One of the best parts of watching a new movie or Broadway performance is finding a young and upcoming talented actor who’s just been discovered. Becoming a fan of a brand-new performer just before they take off can feel rewarding, special and personal. When celebrities are cast for roles in upcoming movies, we take away the time to shine and room to grow for the talented younger and brand-new generation of actors, singers and impressive artistry that should be blooming under the lights. While celebrity stunt casting draws in more for the box office, the overall benefit for the involved actors who are missing the chance to shine doesn’t help the balance. Productions should open the doors to everyone, and allow for more new artists to get the chance at a great role, not just celebrities.
Recently, celebrity stunt casting has become popular in big productions. It’s seen in the brand-new Wicked movie starring Ariana Grande, along with many shows on Broadway that have brought in new performers such as Charli D’amelio being cast in the latest version of “& Juliet” in New York. While these big names may do a good job, different actors could do a better job or gain experience while receiving attention from audiences to help grow their careers. The best way to find the best choices from the bigger group of actors is to open opportunities to everyone and have open casting.
One of my favorite movies, CODA, featured many actors who I had never heard of before, and most actors portraying deaf people were real-life deaf actors who had never gotten a spotlight in the movie-making business before. Their talents brightened the movie and the success of the movie allowed these actors to go on to win awards and launch their careers. CODA went on to win multiple Academy Awards including Picture of The Year at the 2022 Oscar Awards. The casting team for this movie worked to find the most talented people for these roles, not just going straight to celebrities who are well-known. When the spotlight is over these overlooked and new performers, it allows them to succeed and represent different groups of people in the media.
In the Broadway community, hundreds of young actors and artists are trying to audition and land their first big break on stage, and when they aren’t as famous or high status as these big celebrities, it’s likely they won’t benefit as much as others will. So many new performers find work through open casting and auditioning. Whenever the producers and casting directors skip auditioning and open casting for the many talented people longing to debut in a show, they take that chance away from the uprising artists.
The brand-new musical on Broadway, “Suffs,” features an entire cast of women—many of them being both younger and unheard of. The writer, Shaina Taub, decided to perform as the lead in the Broadway show alongside women who are just getting started in the industry. These performers earned the love and attention of the hundreds of theatre-goers applauding from the audience 8 times a week. Casting was up to many women in the Broadway community to come in, audition and have their chance to be in the show. Going through this audition process allowed the show to be packed with the best talent out there to ensure even opportunity and the most success for the production. Since then, the musical has been a Broadway hit winning many Tony awards, and it has shed light on this group of women just getting started in their time on stage.
In conclusion, celebrity stunt casting may help the production make more money and draw more initial viewers to productions, but in the end, the actors struggling to get on their feet and find their big break on Broadway are waiting for this opportunity to sing and dance on the big stage for the first time. Casting directors should open their roles to everyone, not just the big stars who will make them more money, and maybe not even be the best fit for the show.
