Broadway is being inundated with stars.
It’s 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 in shows this season.
Between them are five Academy Awards, eight Emmys and 15 Golden Globes.
And, most notably, just one Tony.
Why are these celebs all here from LA? Surely not to get a whiff of the East River.
The reasons are many. Some are old pros at the stage, while others had holes in their usually packed filming schedules opened up by the 2023 Hollywood strikes. A few haven’t made a movie in years, and one, Washington (the aforementioned one Tony), is a presumed Oscar contender next March for “Gladiator II.”
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But for everybody, Broadway — despite the nostalgic fun of putting on a show — comes at an enormous risk to a star’s pride and reputation.