I make no qualms about admitting that musical theater isn’t exactly my cup of tea. In fact, on one specific occasion on this very blog I railed against the most musical theater-y shows on TV right now, “Glee.”
Photo: NBC
But it isn’t singing and dancing that I have a problem with. Contrary to popular belief I actually enjoy both in certain contexts! There is, however, something in me that just prevents me from fully engaging in what many have tried to convince me is the sheer joy of watching someone break into song and and dance on television or on stage. It’s my own personal “fetch”—it’s just not going to happen. But, nevertheless, I was born and raised on the island of Manhattan and there is just no escaping the fact that, as a native New Yorker and a student of popular culture, I would be exposed to Broadway, its many shows and its many stars. Sadly, I know way too much about it, which is why I’ve noticed something very peculiar happening in the less nauseating world of non-musical-theater-inspired television programming: these two worlds are colliding. Famous Broadway actors are everywhere on TV, not just singing and dancing, and it looks like I’m in for a world of trouble.
Photo: ABC
Where “Glee” put the faces of people like Matthew Morrison on the map for their musical prowess, many Broadway stars are pushing themselves in roles that require fewer trips to a vocal coach. Just this past week, Broadway heartthrob and all around über-hottie Cheyenne Jackson made his debut on “30 Rock” opposite Jane Krakowski—another theater veteran (and alumus of another hit network TV show that was heavy on the song and dance, “Ally McBeal”). Audra McDonald—veritable Broadway royalty—and Taye Diggs, both star on “Private Practice,” where Diggs’ wife Idina Menzel—Broadway’s original Maureen opposite Diggs and star of the immensely popular musical “Wicked”—also had a recurring guest role in season 2. Kristin Chenowith starred in “Pushing Daisies,” earning herself an Emmy. And ABC introduced the world to Sara Ramirez, TONY winner for “Spamalot” and now one of the many sexy doctors operating at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Photo: ABC
But none of these Broadway stars is singing a single note, and that isn’t because song and dance is somehow unwelcome on the small screen. “American Idol” is the number one rated show on network TV. “Saturday Night Live” continues to be a showcase of great vocal talent and a must-see spot for the world’s most popular musical groups. And, despite my many vociferous protests, “Glee” and its cast of Broadway veterans continues to pull in an audience eager to see football players burst into a Beyoncé routine. Many shows that had no involvement with actors who cut their chops on Broadway whatsoever also managed to find success with bringing musical theater into the fold. First, “Xena: Warrior Princess” showed audiences the joy of introducing musical numbers with it’s musical episode “The Bitter Suite.” Joss Whedon improved on that idea on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” whose season six musical episode “Once More, with Feeling” became such a hit that it toured movie theaters across the country as a sing-a-long—no Broadway actors required.
Yet here they are now! Crawling all over network television, proving that being a triple-threat won’t limit you to the theater district. You too can live the life of a Mary Louise Parker or a Lauren Graham; be on the small screen and the big stage and have your proverbial cake and eat it too. And, clearly, there is a part of the American television audience that is hungry to let you do it. I might not be a part of it but, hey, if supporting the trend and becoming a part of the Broadwayfication of TV means that I’ll be seeing more of Cheyenne? Well, I think that’s something I think we can all agree is worth singing about.
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Tags: ABC, Broadway, broadway actors, Broadway Shows, Cheyenne Jackson, Glee, Grey Anatomy, Jane Krakowski, NBC, Sara Martinez
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This post actually makes no sense. It is unclear what ‘adrianmuniz’ is truly taking issue with. He admits to not enjoying musical theater or essentially any type of heightened reality in which characters express themselves through song. Okay- fine. But now he expects so called ‘Broadway stars’ to limit themselves and their many talents to the stage simply because of the fact that they have been in a Broadway play or musical? ‘adrianmuniz’ seems to imply that the “Broadwayfication of TV” is a new phenomenon. If this was so, many of the most beloved and talented film and television stars would not exist. It’s actually beyond difficult to find a popular television show from the past 30 years that didn’t have numerous Broadway and New York theater actors involved. Just to name a few highlights….
Nearly the entire cast of ‘Taxi’ had spent time on Broadway. Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke both started on New York stages. Phylicia Rashad got her start not only as the replacement for Deena in the original ‘Dreamgirls’, but then followed that with ‘The Wiz’. We wouldn’t know George Costanza today if Jason Alexander hadn’t been in Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along” nor would we have had John Goodman’s amazing Dan from ‘Roseanne’ had he not first been in the musical ‘Big River’. Calista Flockhart’s spent years all over Broadway and Off-Broadway before creating the role of Ally McBeal. Jerry Orbach of Law & Order was in so many Broadway musicals the corner of 53rd and 8th Avenue is now called “Jerry Orbach Way”. Would ‘adrianmuniz’ prefer if a non-theater actor had been cast in Patrick Wilson’s roles in ‘Little Children’ or ‘Angels in America’? But to end this very small, merely representative list I will mention two actresses who both made their debuts and started their careers on Broadway that any good homo would know: Ms. Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon. Gosh, I wonder if ‘adrianmuniz’ is nauseated over this cross over!?
If these performances are the result of the “Broadwayfication” of Television and Film, well than I can only hope that it will continue!‘adrianmuniz’ claims to be a student of popular culture, but I’d say he is decidedly failing in several courses…most notably History.
In the future please don’t write about topics with which you have no clue. It’s embarrassing for you, and embarrassing for those of us who would like to think of homo-neurotic as an intelligent recourse from the often catty, immature and uninformed blogosphere.
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JH
Nearly every other post is about nearly-nude men. What are you expecting? And it’s a post about TV shows. Come back when he needs fact-checking on his health-care reform article.
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