Celebs who hit big

Key Points:

• The producers of the Broadway musical “Chicago,” Fran and Barry Weissler, have successfully used stunt casting by hiring celebrities with little or no theater experience to boost ticket sales and keep the long-running show financially strong.
• Whitney Leavitt, known from Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and “Dancing with the Stars,” recently drove the show to its highest-grossing week ever with $1.4 million in ticket sales, leading to an extended run.
• The strategy began with Melanie Griffith in 2003, whose star power and unique charm proved that traditional triple-threat skills were not necessary to succeed in the role of Roxie Hart, setting a precedent for future celebrity casting.
• Other notable celebrity cast members include Usher, who boosted weekly grosses to over $800,000 in 2006, and Pamela Anderson, whose 2022 run revitalized the show’s post-COVID momentum and sparked a media frenzy.
• While some celebrity stints, like those of Christie Brinkley and Mira Sorvino, were less successful critically or commercially, the show has thrived by continuously leveraging reality TV stars and other famous faces, ensuring its longevity as Broadway’s second-longest-running production.