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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects CUNY Graduate Center 2-2021 Broadway in the Age of American Idol: Celebrity and the Broadway Musical, 2003–2018 Emily E. Clark The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4133 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] BROADWAY IN THE AGE OF AMERICAN IDOL: CELEBRITY AND THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, 2003-2018 by EMILY CLARK A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Theatre and Performance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2021 i © 2021 EMILY CLARK All Rights Reserved ii Broadway in the Age of American Idol: Celebrity and the Broadway Musical, 2003-2018 by Emily Clark This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Theatre and Performance in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date James Wilson Chair of Examining Committee Date Peter Eckersall Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: David Savran Jean Graham-Jones THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Broadway in the Age of American Idol: Celebrity and the Broadway Musical, 2003-2018 by Emily Clark Advisor: James Wilson Given the celebrity frenzy of the post-millennial climate, as described by Chris Rojek in Fame Attack and other celebrity theorists, Broadway followed suit and celebrity names were seen with regularity on Broadway marquees in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. While Broadway has nourished numerous individuals into becoming stars, those who are upheld above others for the significance of their work and accolades, celebrities are those whose private life garners more attention and interest than their work. My dissertation provides a critical reading and analysis of the performances of theatrical stars, film celebrities, television personalities, and reality television celebrities who starred in Broadway musicals from 2003- 2018. The television series American Idol premiered 2002, democratically “electing” celebrities plucked from the obscurity of the ordinary. The shockwave effects began to be seen throughout the entertainment industry by the following year and the Broadway musical, as always, adjusted to the celebrity zeitgeist. However, a new shift began near the end of this period as Broadway performers began to harness their own celebrity through the internet and social media. Although it remains to be seen, this change could lead to a new shift in the production and reception of Broadway musicals, where Broadway celebrities take center stage. iv Each chapter of my dissertation builds upon the work of Marvin Carlson in The Haunted Stage: The Theatre as Memory Machine and Walter Benjamin in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” My dissertation discusses how the ghosts of a celebrity’s personal life haunt their performance and reception in a Broadway musical. Following an examination of three theatrical luminaries, each subsequent chaPter analyzes different types of celebrities–film, television, and reality television. In his 1935 essay, Benjamin discussed the inherent loss of the artistic aura through the new technological advancements of the era, specifically the camera lens. As celebrities are typically consumed through their images produced by print, film, and/or television, an aura is absent. However, an aura is present in a theatrical space, and, as this dissertation argues, therefore, each celebrity produces an auratic emanation, creating different relationships with audiences. Each aura and relationship is dependent upon the type of medium associated with each celebrated figure. Following an analysis of performances of theatrical stars Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, and Audra McDonald, each chapter examines different types of celebrities: film celebrities Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011), Emma Stone in Cabaret (2014), and Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz (2003) and Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway (2011); television personalities Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity (2005), Lauren Graham in Guys and Dolls (2009), and Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014); and finally competitive reality television series contestants Tamyra Gray from American Idol in Bombay Dreams (2004) and Rent (2007), Grease: You’re the One That I Want winner Laura Osnes in Grease (2007), and Legally Blonde: The Musical– The Search for the Next Elle Woods champion Bailey Hanks in Legally Blonde: The Musical (2008). v The use of celebrity casting in Broadway musicals did not always work harmoniously throughout this period of examination and as a popular art form is always malleable. I argue that with advancements in internet accessibility and social networking, theatrical stars have the ability to reach beyond those within the musical theatre domain. By providing insight into their private lives on a global scale, they are permitted to enter the contemporary world of celebrity, perhaps negating the perceived necessity of casting celebrities on Broadway. This is best exemplified by the meteoric rise of Lin-Manuel Miranda through his musical Hamilton (2015) and the expansion of his celebrity through digital media. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful for the many institutions that supported me throughout my time writing my dissertation. The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and all of my professors from my time there have been extremely influential and supportive through the years. I consider myself very lucky to have studied with Judy Milhous, Dan Gerould, Marvin Carlson, Jean Graham-Jones, David Savran, and Elizabeth Wollman, among others. I wish to thank Jean and David for serving on my dissertation committee, but I truly need to thank Jim Wilson for serving as my tireless chair. His patience, kindness, constructive criticism, and endless support is why I was able to complete my dissertation. He stuck with my unconventional timeline and was completely understanding of the many roadblocks I faced. He was a constant advocate throughout and I cannot thank him enough for sticking with me to the “Conclusion! Conclusion!” (think Fiddler on the Roof). I also wish to thank Lynette Gibson. She went above and beyond for me, from the academic to the personal, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of her and smile. Thank you for everything, Lynette. Hunter College and LaGuardia Community College provided me with opportunities that I’m forever grateful for throughout this journey and have made me the scholar and educator that I am today. I also need to thank my home away from home Marymount Manhattan College and specifically the Theatre Arts Department. I would not have comPleted this work without the support of that community, both faculty and students, but particularly the support of Mary Fleischer, David Mold, Jill Stevenson, Patricia Hoag Simon, Carol Jackson, and Christine Riley. Without Christine, I would have accomplished very little and I am forever indebted to her as a colleague and friend. My students throughout the years have also been tremendously supportive and excited to hear me discuss my work. Thank you all so much!!! vii I am lucky to have many fantastic friends who lent ears to listen to me discuss my work and life, eyes to read through thoughts, and shoulders for me to lean on when I needed. Thank you Donatella Galella, Stefanie Jones, Barrie Gelles, my GC roommate Christopher Silsby, and Catherine M. Young. I was also tremendously lucky to have safe spaces to present and discuss aspects of my work over the years. While intimidating, I found each environment both nurturing and encouraging in moving forward, and thank the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, the Popular Culture Association, and Song, Stage, and Screen. I am also indebted to David Savran and Elizabeth Wollman for inviting me to participate in the Harvard-Princeton Musical Theatre Forum. Being in a room with scholars whom I admire and aspire to be, working through our material together, is something that I am extremely grateful for. A portion of my fourth chapter was published as “Keeping the Celebrity Flame Flickering: Reality Television Celebrities on Broadway and Fan Interaction Through Digital Media,” in iBroadway: Musical Theatre in the Digital Age, edited by Jessica Hillman-McCord and published by Palgrave McMillan. A few years after college, there was a point in my life where I felt that all paths were closed to me. I loved the theatre but felt there was no longer a place for me in it. Upon the suggestion, encouragement, and support of my parents, I took a chance and applied to this program. While it has certainly been difficult, and it has taken me a long time, I am forever grateful for them. I would not have survived without Al Clark and Rebecca Reagan. I am especially grateful for my mom for reading every bit of writing over the years, always serving as the second set of eyes on everything. That’s a lot of reading and editing folks! viii And finally, I need to thank my truly amazing family, Matey Checko, Sebastian Checko, and Penelope Checko. I met my husband in the first few weeks of grad school and we were married while I was studying for exams. He has been there through it all, and even came to see many shows with me (for research, of course!). Sebastian and Penelope each came along while I was dissertating and have never not known me as a student. For their entire lives I have been working in my office or bedroom, going to the New York Public Library of Performing Arts, seeing shows, and writing, writing, writing.

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