There was an interesting article in the New York Times Arts section about the appeal of Broadway plays. Lately I’ve noticed a lot of celebrities starring in Broadway shows, which I thought was a good thing because it helps theater appeal to a wider audience. If your favorite movie star was starring in a Broadway show, wouldn’t you want to go see them.
This article, however, talks about the destructive effects stars have on the longevity of these plays. Once a celebrity finishes their run on a successful Broadway play, they are usually replaced with lesser-known actors, and subsequently, ticket sales dive. I don’t think this is very fair, as the actors who replace these stars are just as good (and in some cases better). Nevertheless, this has happened on many different occasions, and it is known as the “Producers” syndrome, which is named after (you guessed it) The Producers. The original show starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and was a hit. But as soon as they left the show, ticket sales dipped by ten percent, and then continued to drop even more over time.
Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in "The Producers"
Producers of Broadway shows are already trying to figure out how to avoid this problem. Producers for “The Addam’s Family,” are focusing their advertising on the Addam’s Family brand, instead of the actors in it, so that when the actors are replaced, it won’t be such a big deal. Personally, I think that the “star-power” of an actor should have no effect on the success of a show. Seeing a show with a major star does not necessarily guarantee that it is a good-quality show.
What do you guys think about this?
Article
Having a star in a show excuses the audience from making their own decision. People want a “sure thing.” Few people will take a chance on an unknown movie, or play, or song, or group, or anything! The unfortunate aspect of what this article describes, is that people seem to have less enthusiasm for exploration. Every outing cannot yield a life changing event. If you can just be open and curious about art, you can see all kinds of interesting things, and there are many ways to maximize the “good” experiences, but sometimes you can be surprised by something that has an effect far greater than you had anticipated. There is something to be said for low expectations.