Broadway is bursting with stars.
This is an impressive list. Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Mia Farrow, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianna Margulies, Sarah Snook, Katie Holmes, Shailene Woodley, Jim Parsons, and Nicole Scherzinger are all appearing on the show this season.
Between them they have five Academy Awards, eight Emmys and 15 Golden Globes.
And, most notably, only one Tony.
Why are all these celebs here from LA? Certainly there will be no trace of the East River.
There are many reasons. Some are seasoned pros on the stage, while others have had their normally busy filming schedules cut short due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Some haven’t made a movie in years, and one, Washington (Tony above), is a potential Oscar contender for “Gladiator II” next March.
But for everyone else, Broadway – despite the nostalgic joy of presenting a show – is a huge risk to a star’s pride and reputation.
New York theater isn’t like movies, where actors spend a few days asking “Did something strange happen on the set?” Press release after months of shooting and move on to the next project.
After receiving lackluster reviews on the Broadway opening night – sometimes punctuated by a drunken party – the A-lister has to come back and do it again a day later. no matter what.
Downey Jr. suffered his first tough blow of the season. I His tiresome drama about AI“McNeil,” one star, while the Times called it “timely but dull.”
a source told Closer magazine“The cruel reviews have broken him. He put his heart into this project, only for it to implode – a blow to his ego.
Another said, “He will never set foot on a theater stage again.”
If Downey Jr. can work on a better script then he should. He is fine in the role of an idiot Nobel laureate. It is the migraine of Ayad Akhtar’s play that sinks the ship.
The point is, “McNeil” is selling out. The drama, produced in collaboration with Downey Jr.’s company, Team Downey, grossed $1.35 million last week. Marvel has a lot of fans.
But after those scathing notices, Downey Jr. would still have to perform eight times a week for two more months. For megawatt stars who are not used to being so vulnerable, this is embarrassing.
Margulies was next in line. “Good Wife” and “Morning Show” actress Playwright Delia Ephron’s “left on the tenth,” a long story about a woman who finds love after her husband dies, but discovers that he is suffering from cancer.
Last Wednesday I gave it 1.5 stars, part of a tidal wave of mixed-to-negative reactions. “Left” is a weird rom-com that never quite comes together. And, ouch, it goes on till February 2nd.
Disaster has not struck everyone. Former Pussycat Doll Scherzinger received praise for her performance as “Norma Desmond”.Sunset BoulevardAnd Kit Connor, a well-received newcomer to Netflix’s “Heartstopper.”Romeo + Juliet” – even if the murmur-like production received a more subdued response.
But we still have several months to go before the 2024-25 season ends next April.
A big moment will come in the spring when George Clooney makes his Broadway debut in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” heading to the Winter Garden after abandoning his DeLorean in the junkyard of “Back to the Future,” a source said. Used to be. ,
It’s a big Broadway debut for a big name. And George will be hoping he doesn’t suffer the same fate as Julia Roberts, with whom he notably appeared in five films.
The “Erin Brockovich” actress graced the New York stage for the first and only time in 2006 in “Three Days of Rain.”
Not won by fame alone, The Post’s Clive Barnes did not mince words,
“Hate drama. Sadly, to be honest, I also hated it. At least I liked the rain – even though three days of it might seem like an eternity,” Clive wrote.
After such a line, Roberts had to think, “Hooray for Hollywood!”
