Katie Holmes, Will Ferrell, Daniel Radcliffe, Jude Law… all names you would expect to see staring in the next Hollywood Blockbuster, not in lights on a Broadway marquee. But surprisingly enough, Hollywood’s big names are showing up into New York’s Great White Way.
What is the cause of this trend? Sales! Much like every other industry during this prolonged economic disaster, Broadway has experienced a flop in ticket sales.
"Broadway’s use of Hollywood stars has to do with, like everything, money," says producer Laurie Issembert. "Due to the fewer films in Hollywood, Broadway is opening up a new venue, which ultimately draws appeal to Broadway in order to see a film or TV star."
It is indeed thanks to these A-list celebrities that Broadway has seen such a turn-around, including one of the best fall seasons in recent years when it brought in $22.1 million in gross sales during the week of October 12-18 alone. Jude Law, who playedHamlet, raked in $904,914 in that week.
The New York Times acknowledged this star factor as well, stating in a recent article that "overall box office receipts demonstrate that while other parts of the entertainment industry have struggled during the recession, Broadway continues to be an attractive destination for tourists and residents of the New York area, partly thanks to major celebrities’ headlining shows."
While some stars like Mario Lopez, "A Chorus Line," are able to tackle the Broadway musical, most Hollywood celebs are finding plays that best suit their talents.
"Singing eight shows a week is very difficult, and many Hollywood stars simply don’t have the training or the chops," says Issembert.
This, however, has not hurt sales as dramas have taken over as the biggest draws. In the week of November 15, "Hamlet" sold 9,392 seats, while the current revival of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie" only sold 8,208. In the week of March 15, straight play "God of Carnage," at the time starring "The Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, sold more than 1,000 seats than 2004 Tony Award-winning Best Musical "Avenue Q."
"It is, of course, star power that is the driver of the lead attractions," says theater critic Mark Shenton in a "The Stage" article. "In fact, the Daniel Craig/Hugh Jackman entry ["A Steady Rain"]- which [in a week grossed] better even than ‘Jersey Boys’ is doing such boffo business that it has even elected to fall below the radar entirely, and doesn’t even run a daily classified ‘ABC’ ad in the New York Times daily theatre listings."
Even the New York Times questions whether or not new musicals "Ragtime," "Finian’s Rainbow," "Fela!," or "Memphis" can "prosper financially without the big-name stars who are having such an impact on Broadway’s bottom line this fall."
"A Steady Rain," "Hamlet," and "God of Carnage" have been a sigh of relief to Broadway and those in the New York theater industry. It has been a comfort to know that "most Broadway theaters have productions on or booked, belying the fears of some producers and theater owners last winter and spring that investors might not finance shows because of the recession," reports the New York Times.
"If only all shows were doing so well," comments Phillip J. Smith, chairman of the Shubert Organization, which owns the three theaters on which these plays are showing.
The three star-studded plays have been doing great business for Broadway even in such a tragic economic scene. Thankfully it is the import of Hollywood stars that seems to be keeping Broadway up on its feet. For even in a recession, the show must go on.