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Broadway enters its busiest and buzziest part of year, with the season ramping up into overdrive to put out highly-anticipated shows ahead of the Tony Awards this June.
In the past month alone, several new shows have opened in New York City that have attracted all kinds of press for months, including Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal and Good Night, and Good Luck starring George Clooney.
It isn’t just the association with famed material drawing audiences to these shows, though — it’s also their very A-list heavy cast.
George, Denzel and Jake are just the newest three to enter the world of theater this season, joining the likes of newly-minted Oscar winner Keiran Culkin in Glengarry Glen Ross, his Succession co-star Sarah Snook in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Nick Jonas in the Broadway debut of The Last Five Years.
With those large casts also come large costs. Othello has come under fire from Broadway aficionados in recent weeks for its exorbitant ticket prices, with the most expensive seats clocking in at an eye-watering $921.
Good Night, and Good Luck, which opened on April 3 after previews, is charging $799 for its most premium seats. Glengarry Glen Ross (if it isn’t sold out by now) is charging $724 for its priciest seats. The Last Five Years, on the lower end of the spectrum, is still charging between $200-300 for its premium seats.
© Getty ImagesI am one of those Broadway aficionados, and my boyfriend also works with Broadway for a living. However, we are also two of those people meekly requesting production houses to realize that we’re not watching Othello for $921 without sacrificing health insurance first.
There’s a certain irony to wanting to draw larger everyday crowds with bigger names, while simultaneously keeping it far from their reach. Yes, Broadway has never been the most accessible form of art, but it hasn’t been this inaccessible for a long time.
Stunt casting is not new to New York City theater, Chicago is the living, breathing embodiment of that principle. But even Chicago, an institution as it may be, does not get it right every single time, like several of their Real Housewives. Then again, the most $$$ Chicago ticket right now is only $261, a pittance.
© Getty ImagesEven if I was a massive Clooney fan (which I can safely say I am), I can’t afford to actually see him take the stage without breaking the bank or breaking my neck. And what’s to say it’s even good, the second main issue.
Stunt casting only works when there’s some precedence to it. George works for GNAGL, for instance, because he wrote, directed and starred in the original 2005 movie, he’s bringing his own story to life. And he has the personal connection to do so.
That’s turning out to be the exception, however (as is Sarah Snook, she should be playing every character in theater ever, go watch Picture of Dorian Gray).
© Getty ImagesGlengarry has received mixed reviews since opening, although as far as the acting goes, less focus lies on Kieran and more so on the outstanding Bob Odenkirk, not the A-lister you’d think of. Othello, on the other hand, has received overwhelmingly negative reviews.
As for The Last Five Years? I saw a preview show, and I can safely say it was not a pleasant experience. Adrienne Warren, a Tony winner already for Tina, steals the show, while Nick, despite some Broadway credits, slips into his pop star vocals too often.
© Getty ImagesFrom the mezzanine, you can’t hear 60% of the dialogue, the show is very clunkily produced, the plot is hard to follow, the set pieces are so minimal they’re drab, and for a source material with a legion of diehard fans, it’s a disappointment. And the mezzanine is what I can afford, mind you.
It’s hard not to laugh (in pain) at Othello’s record-breaking opening week. You charge more money, you make more money, isn’t that the logic? There’s no point in continuing to cast large names for the stage and then expect equally large payouts to see them. The theater revolution is coming, and it isn’t pretty.
© Getty ImagesAs an aside, here are some good shows on Broadway right now without major celebrities involved in its cast: BOOP! The Musical, Buena Vista Social Club, Maybe Happy Ending, and Drag! The Musical for an off-Broadway option.
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