Broadway Smokers 🚬

I was in midtown at lunch time today and walked past several Broadway theatres — I was so surprised to see so many ensemble members that I assume are in in tech/rehearsing outside in the street with full stage make up smoking cigarettes.

It got me thinking, are there any notable Broadway smokers who could still belt out 8 shows a week with ease? Idina Menzel during her Wicked run?

Updated On: 9/21/21 at 05:28 PM

I don’t know about now, but I bet there are more former Broadway smokers currently over the age of 40 than you would imagine. Smoking has only been totally unacceptable in the last 10-15 years. It started with the indoor smoking bans in the early 2000s. Once the law was passed in NYC, smokers got tired of being banished to sidewalks outside restaurants and bars, especially in winter, so many gave it up. Also, cigarette prices skyrocketed around the same time. Before then, when your stage manager would call a break there’d be a mass exodus of smokers running out the door to try to get a full cigarette in before resuming.

The majority of the cast of Movin’ Out smoked. But then it’s hard to quit a bad addiction like cigarettes when you’re in your prime dancing careers…. Cuz quitting makes you fat. Haha and those who are trying to /or want to would never quit while under contract for a show. The irritability and withdrawals are one thing… but the healing and recovery of your throat after years/decades of all those toxins you’ve inhaled causes you to cough a lot and it really effects your vocal cords during the initial detox period.


Also, while way less people smoke now than 10-20 years ago, I wonder how many who had quit started back up again during the stress of the pandemic and the sudden demise of an entire industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than you think…. I was a smoker in college and then quit for years; I started back up again when I had career ending ACL and Double Rotator Cuff injuries and subsequent surgeries while in my prime as a dancer. I’ve since quit again after initially switching to American Spirits because if I was going to slowly kill myself I at least should do so with a cigarette that doesn’t have all those chemicals and only ingredients are water and natural tobacco .



But to the poster above…. trust me the indoor smoking bans aren’t what caused people to quit. It’s a tough addiction that wouldn’t stop anyone. The extreme rise in cigarette prices are what forced many to quit (starting with the Obama Tax hike) and then as more quit and it became less socially acceptable others followed suit. Take Europe for example. They banned menthol and packs of 10 and started putting those horrific images on all cigarette packs to get people to quit. Everyone in France and Italy still smoke…. It didn’t get anyone to quit. With Cigarette prices in those countries you can buy 3 packs and pay less than a single pack in the states.

BrodyFosse123 said: "90% of dancers smoke and countless actors continue to smoke. Herb cigarettes are used on stage. Even actors who smoke in real life have to smoke the herb cigarettes, which produce harmless smoke that pass health codes. You’ll see a bevy of actors/dancers outside smoking during intermission."

Sorry, no smoke is harmless. It may be cancer-harmless, but it's still problematic especially with breathing issues. I'm always amazed at how many folks in theater smoke. Would they violate contract if it was a joint?

FosseTharp said: "The majority of the cast of Movin’ Out smoked. But then it’s hard to quit a bad addiction like cigarettes when you’re in your prime dancing careers…. Cuz quitting makes you fat. Haha and those who are trying to /or want to would never quit while under contract for a show. The irritability and withdrawals are one thing… but the healing and recovery of your throat after years/decades of all those toxins you’ve inhaled causes you to cough a lot and it really effects your vocal cords during the initial detox period.


Also, while way less people smoke now than 10-20 years ago, I wonder how many who had quit started back up again during the stress of the pandemic and the sudden demise of an entire industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than you think…. I was a smoker in college and then quit for years; I started back up again when I had career ending ACL and Double Rotator Cuff injuries and subsequent surgeries while in my prime as a dancer. I’ve since quit again after initially switching to American Spirits because if I was going to slowly kill myself I at least should do so with a cigarette that doesn’t have all those chemicals and only ingredients are water and natural tobacco .



But to the poster above…. trust me the indoor smoking bans aren’t what caused people to quit. It’s a tough addiction that wouldn’t stop anyone. The extreme rise in cigarette prices are what forced many to quit (starting with the Obama Tax hike) and then as more quit and it became less socially acceptable others followed suit. Take Europe for example. They banned menthol and packs of 10 and started putting those horrific images on all cigarette packs to get people to quit. Everyone in France and Italy still smoke…. It didn’t get anyone to quit. With Cigarette prices in those countries you can buy 3 packs and pay less than a single pack in the states."



I recall attending concerts in Copenhagen and not being able to see the stage because so many people in the audience were smoking.

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I think nowadays more Bway folks smoke weed than cigarettes.

I went to Laurie Metcalf's alma mater, and a group of us went to see Three Tall Women on Broadway. We got to met her and Allison Pill, but Glenda Jackson was late because she was sneaking a cigarette in the alley.

I remember a photo(maybe it was a video?) of patti lupone hitting a juul a few years back.

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Surprised Liza's still alive from it. Patti smoking on stage at Company awful and it was not juul. Andrew Rannells chain-smoked in Boys/Band. Didn't care if it was herb cigs. Horrible smell. Could see the smoke cloud hovering up in balcony area.

Tired of actors thinking they have to smoke on stage. No smoke is good for lungs...second hand or primary.

Lots of actors and singers smoke. When you’re young it doesn’t affect you much and most smokers think they are invincible. It’s easy to be in denial when you’re younger because the voice is more resilient. However once you hit 40 it’s a lot harder to weather the cigs.

Chita would sound much better these days if she never smoked. Lizas voice is sadly shot. Joni Mitchell ravaged her instrument but people lauded her when she covered her old songs with the awful croak. It was very sad if you ask me. I saw Raul smoking on the street all the time.

If your livelihood is your throat it’s a cruel and masochistic thing to do to your cords. Addictions and anxiety are brutal and I know smoking helps many people decrease their anxiety. I have empathy for them.

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KJisgroovy said: "I doubt it's usually the actors "thinking they have to smoke on stage." It's likely the director and/or in the script."

Okay..but it still s***ks when they do. It's not a good thing to breathe.

Alex Kulak2 said: "I went to Laurie Metcalf's alma mater, and a group of us went to seeThree Tall Womenon Broadway. We got to met her and Allison Pill, but Glenda Jackson was late because she was sneaking a cigarette in the alley."

Same for me! (Also at King Lear the next year). Honestly though, at her age and the fact she’s still up there doing what she does, all I could think was “That’s a power move right there and she deserves it.”

I had a cigarette with Michael Shannon after “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and that was cool.

Most people I know now in my age demographic (Millenial) are big on vaping and weed now - I don’t see a lot of cigarettes around.

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Katrina Lenk smoked in one scene in Indecent--this was 4 or 5 years ago,before she did The Band's Visit--but I don't know if she smokes in real life.