing Broadway". Seriously? For some people Broadway is the PINNICLE not the bottom of the barrel. Have a little respect for an institution that has been around longer than recording studios and television reality shows.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:12am

You could view it that way or think of it as their having survived one of the most intense competitions on earth where singing live isn't an option, making them pre-qualified for the tough demands of Broadway.

Obviously being on American Idol does not prove they can act but it at least guarantees they can perform live and more than likely withstand 8 shows a week. So in a way, it's more of a compliment than an insult.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 11:11am

The thing is--we don't know their roots. So many of them probably grew up in the theatre, wanting to do Broadway, and AI was simply a nice break and opportunity to make that happen. And, good for them. Everyone has their own journey.

Life is chutes and ladders, not a staircase.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:00pm

I don't think anyone here is suggesting that they don't have the right to be here. It's just some of them (and their fans) view Broadway as some sort of "last resort".

[byebyebaby12]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:24pm

Constantine graduated Boston Conservatory with a degree in musical theatre so I assume that was what he wanted all a long.

I honestly don't care where actors come from, as long as they are talented enough to pull off the part.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:29pm

The irony is that when they're competing on idol Simon would use comments like "you're better suited for Broadway" in a derogatory way. Then when they don't win where do they pop up? It's frustrating because they get a much easier way to lead and featured parts than other actors who are possibly more talented. I mean really unless they win or are in the top 3 or 4 they are pretty much out of site out of mind. I do not remember Josh or Ace on idol at all. They had zero name recognition for me. Beyond that, if they get people into the theaters it is an overall good thing, since more people will be working.

[byebyebaby12]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 2:36pm

I think Ace made it to top 5 or 6. Josh was like top 24. I have watched every season since season two and did not remember Josh at all and they talk about Natalie Weiss being an Idol Alum. Not really, since she got to Hollywood week and then was gone.
Updated On: 7/4/10 at 02:36 PM

[snowskittle]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:13pm

Randy so often made sideways negative comments about Broadway that it's clear he considered it "second best". It was always jolting (to me) to hear him tell contestants things like "you might be ok but Broadway, but you're not right for this show".


Maybe that opinion is only prevelant in the pop music world, but I find it insulting to theater and to actors. Former contestants have mostly been cast due to their (let's face it) "name recognition"...something not exactly unheard of in theater, and very likely their fans did enhance ticket sales to some degree. But when former contestants shoot straight into Broadway lead parts with little or no acting experience or training, and get cast over more talented, trained and experienced "unknowns", and are THEN accused of being second-best, or having taken a job of last-resort, it's an insult to everyone. But it's especially insulting to theater and the many hard-working people who spend years in pursuit of their chosen career.

When and how did Broadway become second tier to pop music?? I always considered it, as Eris noted, the pinnacle of any/every musical actor's career. Am I wrong?

Opinions?

[tazber]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:21pm

Well, I think that the ubiquity of being a "pop idol" is what they are viewing as success.
In that regard Broadway isn't even in the same league as top 40.

When they had that Grease show (and all the ALW shows in England in which they cast for theater) the goal is different.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:31pm

I BLAME TELSEY!!!!

[Marie2]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 6:53pm

American Idol is a legitimate way to find potential Broadway talents. There are many more former contestants who want to be cast in a show than ones who actually win roles. It takes talent. Constantine and Diana in particular have contributed a great deal to the community and the shows they've been in. To refer to their Broadway careers as being part of a "dumping ground" is disparaging to theatre as a whole. The stigma is ridiculous.

Diana did a great job in all three of her major roles. I expect she'll eventually originate a role. She hardly deserves to be blamed for the problems Toxic Avenger and Hair experienced.

Updated On: 7/4/10 at 06:53 PM