Shows packed with stars

[Theatrefanboy1]

Shows packed with stars#1

Posted: 8/2/15 at 8:06pm

I was just wondering if anyone can think of shows on broadway that were packed with multiple A-list Hollywood and broadway stars. The first two that come into my mind are The Best Man (james earl jones, angela Lansbury, John larroquette, Eric McCormack, Candice bergan, Kerry butler). And most recently, It's Only A Play (Nathan lane, matthew Broderick, stockard channing, Rupert grint, f Murray Abraham, Megan mullally). Any others that have really cashed in on the Stars to sell the show?

[GreasedLightning]

Shows packed with stars#2

Posted: 8/2/15 at 8:55pm

I think it depends on how one defines "A-list" celebrity. With your provided examples I would also throw in the recent Fish in the Dark or Of Mice and Men to your list. Both potentially tough sells without their name stars above the title.

[mattporter17]

Shows packed with stars#3

Posted: 8/2/15 at 9:04pm

The recent production of It's Only a Play like you mentioned was definitely a big one.

Updated On: 8/2/15 at 09:04 PM

[gleek4114]

Shows packed with stars#4

Posted: 8/2/15 at 9:11pm

Maybe A Delicate Balance? Glenn Close, John Lithgow and Martha Plimpton all have some name recognition. 

[GreasedLightning]

Shows packed with stars#5

Posted: 8/2/15 at 9:18pm

"The recent production of It's Only a Play?"

 As mentioned in the OP's message?

[Patty3]

Shows packed with stars#6

Posted: 8/3/15 at 9:11am

A Steady Rain - Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig

[EthelMae]

Shows packed with stars#7

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:06pm

This goes WAY back but what comes to mind is Rhonda Fleming, Dorothy Loudon, Kim Hunter, Myrna Loy and Alexis Smith in a revival of THE WOMEN in the '70's. Loved it. But the names didn't help this one run very long.

[LarryD2]

Shows packed with stars#8

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:24pm

I don't think any recent production can top Mike Nichols' 2001 production of The Seagull in Central Park: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Marsha Gay Harden, Christopher Walken, John Goodman, Stephen Spinella, Debra Monk.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Shows packed with stars#9

Posted: 6/3/18 at 6:14pm

Well I guess to add to the list would be The Front Page. With Nathan Lane. Sherrie Rene Scott. John Goodman John Slatterly. Jefferson Mays. Holland Taylor and Robert Morse.

And.
The Boys in the Band with Matt Bomer. Zachary Quinta. Jim Parsons. And Andrew Randells.


Honestly, I’m loving these “name” casts.

Hoping for another.

[JBroadway]

Shows packed with stars#10

Posted: 6/3/18 at 6:22pm

Boys in the Band, Front Page, It's Only a Play, and The Best Man do all belong to this very interesting category of production that the OP is referring to. It's the kind of thing there they are actually using the NUMBER of stars as a selling point, not just the stars themselves. I personally wouldn't count something like Fish In The Dark. Yes, you had Rosie Perez and Rita Wilson, but Larry David was very much the center of it all. 

And wow, that Seagull cast is staggering. I've enjoyed many of the productions they've done at SITP for the last few years. They get high quality casts with some notoriety. But I wish we could get the massive stars in the Delacorte again.

[#1Elphie]

Shows packed with stars#11

Posted: 6/3/18 at 7:03pm

Three Days of Rain (2006) had a star-studded cast (Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper). (Unfortunately the production wasn't great.)

[haterobics]

Shows packed with stars#12

Posted: 6/3/18 at 7:10pm

Depending on your perspective, the OBC of Rent now has a lot of A-list and Hollywood names.

[SugarButterFlour86]

Shows packed with stars#13

Posted: 6/4/18 at 7:18pm

The Threepenny Opera with Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper, Ana Gasteyer, Nellie McKay and Jim Dale.

It was an interesting production. I attended a performance when the sound board didn’t work.

I loved “The Best Man”. I’d also say the play, “The Trip To Bountiful”.

[Elegance101]

Shows packed with stars#14

Posted: 6/4/18 at 7:19pm

Hardly, but Meteor Shower had two big comedians and two big Broadway stars.

[@z5]

Shows packed with stars#16

Posted: 6/4/18 at 9:08pm

Memorable ones I've seen are

Front Page, It's Only A Play (although it wasn't a great show), Meteor shower, les Liaisons Dangereuses, Elephant Man, Blackbird, 

[bfreak]

Shows packed with stars#17

Posted: 6/4/18 at 9:15pm

The Price last year was a fairly starry production with Mark Ruffalo, Danny DeVito, and Tony Shalhoub all worthy above the title names.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Shows packed with stars#18

Posted: 6/4/18 at 9:56pm

IT'S ONLY A PLAY was that rare combination of stars where there was someone that appealed to audiences from ages 8 to 88. That original cast could have run for 2 years (though it lost momentum after Nathan Lane/Rupert Grint/Megan Mullally left and never regained it when Lane returned)