When did Broadway become a vehical for celebrities?

I've been thinking about this for a while now and Joey Fatone going into Little Shop just made it worse. When did Broadway become all about celebrities rather than the shows themselves?

Joey Fatone..........Little Shop
Mel B..........Rent
The rotating Aida's
Antonio Banderas.....Nine
Hugh Jackman.......Boy from Oz
P. Diddy....Raisin in the Sun
.........to name a few

These famous people come in to sell tickets and overshadow the real, hardworking actors who struggle to pay the rent each month. Any thoughts?

And then there's all the stuggling actors/actresses who work their butts off and have the talent but not the "status," and are rejected to make room for the celebs...

Yeah I have plenty of thoughts: This topic has been beat to death. "Stunt Casting" is hardly new, anyone who thinks it is must think the world came into existence in the past four years. Pointing out Banderas and Jackman, both who didn't miss shows and who worked their tails off, prove that you don't really even have a point, other than the typically inane and insecure fear of 'names' keeping Broadway from discovering 'new stars.'

You earn a reputation in the business for drawing money and/or working hard. Why ever cast someone more than once, then, if all producers are supposed to do is 'make new stars.' Don't cast Raul Esparza then because I'm almost certain other people have auditioned for his roles. Susan Egan? Sutton or Hunter Foster? Idina Menzel? Adam Pascal? Sorry, you got your one break, time for other people to earn a living, you're done. The first person to say 'well those people LOVE theater' should go back to Wonderland and bring back Alice while you're at it.

Not everyone gets a break, less talented people make lots of money and puppies get run over by cars. Life stinks. Wear a helmet.

There isn't even a point to this topic anymore.

Updated On: 5/13/04 at 08:02 PM

VoiceAnth, I knew I could count on you for something uplifting while I recuperate!

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Dollypop? Recuperate? Finally had that sex-reassignment surgery did you?

While I am not a huge fan of this business, just because someone is famous, it doesn't mean they are not talented. How did they get famous in the first place?? Sure, I know it's not all talent, but some of it has to be... right?

Hugh Jackman's good!

I really don't think that it is fair for critizing stars or Broadway for "making room" for celebrities.

If they have already made it in a certain area (music, film, TV) then I feel that they deserve the power to do whatever they want. It is a free country.

As long as they do a good job in the show (like, IMHO, Fatone, Banderas, Cox, and Jackman) I have no problem with it. If they don't... (Melanie Griffith).

It all began with Lucille Ball in Wildcat. Not long after that David Bowie went into The Elephant Man. And then Luke Skywalker followed the Man Who Fell to Earth in that role. Then of course there was Jerry Stiller from Seinfeld in The Golden Apple.

Would the revival of The Ritz have even played its one performance at Xenon were it not for Casey Donavan and Holly Woodlawn? Doubtful.

All of a sudden the mother from "Life Goes On" on ABC is a replacement Maria Callas in Master Class, just to have a big TV star dragging in her fans.

So in conclusion, blame Lucy.

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I am pretty sure Lucy is the big one - the biggest TV star of her time goes into a Broadway musical, almost on a lark, even though she could not sing or dance - and sells an avalanche of tickets on her TV celebrity alone.
Other Hollywood stars tread the boards (usually when they were either washed-up in Tinselown and/or hoping to get re/discovered by it), but they usually had a modicum of stage experience (either legit or in vaudeville) or could sing or dance.

Bette Davis is another instance (TWOS COMPANY) but was she before or after WILDCAT?

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"the biggest TV star of her time goes into a Broadway musical, almost on a lark, even though she could not sing or dance"

Master, she started as a chorus girl, dancing was her strong point. So... I'm pretty sure she could dance.

Why shouldn't Broadway become a vehical for celebrities? I think this has been summed up in other posts, but brdwaybaby17 sums it up well enough; you have to have talent to get famous, unless you're a billionaire heiress and ..accidentily.. film yourself having sex.

"These famous people come in to sell tickets and overshadow the real, hardworking actors who struggle to pay the rent each month." I say this everytime, but do you actually think that the theatre industry is a secure, profitable business? No! Get real - if the actor loses out to a big star, do you think that the producer doesn't lose out when he puts an unknown in the lead?! Just because the performer is the one in the spotlight it doesn't mean that no-one else gets a look in. Without people like Hugh Jackman, Antonio Banderas, etc, then you've got hundreds of other people struggling to pay the bills.. right down to the ushers.

Hasn't Broadway always been a vehicle for celebrities? Aren't MAME, DOLLY, FIDDLER, SWEET CHARITY, MAN OF LA MANCHA, GYPSY, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and most of the "classic" musicals shows that featured a celebrity as their original star? Stars have always been used to sell a musical. The difference is that when these shows were first done, Channing, Merman, Martin, etc. could be household names just from doing Broadway shows and some TV guest spots. Now to get the same effect, you have to put in a TV series name or fading film star. Didn't Lansbury become a bigger star after MAME (or arguably after SWEENEY in MURDER SHE WROTE)?

Banderas and Jackman should not be lumped together with the Hasselhoffs and Linda Blairs.