The Plague of Stunt Casting on Broadway
Imagine it's your first time in the Big Apple. You hop off your plane awaiting the bright city lights and the chance to experience one of the most celebrated cities, with bustling restaurants and magical shows brimming with talent. Naturally, like anyone in their right mind, the first activity you planned was to see a Broadway Show. You enter the theater clutching your tickets that probably cost your month's rent and get handed the famous playbill you plan to hang on your wall after the show. As you sink into your seat, you eagerly anticipate witnessing the renowned stage where the finest theater productions in the world have come to life. After all, legends like Kristen Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, and Andrew Rannells have all graced stages like these. As the lights dim and excitement rises, none other than Magcon boy Cameron Dallas appears under the spotlight belting out flat notes and reciting lines as if he were reciting Shakespeare for the first time in front of an eighth-grade classroom.
It's no secret that stunt casting is rampaging the Broadway stages of today. For those of you who need a dictionary definition, stunt casting is essentially when a show, film, or in this case, theater production utilizes celebrities in casting in order to garner publicity and attention. While this can be beneficial when casting seasoned celebrities with prior Broadway experience, my concern arises when producers opt for actors who possess only moderate singing abilities rather than seeking out triple threats that Broadway is notorious for. And hey, I get it. Sometimes a show needs a little boost and an incentive is warranted. But the notion of stunt casting is starting to feel like a plague to me, and inadvertently allowing Broadway to lose its class, value, and meaning. I mean, I should be able to go to a show and not wince when the leading actor belts their high notes.
One form of stunt casting that has caught my attention is what I'd call the outlandish and nonsensical type, which seems more like an attempt at shock value than anything. Casting Cameron Dallas in Mean Girls is an obvious attempt at this kind (a bold one at that), and definitely helped garner publicity, albeit not good publicity. But you know what they say, any attention is good attention I guess. Now, I’m no Broadway actor but I have to say if I spent my whole adolescence dedicating myself to perfecting my craft in acting, singing, and dancing to be a Broadway star, I think I’d be a little disheartened to see I got turned down from a part against Cameron Dallas, someone who is known for seven-second vines and 13-year-old fan girls. I can't imagine this would be enjoyable for audience members either when they are supposed to believe that Broadway showcases top-tier talent and a convincing storyline. And sure, his voice is… fine. But next to the ensemble of classically trained actors, let's just say fine doesn't cut it.
Another type of stunt casting is what I like to call the Jordan Fisher stunt casting. And it's exactly how it sounds. Why is Jordan Fisher cast in every male leading role on Broadway? Now this is different from the Cameron Dallas situation, Jordan Fisher has immense talent and a right to be on those stages amongst the other talent. But it's getting a little monotonous seeing his name pop up on the Playbill Instagram every time I refresh the page. From Hamilton to Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd to Hadestown, it feels like Jordan Fisher's residence is omnipresent, akin to the reuse of that one talented boy in high school theater productions who can sing and has a bit of charm. The irony here is that Broadway has a fortune of options when it comes to casting, yet they seem to gravitate towards the most popular choice every single time. This makes me question all the talent that were missing out on due to the comfort in just reusing the same actors we know will do well and bring in audiences. Something I’ve always loved about Broadway was going into a theater and seeing fresh talent and connecting to the story rather than the actor. Sometimes, the presence of a celebrity on stage completely removes me from the experience because I find myself dwelling on their previous roles, like thinking about how Josh Groban was on Glee as opposed to seeing the man on stage as a murderous barber as he's intended to be. It's a hard line to draw. Sorry to all the Jordan Fisher fans out there (nothing against him), but repeatedly casting the same individuals and resorting to celebrity appearances whenever feasible is giving Broadway an air of laziness that doesn't seem to align with the image it seeks to attain.
Lastly, there's the middle road of stunt casting. It's the celebrities who are no doubt very talented, but probably not Broadway-ready. Recently, Lola Tung was cast as Euricydes in Hadestown, which initially sparked excitement amongst fans. Then these illegal recordings or sorry- “slime tutorials” came out of her singing the famous “Wait for Me (Reprise)” and the response was mixed. Comments ranged from hopeful sentiments like "she'll improve with time!" to more critical assessments such as "it's pleasant, but lacks strength.” In my humble and Broadway-loving opinion, Broadway is notorious for its otherworldly talent and does not waste time on mediocrity. If she could get better with time, why not train her until she is Broadway-ready instead of capitalizing off her current popularity amongst audiences?
All this to say, although stunt casting is inevitable and can even be great sometimes, it shouldn't veto putting in the work to find new and more talented actors. Broadway is a place for audiences to connect with stories, and be inspired by the talent, not just another way to conduct meet and greets with celebrities. In a landscape where shortcuts and sensationalism can easily overshadow substance, Broadway needs to hold fast to its traditions and values. After all, it's the dedication to craft and the pursuit of artistic excellence that has made Broadway the cultural phenomenon it is today.
