Commercialized Broadway?

Who else is sick of a bunch of movie/TV stars getting all of these main stream roles? Let's take the show Rent for instance. It is a total work of art...a show that will go down in history. Scary Spice as Mimi Marquez? I saw her, and she spoke with a British accent. I don't know how many New York strippers YOU know, but none of them I have ever had the pleasure of meeting have spoken with a British accent.

Now, I realize that they want to bring in more people to see the show, but is Broadway getting to commercialized? Again with Rent...when Drew Lachey took over the role of Mark Cohen for a while, they pushed poor (AND UTTERLY TALENTED!!!) Matt Caplan to the side until Drew's stint was over. Now, I love Broadway, but I am getting kind of tired of television and film stars taking over the roles of Broadway stars who are more than qualified for the job. Unless the stars *began* on Broadway, I'd prefer that they get in line and audition like the rest of us.

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Updated On: 6/15/05 at 02:29 PM

Scary Spice and Drew Lachey are movie stars?

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Unless the stars *began* on Broadway, I'd prefer that they get in line and audition like the rest of us.

Who's to say that Drew Lachey, Mel B, Christina Applegate, Joey McIntyre et al DIDN'T audition like everyone else? Your statement is narrow minded and ill informed.

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I have no problem with a long running show that is trying to extend its run by doing some stunt casting. I would have a problem with Drew or Scary or anyone C list star getting the lead in a Broadway show that hasn't been playing for years.

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It's show BUSINESS. How exactly can it be TOO commercialised?

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"I just don't want to see Broadway roles commercialized"
"Commercialized?!"
*** parade of stunt casting cross the stage ***

....couldn't fight the chorus of Beethoven Day going through my head...

These threads are endlessly amusing.

I wonder if struggling actors in TV get all whiny that the majority of the NY theater scene heads to LA each year and tries to 'take work from established TV veterans' who just LOVE the art of TV.

I think we need some sort of IQ screening for this board and no one who is dumber than the average parrot gets to post.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 03:17 PM

It's sad when theatre-loving people can't just...accept that we all have different opinions and move on.

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Oh, I totally agree with you. But there are certainly less than qualified people getting roles on Broadway. But yes, I do agree with you. There are good people on Broadway. When Joey McIntyre took over the role of Fiyero, I saw him first when he had been playing the role a month. I saw him again in the same roles months later, and it was amazing how much he had grown into the role. To me, that is the marking of a true actor. Actors like him have now devoted their lives to theatre. Hugh Jackman, also, is someone who vasillates between theatre and film and does so with utter skill and agility.

I do agree with you that there are those who can, but there are also those who can't.

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So..I'm guessing someone here is a BIG Matt Caplan fan and is still pouting he was replaced by Drew Lachey?

lol...grizz..you are a standby.....don't talk. at least she is trying to defend what she is saying.

Sorry, Diva. I was trying to straighten out what I thought was a mix-up in terms. Maybe I got it wrong. I'm glad she's posting, and I'm fairly new too, as you point out. I just thought that Joe calling her "dumber than a parrot" was a cheap shot.

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