Celebs Who Have Smashed Broadway?

I am interested in finding out those stars who can sell out a whole run on Broadway? Who are/were those Broadway A list celebs?

Good examples are;

Denzel Washington

Helen Mirren

Tom Hanks

But I also love to hear those celebs who pack a house from years ago?

Updated On: 1/13/17 at 07:15 PM

Emma Stone

Also Denzel Washington pretty much sold out his play, and Viola Davis probably helped too.

In the past, Glenn Close had a huge advance for Sunset BLVD. and her whole run was sold out, although once Betty Buckley took over, tickets were easy to get, also tickets were easy to get with Elaine Paige.

Liza Minnelli also sold her last show very well if I'm not mistaken.

Catherine Zeta Jones's run in A Little Night Music was completely sold-out, and once Bernadette Peters took over, tickets were easy to get.

Nicole Kidman's run in The Blue Room was sold out too.

Updated On: 1/14/17 at 09:56 PM

Wayne Brady?

Kristin didn't sell out her one woman show, but her show was only a week long or so...so it wasn't a regular Broadway run. I don't think her name alone sells(obviously if she wasn't able to sell a show for just a few dates and comps were given left and right), but if you put her name with someone like Sean Hayes and you put them in a Broadway show that people may love like Promises, Promises, it definitely sold very well, although it didn't sell out its entire run, but the grosses and the sales were pretty good throughout the run.



Audra may sell tix, but her shows weren't sold out either.



Bette Middler is proving to sell out, I'm sure that David Hyde Pierce and some other celebrities help as well, and also the name Hello Dolly! sells a lot, but Bette's solo show wasn't sold out, but had good sales...so Bette in the right vehicle sells out.

Updated On: 1/14/17 at 12:04 AM

Bradley Cooper did a damn good job with the Elephant Man! Sales were awesome.

I think thus far, Cate Blanchett has also been good for the Present.

The excellent ensemble of stars has proven successful for the Front Page this season, too.

Scarlett Johanson

Al Pacino

Would like to see how Mark Ruffalo does this season.

I was surprised Emma Stone wasn't more of a draw for folks. Cabaret is a popular show, with her name it shouldn't have been on TKTS as often as it was. Viola Davis wasn't as big of a name in 2010 as she is today, so Fences doing well on Broadway was almost entirely on Denzel and August Wilson's name.

If Meryl Streep were to bring a show on Broadway, I can see it being an instant box office hit. Anything Lin Manuel Miranda does going forward is probably going to be a massive financial hit because of his huge and seemingly dedicated following.

Scarlett Johansen in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF of a couple years ago was a very easy ticket to get; it was constantly on TKTS.

Bette Midler

Streisand in FUNNY GIRL was one of the hardest tickets to get back in the mid sixties. I recall going to the box office in June and the earliest available tickets were in December.

I remember it being rather difficult to obtain tickets to Emma Stone's run of Cabaret, and believed it did rather well grosses-wise. I don't remember if it was a "sold out for months" kind of hit but the show did very well with her at the helm.

Someone mentioned Katharine Hepburn and back in the day she was in the most horrific musical ever "Coco", who thought she was anything remotely like the French fashion designer is beyond me but she sold out tickets on BW. Her replacement, the French actress, Danielle Darrieux was so much more believable in the role but the show limped along and closed quickly. Not a dig on Hepburn who I love but it was sheer box office power that made that show a success.