There is no way Shannon is an A List actor. The general public do not flock to films simply because his name is on the poster. He is an 'actors actor' and while white heterosexual men idolise him, that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play that most of them would only know because there was an average movie made of it with Al Pacino. Add Audra's name into the mix and you've got the members of his fanbase scratching their heads and saying 'why the hell is he doing a musical of a crap film from 20 years ago'.
The current Golden Age of Television is giving fantastic booms to the careers of highly talented character actors and actresses. Michael Shannon is absolutely a Peak TV star, but I'm not sure that translates to "A-list star of big and small screen and the stage too."
Television (especially streaming/premium) may be the artistically/creatively dominant art form right now, but I wonder if it's capable of producing a superstar or not, simply because your access to it depends not only on your interest but on your subscription package. Game of Thrones gave us Emilia Clark and Peter Dinklage as its breakout stars, but is Clarke (who never headlines a project) an A-lister? And is Dinklage? Bryan Cranston has become a huge Broadway star, it's true, but he may be a fluke. Could you put (other basic-cable, no-subscription superstars like) Jon Hamm or Jim Parsons in a play with no other bankable names and have it be a smash?
Impossible2 said: " while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show.
HogansHero said: "Impossible2 said: "while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show."
HogansHero said: "Impossible2 said: "while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show."
lolwut?
So you insult me over a typo and then make the exact same point I was making like you're some kind of genius?
DAME said: "HogansHero said: "Impossible2 said: "while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show."
Impossible2 said: "DAME said: "HogansHero said: "Impossible2 said: "while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show."
DAME said: "Impossible2 said: "DAME said: "HogansHero said: "Impossible2 said: "while white heterosexual men idolise him,that demographic is hardly going to rush to see him in a Broadway play "
Two points:
1. I am a white homosexual male and I idolise him (or more accurately, idolize him). Generalizations are only good when you actually know what you are talking about and otherwise undercut everything else you say.
2. Sorry to break the news to you but hetero men do not drive the ticket sales for any show."
darquegk said: "The current Golden Age of Television is giving fantastic booms to the careers of highly talented character actors and actresses. Michael Shannon is absolutely a Peak TV star, but I'm not sure that translates to "A-list star of big and small screen and the stage too."
Television (especially streaming/premium) may be the artistically/creatively dominant art form right now, but I wonder if it's capable of producing a superstar or not, simply because your access to it depends not only on your interest but on your subscription package. Game of Thrones gave us Emilia Clark and Peter Dinklage as its breakout stars, but is Clarke (who never headlines a project) an A-lister? And is Dinklage? Bryan Cranston has become a huge Broadway star, it's true, but he may be a fluke. Could you put (other basic-cable, no-subscription superstars like) Jon Hamm or Jim Parsons in a play with no other bankable names and have it be a smash?"
To answer your question, yes, right now any of those people would probably be bigger box office draws than Michael Shannon, based on name recognition alone. I mean, the material and their performances would have to be decent enough to sustain it or it goes the way that something like Burn This with Adam Driver/Keri Russell, both fairly recognizable names.
But you can be absolutely sure that Equus with Daniel Radcliffe was a huge draw before he he had ever set foot on a stage. That's just the way it goes.
