The box office effects of casting celebrities as replacement actors on Broadway

186 Pages·2014·2.52 MB·English

by  Douglas Santana

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Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research
2009
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Douglas Santana
San Jose State University
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Santana, Douglas, "The box office effects of casting celebrities as replacement actors on Broadway"
(2009). Master's Theses. 3669.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.ae9w-b6mw
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3669
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THE BOX OFFICE EFFECTS OF CASTING CELEBRITIES
AS REPLACEMENT ACTORS ON BROADWAY
A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Television, Radio, Film, Theatre
San Jose State University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Douglas Santana
May 2009
UMI Number: 1470981
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SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Undersigned Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled
THE BOX OFFICE EFFECTS OF CASTING CELEBRITIES
AS REPLACEMENT ACTORS ON BROADWAY
by
Douglas Santana
APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TELEVISION, RADIO, FILM,
THEATRE
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Dr. David Kahn, Department of Television, Radio, Film, Theatre Date
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Dr. Ethel Walker, Department of Television, Radio, Film, Theatre Date
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Professor Buddy Butler, Department of Television, Radio, Film, Theatre Date
APPROVED FOR THE UNIVERSITY
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Associate Dean Office of Graduate Studies and Research Date
ABSTRACT
THE BOX OFFICE EFFECTS OF CASTING CELEBRITIES
AS REPLACEMENT ACTORS ON BROADWAY
by Douglas Santana
This thesis addresses the commercialization of Broadway theater through
the casting of celebrities from another medium. The celebrities are brought in as
replacement actors for trained theatrical performers with the intention of
extending a production's longevity. Twelve Broadway musicals that have opened
since 1994 are examined through a series of case studies to determine the
effectiveness of this casting technique through analysis of box office gross
proceeds, theater capacity, and overall ranking of theater capacity compared to
weekly competition. Case studies include Grease, Beauty and the Beast,
Smokey Joe's Cafe, Rent, Chicago, Jekyll and Hyde, Cabaret, Annie Get Your
Gun, Aida, Hairspray, Monty Python's Spamalot, and The Color Purple. The
research explains the financial success of this trend and the potential benefits for
producers, actors, and theater professionals.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction 1
II. "Grease Is the Word" For Celebrity on Broadway 18
III. Beauty and the Beast 29
IV. Smokey Joe's Cafe 38
V. Rent 50
VI. Chicago 60
VII. Jekyll and Hyde 84
VIII. Cabaret 92
IX. Annie Get Your Gun 105
X.Aida 112
XI. Hairspray 120
XII. Monty Python's Spamalot 136
XIII. The Color Purple 144
XIV. Conclusion: Legally Blonde Taps Into Reality 150
Works Cited 162
v
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Beauty and the Beast (July 20, 1997-July 12, 1998) 36
2. Beauty and the Beast (July 19, 1998-July 11, 1999) 37
3 Smokey Joe's Cafe (Aug. 23, 1998-Aug. 15, 1999) 48
4. Smokey Joe's Cafe (Aug. 22, 1999-Jan. 16, 2000) 49
5. Rent (Jan. 6-Dec. 29, 2002) 56
6. Renf (Apr. 4, 2004-Mar. 27, 2005) 57
7. Rent (Jan. 7-Dec. 30, 2007) 58
8. Rent (Jan. 6-Sept. 6, 2008) 59
9. C/7/cago (July 19-Dec. 27, 1998) 79
10. Chicago (May 20, 2001 -Mar. 3,2002) 80
11. Chicago (Mar. 5-Dec. 28, 2003) 81
12. Chicago (Aug. 7, 2005-Oct. 22, 2006) 82
13. Chicago (Oct. 29, 2006-Dec. 30, 2007) 83
14. Jekyll and Hyde (Jan. 16, 2000-Jan. 7, 2001) 91
15. Cabaret (Jan. 13, 2002-Jan. 5, 2003) 103
16. Cabaref (Jan. 12, 2003-Jan. 4, 2004) 104
17. Annie Get Your Gun (Jan. 23, 2000-Jan. 14,2001) 110
18. Annie Get Your Gun (Jan. 21-Sept. 2, 2001) 111
19. Aida (Jan. 5-Dec. 28, 2003) 118
20. Aida (Jan. 4-Sept. 5,2004) 119
vi
21. Hairspray (Jan. 8-Dec. 31, 2006) 133
22. Hairspray (Jan. 7-Dec. 30, 2007) 134
23. Hairspray (Jan. 6, 2008-Jan. 4, 2009) 135
24. Monty Python's Spamalot (Jan. 6, 2008-Jan. 11,2009) 143
25. The Color Purple (Jan. 7, 2007-Feb. 24, 2008) 149
vn
1
Chapter I
Introduction
The presence of celebrities from outside the theater community has been
a part of Broadway's history for decades. In June 1980, musician David Bowie
performed the title role of John Merrick on Broadway in The Elephant Man with
impressive box office results. Importing Bowie into an established Broadway
show that had been running for over a year, replacing a theatrically trained, Tony
Award winner and original cast member Phillip Anglim was something that had
not been seen before. Although Bowie had no theatre experience, producers
took the chance that he could pull off the physically demanding role of Merrick
while giving The Elephant Man a needed boost at the box office. Their gamble,
according to the New York Times, paid off financially. "The play has been selling
out ever since Mr. Bowie's glittering name went up on the marquee" (Lawson
C2). Bowie's six month run proved to be the foundation for a celebrity-casting
trend that would be used again in the world of musical theatre in 1981 by Joseph
Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival on the Broadway transfer of The
Pirates of Penzance. A wide list of celebrities who made their names in other
entertainment media appeared in this production. These included vocalists
Maureen McGovern and Peter Noone, film actor Treat Williams, and television
star Pam Dawber. In 1983, The Partridge Family television star David Cassidy
took over the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for 26 weeks from March 7, 1983, to September