Celebrities on Broadway -- does it promise a hit?
(Agencies)
2009-07-18 10:53
 |
Large Medium Small |
|
 Cast member Hugh Jackman poses at an industry screening of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California April 28, 2009. [Agencies] |
NEW YORK - A slew of Hollywood stars led by Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig will open the new season of Broadway, as producers test whether star power will keep the Great White Way sparkling in tough times.
Jackman and Craig are teaming up for "A Steady Rain," Jude Law will appear in "Hamlet" and Sienna Miller will make her Broadway debut in "After Miss Julie," all opening in the Fall.
Last season's celebrities to take to the Great White Way included James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush, Katie Holmes and Will Ferrell.
Stars boost sales, no small matter in the risky business of Broadway, said John Breglio, who is producing the musical "Dreamgirls," which is set to open in November.
"It is absolutely essential now to have a major star, a major star, to put on a play. And unless you have that, it's very hard," he told Reuters. "You know with stars in it you are guaranteed to at least get your money back."
He described as "stupendous" the pairing of Jackman, known for the "X-Men" films and winner of a Tony in 2004 for his role in the musical "The Boy From Oz," and Craig, star of the latest "James Bond" films and a performer on the London stage.
"Just the two of them will sell out every ticket. That is a huge coup," Breglio said.
But he is producing "Dreamgirls" with a cast of relative unknowns and said he believes musicals, more than plays, can still be financially successful without a celebrity.
The past two Tony Award-winning musicals and box office hits "In the Heights" and "Billy Elliot The Musical" did not feature Hollywood stars.
SUCCESS NOT GUARANTEED
Celebrity "doesn't guarantee a financial success or a critical hit, but it guarantees attention," said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League.
But she warned that Broadway is "not cookie-cutter."
"Having a great playwright and a great cast and a previously successful show doesn't guarantee success on Broadway," she said.
In 2006 Julia Roberts made her Broadway debut in "Three Days of Rain" and, while the show was a box office hit, her performance was panned by critics. Jennifer Garner's debut in 2007's "Cyrano de Bergerac" received mixed reviews but the show recouped its investment, a rare occurrence on Broadway.
"A Steady Rain" producer Fred Zollo, a theater veteran, said celebrity came second when it came to casting Jackman and Craig for the new play by Keith Huff.