Ricky Martin ... how will he do?

So I heard that it's all but signed for Ricky to step into Hugh's shoes when Hugh leaves BFO ...

I have to say, I preferred the rumors about John Travolta being the next "Peter Allen"...

Yes, Ricky will draw crowds, but BROADWAY-loving crowds?

Will he be able to sing the role??

Is it fair that a show that's not very good (IMO) book-wise survives simply on star power? It is good for Broadway that the one show many people will come to see is less than??

I do love Hugh. I do think the other performers in the show are talented. But the book is so weak ... I sort of squirm thinking that this show, and it's "Star" draw may be what people who rarely or never see Broadway think Broadway is ... or is that unfair? I'm debating myself, I guess.

Ricky Martin was in Les Miz for a while, so it's not like he'd be a complete Broadway stunt casting situation.
But I'm not sure how well he'd be as Peter Allen in BFO, especially in the accent department. But he is a better singer than most pop stars.

This rumor fell by the wayside a few weeks ago.

As for a not-so-good show running on star power being fair ... life ain't fair. It's not Jackman's responsibility to do something that more ably carries the torch for all of Broadway. He's a guy trying to make a living and do work he wants to do. Saving Broadway isn't his problem. It's not like putting him into, say, 'Chicago' would necessarily create more Broadway fans. People *just* going to see him are just as likely to not want to see anything else regardless of how much they like seeing him.

Let the fates handle the intangibles. All Jackman can do is entertain his audience. If more shows were doing THAT, we wouldn't have half the problems we do now.

The show might extend beyond Jackman's run, but it won't be with Martin.

As JohnPopa said, Jackman didn't come to Broadway to do the theater world a favor. He came because he loves doing live theater, and he had a chance to be patriotic and do an Australian musical.

If people come to Broadway to see Hugh Jackman, they're getting their money's worth and seeing him in an incarnation that's totally different from anything he's done in movies. Those people weren't going to come to a show based on its book, anyway. And you don't have to look far on this board for people who adore Adam Pascal or Idina Menzel and will go to anything they're in. Theater isn't that different from other mediums in that respect- under the right circumstances, star power can overpower mediocre material.

Gee, my source is one of the producers of the show. But he could be teasing me or lying, I guess. Hmmm.

Er...I think Jackman's contract ends on September 12th. And considering how many movies he's been rumored to be attached to, there's no way he's extending.

I was very tempted to say that, Zola. :)

Defying,
Ricky is still huge ( in many ways) . Clear Channel is offering him a fortune to tour next year.

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I absolutely despise Lord of the Rings. That said, I think it's be better-suited to be an opera than a musical. It's big, loud, and epic like that.