Broadway stars and their real names
Broadway stars and their real names
#0Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:18am
Stage names and legal name changes are a part of show business. So let's see how many we know 
Nathan Lane's real name is Joseph Lane. When he went to get his Actors Equity card, there was already a Joseph Lane registered. He changed his name to Nathan because he loves GUYS & DOLLS and had played Nathan Detroit... but mainly because he wanted to be unique 
Bernadette Peters was born Bernadette Lazarra.
X x Fiyero x X
Chorus Member Joined: 4/6/06
PaigeByPaige
Stand-by Joined: 10/26/05
#2re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:34amElaine Paige ---> Elaine Bickerstaff
greenegirl87
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/11/05
#3re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:35am
Idina Menzel was actually just Idina Mentzel
#4re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:42amLaChanze is LaChanze Sapp-Gooding
#5re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:43amGood to know she has a last name!
#6re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:48am
I was going to say, Idina merely changed the spelling of her last name... Thank you, greenegirl87
#7re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:56amEthel Merman was bron Ethel Zimmermann.
azeller
Leading Actor Joined: 3/26/04
#8re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:57am
Bernadette Peters' name is not from her mother's maiden name. Her name came from her father's first name, Peter Lazzara.
Her mother changed her name when she got her equity card so that she would not be typecast in only "Italian" roles. She also mentioned once that her mother thought her original name was too long to fit on a marquee...which is funny because her current name is only one letter shorter.
#10re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:04pmAre there any reasons as to why they wanted to change their names?
#11re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:07pm
Helen Hayes was born Helen Hayes Brown.
Meryl Streep was born Mary Louise Streep.
EDIT: Usually it's one of three reasons why an actor changes his/her name:
1) It sounds "ordinary."
2) It sounds "funny" or "odd" to most people, or is easily mispronounced.
3) It sounds too similar to another actor or member of an acting union.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#12re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:09pm
GUH! *hangs head* Oops... I forgot my Bernie lore for a moment and mixed up info. Should have looked instead of going with what I had in my head
Thanks, azeller
gustof777
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/8/04
#13re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:15pmisn't michael Ardens real name Michael Moore. I know he picked Arden because of As You Like It
#14re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 12:35pmI know the story behind the whole Scott to Taye transformation, and its funny, but slightly embarrassing and kinda like an episode of Good Times. Lets just say his family and friends still call him Scott.
#15re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:04pmI'm the only person who has my name. I used to hate it but now I like it cos it's so unique.
#16re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:18pmI think Bradd Wong changed his name to B.D. Wong for his role in M BUTTERFLY so as not to spoil the plot twist. After he won the Tony, I guess there was no turning back
ashley0139
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
#17re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:23pmIf I ever get into Equity, I think I'm going to have to change my name. There already has to be someone with it- it's so ordinary.
broadwaybelter
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/26/04
#18re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:23pm
I thought Lachanze's name was
Rhonda Lachanze Sapp?
#19re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:33pm
Can you imagine? Rhonda Sapp, star of "The Color Purple." It sounds so much more effective to say LaChanze.
...And Whoopi Goldberg's real name is... Caryn Elaine Johnson.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#20re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:44pmRuthie Henshall's real name is: Valentine Ruth Henshall
sundaymorning6am
Broadway Star Joined: 5/23/06
#21re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 1:48pmJai Rodriguez's real first name is David.
CurtainUp
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/9/04
#22re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 2:59pmRuthie/Ruth Valentine would have been a cute stage name.
#23re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 3:52pmI actually emailed Actor's Equity a few years ago to check if someone had taken my name yet. No one had, and I'm hoping that no one will!
#24re: Broadway stars and their real names
Posted: 6/25/06 at 3:57pmMaya Days' real name is Laura Dias (which was the name she went by while she was in Rent, back in the day).
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