Why do performers of today have no STAR quality? — Page 3

As one person had previously asked:

It's hard to define it but you just know if it's there. When a performer enters the scene and just captivates you and has this huge aura of charisma about them, you just KNOW that they have this quality in them that can't be duplicated by another person. You can't define it, but you know it when you see it.

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ok...lemme see if i've got this straight. let's review our "technical definitions"

star: a person of at least national fame, whom is reknown in a particular field regardless (admit it-there's britney) of talent, but who does belong to a certain category (i.e. actor, singer, etc), in contrast to a celebrity, who is simply a famous person. examples: britney spears, julia roberts, robert deniro, michael jordan (?) etc.

legend: people who have become legendary or mythical, whether for a specific talent or for simply having lived an extraordinary life. examples, ethel merman, marylin monroe, annie oakley, etc.

star quality (according to me): a "special something", like an angel over the shoulder (direct spanish translation, sorry) that allows for a specific performer, entertainer, athlete, etc. to stand out from the crowd. sometimes attached to talent, but not always. someone who is instantly adored by a general portion of the audience in whatever medium they participate, and who radiates a certain energy and charisma. someone who has PERSONALITY and is UNIQUE. think b peters, carol burnett (in my opinion), hugh jackman, bianca marroquin (according to me), and the girl i saw who played tracy in hairspray - OMG that girl just GLOWED! again, unconnected to talent, its more about YOU, really.


please let me know if i have misunderstood.

as for cookie cutter performers - it sure as hell makes me feel better about not getting into any of the 3 performing arts programs i auditioned for.

as for cookie cutter parts, im from the school of thought that it took a LOT more guts to be an artist on broadway in the last century than it does today. now u can actually get training for it, before that? zilch. you could end up living on the streets. so now they have a lot more talent to pick from, and they dont need to choose that one person out of so many who risked that life and actually turned out to be pretty to look at AND happened to have some talent.

could it be that the fact that shows don't last long is a sign of the times? everyhting is a lot faster paced in 2005...maybe a sign of globalization. also notice how movies have the ability of getting shorter, nobody reads books, nobody writes letters, etc.

plus, we can't say people today are crap stars or musicals today are not the way they used to be. why? cause we don't really know. especially during the golden age, there must have been a dozen terrible musicals for every good one. we're just expecting every single one to be good, and that's impossible. same as there's only 1 real starquality MT performer for every gazillion "bad" ones, or bland ones, or whatever u want to call it. it's the bad shows that let the good shows be appreciated, and let them get revived and become classics and etc.

we won't know great art from crap art until we see wicked or avenue q or WHATEVER show be revived a gazillion times, and then we'll say, damn, they don't make musicals like those anymore...it's a cycle.

that's my two cents. sorry it took so long

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Personally, I think the media has become extremely intrusive (in the name of Freedom Of The Press) and there is no mystique left regarding personalities (of theater, movies, television, etc.) I think that contributed quite a bit to what is considered star quality.

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When I think of who would be considered a "star" on Broadway (and by "star" I mean names that the average person would recognize) I think of Glenn Close (after she held together the ticket sales for Sunset Blvd) Micheal Crawford, Angela Lansbury, Patti Lupone, Nathan Lane, Hugh Jackman, and Matthew Broderick among a few others. But I have to admitt... I can't recall very many names with recognized "star" quality.

it's an odd thing to describe but i know it when i see it. it's like love or some sort or radiance that the performer emits that scratches your psychic itch and you crave them. i think their needs and dreams must all be bigger than life somehow. also, i think breathing plays a part --performers who are not holding their breath.
re: maureen mcg-- i think she is a singers singer, admired tremendously by other artists but not as famous as she should be. she is a bit touched with frost for me, but her voice is a singular instrument.

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I think my response to this will be fairly predictable, considering those that I so obviously favor. At the risk of that, though, I don't think ever saw a true star until I saw Raúl Esparza. Sure, I saw people with tons of talent, and who are great at what they do - but whatever "it" is, he's got it, and he's got it to spare. Whatever this quality is is so hard to pinpoint, but there's something about his magnetism and radiance that can draw so many people in to him, seemingly with so little effort. He's got natural charisma, but visible drive and work ethic, too. I remain convinced that he's one of the best actors in New York, and of his generation. And that he can do absolutely anything - an actor who constantly reinvents himself. Even hopping onto his bandwagon relatively late in the game, it's going to be quite a journey to watch his star rise; he's got what it takes, and he's going to be a legend.

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Updated On: 8/25/05 at 08:13 PM

Well, one mistake isn't going to kill a career like that. And while it's not the best thing he's ever done, maybe it'll do more to get his name out there into a bit more of a mainstream - and he IS showing off his versatility. What you see in Chitty is a side of his talent that's not much used.

And it's a bit unfair to say that he swapped Tick, Tick... BOOM! for Chitty. That was nearly four years ago.

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Yeah, it will. I'm extremely curious to see what he does next - but it'll be a bit of a wait, as he's signed to pilot the car for a year.

There is something to be said for his getting in touch with his inner song-and-dance man.

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No, of course not yet. Besides, he's young, yet. It'll happen.

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