Stage Writes
The Official Stage Rights Blog
Has Broadway Become Reliant on Celebrity Draw at the Box Office?
This week in Broadway news is dominated by reports of “splashy debuts” for singer-songwriter Jason Mraz and comedian-actress Amy Schumer in Waitress and Meteor Shower, respectively. The big stage first-timers brought in huge sales; on the other foot, we’ve seen a trend in shows faltering when its a big name exits a cast. This strong correlation in successes begs the question: is Broadway becoming reliant on celebrity?
Jason Mraz, who rose to fame with romantic pop hits like “I’m Yours” and “I Won’t Give Up” in the late 2000’s, joined Sara Bareilles’ Waitress for a ten-week engagement this week. Consequently, gross sales skyrocketed to $900,167; an over $170,000 increase from the week prior and an all-time high since the show’s opening in June.
The producers of Waitress, Fran and Barry Weissler, are the same pair that oversaw the revival of Chicago, notorious for guest starring not just famous actors but singers, sports players, and television personalities abound.
Click here for the full article published on TicketNews.com by Katie Gainer on November 9, 2017.