The box office effects of casting celebrities as replacement actors on Broadway

This thesis addresses the commercialization of Broadway theater through the casting of celebrities from another medium. The celebrities are brought in as replacement actors for trained theatrical performers with the intention of extending a production's longevity. Twelve Broadway musicals that have opened since 1994 are examined through a series of case studies to determine the effectiveness of this casting technique through analysis of box office gross proceeds, theater capacity, and overall ranking of theater capacity compared to weekly competition. Case studies include Grease , Beauty and the Beast, Smokey Joe's Cafe , Rent, Chicago, Jekyll and Hyde, Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun, Aida, Hairspray, Monty Python's Spamalot , and The Color Purple. The research explains the financial success of this trend and the potential benefits for producers, actors, and theater professionals.