The latest trend on Broadway is celebrity co-producing: A-listers who now have credits as backers of plays and musicals.
It sounds like the setup for a joke: A former president, a reality TV personality and a "Saturday Night Live" alumnus walk into a theater.
But this is no joke: Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian and Bowen Yang have all signed on this spring as co-producers of Broadway shows.
The practice of famous people deploying their reputational currency to bolster new productions is not new, but it is growing in frequency as the declining influence of traditional media and the rising importance of social media have forced producers to look for new ways to market their material. In recent years, producing teams have included Mariah Carey ("Some Like It Hot"), Jake Gyllenhaal ("Slave Play") and Angelina Jolie ("The Outsiders").
"Everyone is trying to stand out, and getting prestige individuals from other industries on your show can help," said Rachel Sussman, one of the lead producers of the musical "Suffs," whose Broadway producing team included Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former secretary of state, and Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
"What that means for each show and for each co-producer varies," Sussman said, "but ultimately I want to believe it is helping expand the potential for our audiences. Because if someone who has a ton of followers who is not necessarily involved in theater suddenly says 'I'm involved in this production,' that could be a gateway for their audience to also fall in love with theater."
A STARRY SPRING
This Season's Surge
This is a tough time financially for investors in Broadway productions, because expenses have risen much faster than revenues. Forty shows are now running on Broadway -- only one theater is empty -- and there aren't enough ticket buyers to support them all.
So some shows are hoping to capitalize on famous faces. Barack and Michelle Obama, through their media company, Higher Ground, are co-producing a revival of "Proof," a Pulitzer-winning drama featuring Don Cheadle, a longtime Obama friend. In a statement explaining their involvement, the Obamas said the play posed "profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most."
Kardashian, an advocate for criminal justice reform, is co-producing "The Fear of 13," a play about a death row inmate fighting his conviction. "Sometimes the most effective way to change minds is through a powerful story," Kardashian said in a statement about her Broadway producing debut.
Tyler Perry, a film and television writer, actor, director and producer, recently signed onto a revival of August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," issuing a statement calling the playwright's work "a beautiful cornerstone of the Black experience." Perry has worked with one of the play's stars, Taraji P. Henson, as well as its director, Debbie Allen, and wanted to support them.
Yang, whose "Saturday Night Live" tenure included a memorable sketch playing the iceberg that sank the Titanic, is co-producing "Titaníque," a musical comedy cruising in similar waters. Yang and Matt Rogers, who co-host the "Las Culturistas" podcast, saw an early version of "Titaníque," and have been fans and champions since; they joined the producing team together.
"They're part of our origin story," Eva Price, the "Titaníque" lead producer, said of Yang and Rogers. "When we were in this tiny basement, struggling to break through, they came to see the show, and they talked about it on 'Las Culturistas,' and our sales tripled, and that spark created a fire."
Price said she expects all co-producers to raise money for the show. (The "Titaníque" team also includes former 'N Sync members Joey Fatone and JC Chasez.) "Being a producer is not just about putting your name on something -- it's rooting for it, in an artistic way and a strategic way," she said.
"Cats: The Jellicle Ball," a mash-up of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and the queer ballroom scene, lists the actors Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe among its co-producers. (Erivo also co-produced "Fat Ham" in 2023, while Waithe co-produced "Ain't No Mo'" in 2022.)
Patrick Wilson, a film star with Broadway roots and horror bona fides ("The Conjuring" and "Insidious" franchises), is among the few stars taking a lead role (and responsibility) on a Broadway show: He and a pair of college friends are among the lead producers of a musical adaptation of "The Lost Boys," about teen vampires.
The how and the Why
Pros, Cons and Conditions
Co-producing is an expression of support for art and artists, but it is also, at least for the non-famous, a financial transaction: Co-producers are expected to raise money -- often at least $175,000 for a play and $250,000 for a musical, to help finance the production. In exchange, their names appear in the show's billing, they can usually attend the opening night performance and party, and if the show does well, they have the chance of winning a Tony Award. (Yes, co-producers of Tony-winning shows can and do call themselves Tony winners, even if their only contribution was fund-raising.)
For celebrities, the expectations can be different. Often -- although not always -- no money is involved. Instead, the celebrity co-producers harness their fame, attracting media attention, charming investors and., hopefully., influencing followers.
"The first few times we saw people put their names on these shows, they were pretty actively involved -- they were putting their money, or their network, where their mouth was, and they were involved in the marketing or creation of the show," said Hunter Arnold, one of the lead producers of "Maybe Happy Ending." "But then people realized, if you slap a celebrity's name on a show, you get better pickup, and you saw producers offering people the title in name but not in function."
And what do the celebrities get? They tend to say they're there for virtuous reasons -- to make sure a story gets told or to support an artist, a cause, a friend.
They can also help shape an industry they care about -- LaChanze, for example, is a Tony-winning actress who started co-producing and is now leading projects she believes in. And they might win a Tony Award -- John Legend and Jennifer Hudson became EGOTs thanks to co-producing credits (he backed "Jitney," and she was on "A Strange Loop"). "I just always want to stay within this world," said Hudson，who next will be among the producers of this fall's "Dreamgirls" revival.
There are doubters. Some nonfamous co-producers say they are skeptical that adding celebrities to the team actually translates to ticket sales，and say they find it insulting that celebrities can claim the title without fund-raising.
And there are reputational risks because stars sometimes have baggage. Perry，for example，is facing two lawsuits from actors who have filed lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault. Perry's lawyers have called the lawsuits a "scam" and a "money grab." And the "Joe Turner" lead producer trumpeted Perry's support when it was announced，saying："We're thrilled to have him with us."
Pioneers
The O.G. Celebrity Producers
In 1998，Sean Connery won a Tony Award as one of the lead producers of "Art," a Broadway comedy about three men whose friendship is upended when one of them buys an expensive but inscrutable painting. Connery's wife，Micheline Roquebrune，had seen the original French version of the play in Paris，and he wound up producing the English-language versions，first in London and then in New York.
But the most successful example of celebrity involvement came in 2005，when Oprah Winfrey backed a musical adaptation of "The Color Purple." Winfrey，who had appeared in the film adaptation two decades earlier，was at the peak of her power as a talk-show host，and her embrace of the musical had a huge impact on ticket sales。（The show was a hit，and another decade later Winfrey returned to co-produce the acclaimed 2015 revival that starred Erivo。）
In the years that followed，a handful of other celebrities dabbled in Broadway producing，often supporting stories they found personally resonant. Jay-Z and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith joined the producing team for "Fela!," a 2009 musical about a Nigerian musician; Elton John was a producer of "Next Fall," a 2010 play about a gay relationship; and Alicia Keys co-produced "Stick Fly," a 2011 play about an affluent Black family.（One way Keys helped "Stick Fly": she wrote music for use in the play。）
post pandemic
From Social Justice to Mainstream
In 2020，the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers spurred a wave of calls for change in many sectors of society，including the arts. Theaters were closed at the time because of the coronavirus pandemic，但当它们重新开放时，黑人作家的作品显著增加；许多名人（其中许多但并非全部是黑人）站出来共同制作这些节目，希望他们的影响力能帮助吸引媒体关注和票房。
In 2021，Blair Underwood co-produced “Pass Over，” about two Black men trapped by fear of a police encounter；Kandi Burruss co-produced “Thoughts of a Colored Man，” about a day in the life of a group of Black men；and Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas co-produced “Chicken & Biscuits，” a comedy set in a Black church.
“Being a Black woman，I thought it was important to see more diversity in the Broadway community，” said Burruss，who has since produced four more shows，including this season’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” revival。Burruss said she promotes her shows to potential ticket buyers and introduces the lead producers to potential investors。
In 2022，the dam burst open with “A Strange Loop，” a musical about a gay Black man’s journey of self-discovery。The show had already won a Pulitzer Prize but was still a tough sell to audiences。The lead producer lined up a large group of boldfaced names as co-producers，包括RuPaul Charles、Alan Cumming、Ilana Glazer、Mindy Kaling、Billy Porter和Steven Spielberg，以及Cheadle和Hudson。
A 2023 revival of “Purlie Victorious，” a 1961 play by Ossie Davis，followed the “Strange Loop” model，with multiple celebrity co-producers，包括LaTanya Richardson Jackson、Samuel L. Jackson、Phylicia Rashad和Kerry Washington，以及该剧的明星Leslie Odom Jr。和Alan Alda，他曾参与该剧的首演。
“Broadway is a big deal，”Burruss said，“and I feel like people who are celebrities want to be in that space。”