#1
Posted: 7/23/06 at 1:37am
And if you know their real names, can you tell them? I'm just curious (I'm watching the "A Chorus Line" film and I started wondering this question.)
How Many Broadway Actors Have Stage Names?
#2
Posted: 7/23/06 at 1:46am
correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Michael Arden's real name is Michael Moore. I know he picked Arden b/c he loves "As You Like It" and he also composed the score for a production they did at Julliard and his solo in it is a BEAUTIFUL song. Anyways I know that he couldn't keep Moore b/c someone in Equity already has it.
RIP Natasha Richardson. ~You were a light on this earth ~
#3
Posted: 7/23/06 at 1:47am
I know Nathan Lane's real name is Joseph Lane.
#5
Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:18am
Interesting. Michael Arden seemed so simple to be a stage name, but I guess that's the beauty of it.
#6
Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:28am
Maya Days' real name is Laura Dias (which she used to go by).
#7
Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:34am
I hate to admit that I know this, but Idina Menzel changed the spelling of her last name from "Mentzel". Hardly groundbreaking, but a change nonetheless.
#8
Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:39am
Jane Krakowski was born Jane Krajkowski but dropped the "j."
Bernadette Peters' real name is Bernadette Lazarro and Chita Rivera's real name is Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero which she had to change for it to fit in the marquee I believe.
Bernadette Peters' real name is Bernadette Lazarro and Chita Rivera's real name is Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero which she had to change for it to fit in the marquee I believe.
#10
Posted: 7/23/06 at 3:27am
Charlayne Vivika is a stage name, though my real name has the same initials.
#11
Posted: 7/23/06 at 3:31am
Bernadette Peters real name is Bernadette Lazzara. She changed it so that it would fit on the marquee and so that she woulnd't get type cast in Italian roles.
#12
Posted: 7/23/06 at 7:10am
BEBE NEUWIRTH uses her nickname as her first name. Her real name is Beatrice.
According to one source, MICHAEL CRAWFORD's name is actually Michael Dumble-Smith.
According to one source, MICHAEL CRAWFORD's name is actually Michael Dumble-Smith.
Updated On: 7/23/06 at 07:10 AM
#13
Posted: 7/23/06 at 7:11am
Nathan Lane changed his name while he was in Guys and Dolls playing Nathan Detroit.
#14
Posted: 7/23/06 at 8:31am
To clarify - he changed it when he was much younger and doing GUYS AND DOLLS at a small summer stock theatre. He had to change his name because there was already another actor named Joseph Lane in Equity.
#15
Posted: 7/23/06 at 12:27pm
I would never have guessed so many people changed their name. I guess it isn't that "weird" of a thing.
#16
Posted: 7/23/06 at 12:42pm
This wasn't mentioned on either threads...
Sigourney Weaver's real name is Susan Weaver. I like Sigourney alot better though! Its so unique!
Sigourney Weaver's real name is Susan Weaver. I like Sigourney alot better though! Its so unique!
Happy...Everything!
Kaye Thompson
#17
Posted: 7/23/06 at 3:41pm
Kristin Chenoweth's real name is Kristi Dawn Chenoweth, no?
#18
Posted: 7/23/06 at 4:10pm
Yes, the story is she added the "N" because originally she was planning on going into opera, and "Kristi" is not really a good name for an opera singer.
#19
Posted: 7/23/06 at 11:50pm
Ha, wow. Seems most of the people change their names. This may be a dumb question, but if you have a stage name, do you then change everything into that name? Like, would your check come to you as "Kristi" or "Kristen"?
#20
Posted: 7/23/06 at 11:53pm
*Kristin
Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless you legally change it, all your personal bills, etc will be written with your real name. I don't think actors legally change them, they just use them as their stage names. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless you legally change it, all your personal bills, etc will be written with your real name. I don't think actors legally change them, they just use them as their stage names. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
"I have this mental image of Patti barreling down the street and pushing tourists out of her way." -colleen_lee
#21
Posted: 7/23/06 at 11:55pm
That just seems like it would get confusing. Though, I can't imagine LaChanze's bills come to her with that single name.
#22
Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:09am
Ethel Merman's real name was Ethel Zimmerman but, to allow it to fit on the marque, she dropped the "Zim" and her new last name became "Merman".
#23
Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:06am
Yero--
I'm sure it varies. Some will use their stage name only for show business purposes, but others will have it changed legally as well. I imagine most would probably find it easier to just change EVERYTHING once they've made a name for themselves (no pun intended), unless they had a particularly sentimental attachment to their old name. However, because it is such an enormous pain in the a** to have your name changed legally (I know from experience), I think many actors would probably wait until enough people actually KNEW them by their stage name before legally changing it. In other words, I'm sure there's a lot of actors who use stage names but end up dropping out of show business by the time they're 30 (you know, like most actors) and frankly weren't ever successful enough for it to be worth the trouble.
"I'm not cynical, I'm honest." --Rebecca Gilman
I'm sure it varies. Some will use their stage name only for show business purposes, but others will have it changed legally as well. I imagine most would probably find it easier to just change EVERYTHING once they've made a name for themselves (no pun intended), unless they had a particularly sentimental attachment to their old name. However, because it is such an enormous pain in the a** to have your name changed legally (I know from experience), I think many actors would probably wait until enough people actually KNEW them by their stage name before legally changing it. In other words, I'm sure there's a lot of actors who use stage names but end up dropping out of show business by the time they're 30 (you know, like most actors) and frankly weren't ever successful enough for it to be worth the trouble.
"I'm not cynical, I'm honest." --Rebecca Gilman
#24
Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:07am
I think zimmer would be a much cooler name, lol. or ZIM! yeah...
#25
Posted: 7/24/06 at 3:08am
Tyne Daly's real name is Ellen Tyne Daly.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
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