If musical theater were Hollywood...

[new2broadway02]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 4:01pm

Since I'm not very knowledgeable about the stars of theater, I wanted to know who are the A-listers, B-listers, etc. And more specifically, where Lea Salonga fits into this group because she's the reason I've started to be interested in theater. I don't know if I can give a good example of what I want. So something like this:

If musical theater were Hollywood, (theater performer) would be (Hollywood star).

If musical theater were Hollywood, Julie Andrews would be Audrey Hepburn. Or if it's just using current actresses, Meryl Streep ? I don't know). Hope you get the idea.

Updated On: 9/16/09 at 04:01 PM

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:39pm

Uhh well there's those in Hollywood they are actually talented (Meryl Streep etc) and then those that are "popular" and always on the tab covers, but not necessarily very talented... kinda depends which part of Hollywood you mean, just movies?

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:41pm

If you really like Lea Salonga, that's wonderful. If you like theatre, that's also wonderful.

Why does it matter where she "ranks?"

You like her! Isn't that what counts?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:50pm

THE A, B, C, D lists in hollywood have more to do with celebrity, not talent. Since only a handful of Broadway regulars are known to most of America you can't apply said list to them.

Though if Broadway die hards were making an A list, Salonga would probably be B.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 9:09pm

If musical theater were Hollywood, Julie Andrews would be Audrey Hepburn.

Dead?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 9:12pm

Julie Andrews would be, you know, Julie Andrews

She IS a successful Hollywood actress too.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:20pm

A list stars are generally those who are experienced and currently on Broadway, or considered very attractive, or originated a fairly recent huge smash hit.

Lea Salonga is a huge star among certain small groups, specifically Filipinos, and she's very popular in smaller fandoms, like Les Miserables. Currently, most teeny bopper Broadway fans are all over the young, attractive talent in more rock/pop based musicals, and the older Broadway fans are into older standards like Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Bernadette Peters.

[kristinchenofan570]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 2:28pm

^
Umm, thats not exactly ture...I know plently of teenagers that are into theater that are into pepple like Patti and Bernadette and classic shows like South Pacific, Phantom and those types of shows...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 2:35pm

Tis why schmerg said MOST not ALL.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 2:39pm

BobbyBubby would be Kanye West.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 4:01pm

Kristin, don't worry, I'm only seventeen myself! It's the equivalent of saying, 'most teenage girls are into Twilight.' You can say, 'Hey, that's insulting, I'm a teenager, but I like to read ancient Greek philosophy,' but I was just making a generalization. Most people who recently got into musical theatre did so through recent musicals, and most recent musicals are more pop/rock styled.

[new2broadway02]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:05pm

Sparklesss,

Yeah, I was just thinking movies.

I wanted people to have fun with this. Maybe I'll try another to get the ball rolling. Hopefully it's better than my 1st attempt.

Kristin Chenoweth would be Reese Witherspoon. Both are short, cute, and popular.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:07pm

^ Don't forget that some of their most famous roles involve being blonde and covered in pink.

(Also, "popular"... I can't tell if that's a clever reference or a coincidence, LOL.)

[new2broadway02]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:08pm

best12bars,

I was just curious to know whether she was well known and recognized for the talent I see. I knew she probably wasn't in the A-list. Yeah, it really shouldn't matter.

[new2broadway02]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:11pm

HollyGolightly2,

Both. I haven't watched Wicked, but I've heard the song Popular. I really wanted to use a different word, so it wasn't like I was trying to be clever, but I couldn't think of a better one. Famed? Prominent? Distinguished?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:37pm

Kristin Chenoweth would be Reese Witherspoon. Both are short, cute, and popular.

Again, Kristin Chenoweth would be Kristin Chenoweth.

[brochatkid]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:44pm

I put Lea Salonga in my A-list; however, I am of the generation that grew up with Miss Saigon and was obsessed with it from the time I was 15. To most younger people, she probably is considered a "classic" star but not someone they are really into like the newer stars in more hip kinds of musicals. I think many people in their mid-30s like Lea,though, and rank her high.

[candydog2]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 6:53pm

I think a lot of you are misinterpreting the idea behind this thread.

Take Sutton Foster for example, she's considered one of the most talented young women on Broadway in recent years, and has a Broadway-based fan following.

The hollywood equivalent would be a movie actress who is talented and young and currently building up a big name for herself, or having a career that mirrors Foster's significantly but instead of shows, they star in films instead.

I'm not going to try to come up with names here but I'm sure someone else could finish off and find Sutton's "hollywood match".

[new2broadway02]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 8:52pm

Yes, exactly. I've never been great at explaining things. My point was to get to know who the big stars are in theater with a perspective that I'm familiar with - Hollywood.

My explanation for Kristin Chenoweth = Reese Witherspoon was too simplistic. I assume Kristin Chenoweth to be widely popular just like Reese Witherspoon, who is one of the highest paid actresses ever. The Hollywood Kristen Chenoweth actually isn't very famous if you don't know Broadway. Before last year I honestly didn't know who Kristen was. So "Kristen Chenoweth would be Kristen Chenoweth" doesn't work.


Updated On: 9/17/09 at 08:52 PM