Why Celebrities Shouldn’t Take on Broadway

One of my pet peeves is when a classic musical production decides to do a little stunt casting and ropes in a celebrity. It infuriates me. This is why this week, Simon Morris readers, I want to take the time to rail against celebrity stunt casting.

Don’t get me wrong, it really can work and when it does it’s amazing. Hugh Jackman, for example has taken to the stage numerous times and it works; he’s a genius when it comes to musical theatre. Same with Neil Patrick Harris; he’s born for the stage. Even Nicole Sherzinger’s two day turn as Maureen in Rent is one I liked.

But that’s because these people were trained in musical theatre. They spent years learning their craft and it’s often where they started out their careers. This means that even though they are now famous for other areas of their career, they have the talent and charisma to take on these iconic roles and make them their own.

However there are so many instances of celebrity casting where the celebrity in question does not have the acting ability or the vocal chops to take on the role in question. It’s clear that they’ve been casted purely to draw people in and I believe that this damages the integrity of the production.

Take Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame as an example. Even in that she was terrible and then she was assigned the role of Mimi in the two day production of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl in LA. Complete disaster. She should be ashamed of herself for the performance she gave.

Then there are the timing issues. These celebrities don’t have a lot of time in their calendar. Most musical theatre stars spend months, if not a year or two in the role. This is good because it allows them to settle into the role and make it their own.

However celebrities are known for only staying in these roles a short time. Take Martine McCutcheon, who won the role of Eliza Doolittle. Her performance rate was 48%, it was pathetic. Despite rave reviews it’s clear she couldn’t commit to the role and this left many patrons disappointed.

There are some celebrities who can take on a musical theatre role and make it their own. However there are some that really can’t. These people should never again darken the stages of some of our most beloved productions.