Why is Amy Spanger not a big star?

[It's All Good]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:16am

Seriously that girl has everything. She's an amazing singer, fabulous dancer, and insanely gorgeous. Plus, she practically steals the show in "The Wedding Singer." Why hasn't she found more success?

Updated On: 5/23/06 at 02:16 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:31am

Well, she was in "Tick Tick...Boom!", "Kiss Me Kate", "Sunset Blvd", "Chicago", "Urinetown" and "Feeling Electric", I think she is a Broadway star. I really recommend everyone to go and see this amazing rising star in "The Wedding Singer", she steals the show indeed. Amy gives my favorite featured actress(in a musical) performance on Broadway, and I have seen every musical except "Tarzan" this season.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 7:40am

Well, to me Amy Spanger is a big star. She's my favorite actress on broadway.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 7:58am

Only seen her in Chicago, but she really did wow me! Her acting was ok, but her movements were SO elegant! Also heard her in Tick Tick Boom.... if what ppl say about her being even better than Nancy in Kiss Me Kate, someone should set up a fansite/fangroup somewhere! She's pretty and talented!

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 8:15am

I saw Amy in Feeling Electric (A show I loved so much, it is my name here). Her performance as Diana was both heart-breaking and beautiful. She is fantastic as Holly in The Wedding Singer.Her performance of Saturday Night in the City is worth the price of admission. She is such a sweet individual in person as well. She gave me a big hug when I almost came to tears talking to her about Feeling Electric after I saw The Wedding Singer Thursday night.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 8:55am

She's certainly a terrific performer, but a star? Someone they write shows for? Someone who sells tickets on the power of their name alone? Someone to stand with Merman, Martin, Drake, Preston, Raitt, Channing, Mostel, Peters?

Does anyone have that power and allure anymore?

Does anyone still wear a hat?

[tophertilson]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 9:46am

I love her to death, but there something a little guarded and cold about her. She's great, no doubt, but she doesn't exude a true star personality.

TT

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 9:52am

That may be.... but then again, I just listened to her sing "come to Your Senses" again, and then I remembered how amazing she is, and why she should be a star.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 10:39am

I really like her and was surprised that she was not nominated for her performance in Kiss Me Kate. Her "Always True to You" number brought down the house every time I saw it.

[ComaBaby01]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 10:44am

she is in many shows and sells out completely in all of them, and although i beg to differ myself, it is true that she isn't known for being her and that would be a broadway star. When non-thespians start talking about her then we got ourselves a winner. until then she's a broadway star to me :)

[ilovepaper]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 10:49am

I've never seen her live but she was priceless in Showtime's Reefer Madness...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 10:51am

Sells out in all of them? What?

I love her - very talented woman. She was fantastic in KISS ME, KATE and TICK TICK BOOM. A Broadway star? Well, she is. A star in the sense of just a big, huge star? No. It will never happen. The days of Broadway stars gaining widespread fame are over.

[Stevenyc11101]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 10:59am

I totally agree. She is an amazing performer but she is very distant and cold when you meet her in person. She doesn't have the star quality that most "stars" ooze.

Maybe she doesn't want to be a "star", maybe she just wants to be a working actress who is appreciated in the theatre community....which she is!

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 11:01am

Yes! Amy in Reefer Madness is hysterical!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 12:22pm

She's not big because she's lithe.

If she were big she'd have to diet.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 12:48pm

To paraphrase Rose from "Gypsy", "If she coulda been, she woulda been".

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 1:51pm

Amy is a Broadway star. Most Broadway stars are not known to most people. I mean, none of my friends know who Bernardette Peters is, for example.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:27pm

I am disputing Amy's talent at all.

But "star" denotes something more than a wonderful performer. In movie parlance, it's someone who can "open" a show on their name, ie, drive ticket sales because of who they are. It's also a person productions are created for.

Bernadette's name is certainly a driver in ticket sales. And there certainly wouldn't have been a GYPSY revival (at that time and place) if Bernadette weren't attached.

Bernadette is a Star. So is Harvey. Lupone. Some other Stars are "imported" from other media (Julia Roberts). But as wonderful, talented and extraordinary as other performers it take that "little something extra" that makes a star.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:31pm

Well, Gypsy was a big flop, if im not mistaken?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:37pm

Beacuse she's not good enough. Listen to her pronunciation of the word "can't" in the song Why Can't You Behave from the KISS ME KATE revival.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:47pm

Spanger is not a star. She's never opened in starring role on Broadway. She's never carried a show. How could someone be considered a star while not having starred in a show?
She is talented. So are alot of other folks.

[whimsical]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 2:48pm

You're using her pronunciation of a WORD as an example why she's not good enough?

Isn't that a bit odd? Or are you joking?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 3:41pm

Whether or not GYPSY returned its investment is not my point. The production would never have happened without a star attached (Peters).

The revival of ODD COUPLE would never have happened without Lane and Broderick (the hot star couple).

Again, my comments on the subject don't reflect on someone's TALENT, just whether or not they are a "star."

[It's All Good]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 5:55pm

I am surprised to hear that some people think she is broadway star. I would have thought that honor was reserved for people like" Bernadette, Idina, Sutton, Harvey, Kristin, Donna et al.

I also think that the fact that she's gorgeous would have made her a great candidate for cross-over success. Hmm.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/23/06 at 6:01pm

She's not a "star" but I see what he means. It's like, if I saw her on the street, I'd freak out and be so excited, but nobody else would. Kind of like when I saw Sutton in Times Square and was like freaking out and being really shy and was like "hi..." and my parents were like "what the hell? Why are you acting like that" - I guess they're famous to me.

And not to dispute Patti's star talent, but she doens't seem to be driving ticket sales all that great for Sweeney.