Broadway's Most Bankable Star?

While I do admit Daniel Radcliffe has made a pretty successful and consistent transfer to Broadway star, I would still find some others to revival him as well:

- Jonathan Groff

- Jeremy Jordan

- Lea Michele

 

Though, for those older theatre goers, I would love to know if back in the their prime if Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, Angela Lansbury, Ethel Merman, would be that same type of bankable star In the day or could you easily still get tickets even if a show was a hit? I feel like my attention to sales and grosses only came into affect when The Producers was the hit of New York

Nor did Jeremy Jordan sell out Floyd Collins or his return to Gatsby.

Lisalemann said: "I agree with Jonathan Groff and Hugh Jackman shouldbe added to that list. Leah Michele maybe not as much - but Chess's sales numbers drop off quite a bit when she is on a scheduled vacation day."

Just in Time is the first time Jonathan has shown that he can bring box office to a show as Merrily was mostly about Dan.

Lea rescued FG and made it a hit and Chess only got to open because of her and the fact that it opened big and ran as well as it has so far before hitting a ceiling it was always going to hit, and yes it crashes whenever she's out, shows she will bring in the box office. 

People doubted her after FG saying she couldn't bring an audience for Chess and they were wrong. 

Also its not that hard. Lea Michele.  not Leah or Michelle.

Updated On: 5/6/26 at 05:44 PM

Lisalemann said: "I agree with Jonathan Groff and Hugh Jackman shouldbe added to that list. Leah Michele maybe not as much - but Chess's sales numbers drop off quite a bit when she is on a scheduled vacation day."

I don’t care how “bankable” Jackman might be. If she’s singing at a Rupert Murdoch event, she’s not somebody I’ll ever pay to see again. 

Lea Michele in FG was something of a full circle moment, both from Glee and her making her whole image the second coming of Barbra Streisand. A case of perfect person in perfect role for a pop culture moment. And she sold that show for almost a whole year.

Chess is undoubtedly helped a lot by Lea being in it, but after 6 months its starting to flag a bit and there clearly aren't the same number of people willing to see her in something less obvious.

I wouldn't put her in the same league as Daniel Radcliffe who has shown he can sell multiple shows now. And quite a diverse range of shows/roles.

Id also say Jonathan Groff is a little untested long term too. Will be interesting to see whatever he does next as a sole name lead, and see if he can generate as much buzz and ticket sales as he has done this past year.

Theatrefan2 said: "Lea Michele in FG was something of a full circle moment, both from Glee and her making her whole image the second coming of Barbra Streisand. A case of perfect person in perfect role for a pop culture moment. And she sold that show for almost a whole year.

Chess isundoubtedly helped a lot by Lea being in it, but after 6 months its starting to flag a bit and there clearly aren't the same number of people willing to see her in something less obvious.

I wouldn't put her in the same league as Daniel Radcliffe who has shown he can sell multiple shows now. And quite a diverse range of shows/roles.

Id also say Jonathan Groff is a little untested long term too. Will be interesting to see whatever he does next as a sole name lead, and see if he can generate as much buzz and ticket sales as he has done this past year."

Harry Potter is why Dan is selling so many tickets and I say that as a huge Dan fan and what he has done with his career since then.

My comment re Lea was compared to other Broadway stars.  the fact that the show craters when she takes a break is obvious but do go on making qualifications about her success. 

Jessica Vosk

Beanie Feldstein

Ana Villafañe 

The “Broadway’s most bankable star” question depends on what we mean by Broadway star. Radcliffe is absolutely bankable, but much of that comes from Harry Potter. Same with Jackman/Wolverine, Lea Michele/Glee, Denzel, Bette, etc. They can sell Broadway tickets, but their fame is not Broadway-first.

 

If we’re talking about bankable stars whose public identity is still primarily theatre-defined, I keep landing on Sutton Foster and Jonathan Groff. They’ve both done screen work, obviously, but Broadway still feels like the center of their clout, and their names can still sell tickets, attract investors, and make a production feel like an event.

 

Audra should be in the conversation (FOR SMALLER MUSICALS ONLY) without question. GYPSY lost every dime, but it was prohibitively expensive to run. Sign her for a year in the right vehicle in a 1000-1200 seat house, a cast of 10-20, and a 10-15 piece orchestra and the situation would be different. 

Updated On: 5/7/26 at 09:27 AM

I see this prompt and think right away, "isn't it Denzel Washington?" His second act as a powerhouse stage performer is bordering on being as big a part of his legacy as his film stardom.

I think Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele certainly have their fans (perhaps her more than him), but the level of ticket sales for Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman and Bette Midler have been on a different level, George Clooney as well (though it remains to be seen if theater was a one time thing for him or if we'll be seeing him more often).  

It seems to me that Josh Groban deserves some mention here. And there are others who have become bankable solo performers as a result of recognition they received from their Broadway careers. An Audra McDonald concert ticket is always tough one to get, and Jordan seems to sell out some pretty large venues all over, including Royal Albert Hall. Their inability to carry an underperforming show completely on their back is no reflection of their talent, but more a reflection of a public that values fame over talent. 
 

“Bankability” can also be a double edged sword, and can lead to stars being badly miscast, as was the case with the recent revival of The Music Man.