![]() ![]() ![]() “Theater is one of the very few shared experiences we have left,” he said. Hughes considers social media uniquely positioned to help the art form thrive. All three casting directors said popularity on social media can help get actors in the room, though it’s still talent that will have to get them the job. The Instagram following that can form around an “‘it” chorus boy can be leveraged. TONY AWARDS: A theater critic’s opinionated guide to the top races » ![]() (Adams starred as Whizzer in the “Falsettos” tour that played the Ahmanson Theatre last month.) Seth Stewart, who appears in midair on the Broadway poster for “In the Heights,” generated similar buzz in the ensemble of “Hamilton” before succeeding Daveed Diggs in the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. “It’s a combination of a talent that comes through” and, in technical terms, “the hotness factor.” Estrin and others pointed to the example of Nick Adams, who turned heads with virtuosic dancing in the 2006 revival of “A Chorus Line” before graduating to larger principal roles. “Usually they have a featured moment,” Estrin said. ![]() Or Terry Lavell, whom Stewart cast in a 2010 revival of “La Cage aux Folles” (“6-foot-11 in heels and a blond wig with a beach ball and a bikini - he doesn’t have to utter a note and already he’s stolen hearts.”)īut it’s not just about a look actors who stand out do so because they’re given the chance. Through the years, there have been those who stood out for physical feats, like Orion Griffiths, an acrobat featured in the 2013 revival of Pippin, also cast by Stewart and Whitley, whom they described being greeted like “a demigod” at the stage door. ‘OKLAHOMA!’: Actress Ali Stroker on wheelchair choreography, representation and learning to run with her voice » “I think the world would be really kind of freaked out for her,” Estrin said. For a woman to receive similarly devoted attention would be a different kind of story. “It is young girls and gay men who set the tone,” said casting director Allison Estrin, who’s worked on dozens of Broadway productions. Women are part of this equation too, but Broadway’s fan demographics mean the men inspire more admirers. On social media, actors such as Adam Perry, Charlie Williams and much of the original cast of Broadway’s “Newsies” have generated substantial followings that they treat to a combination of revealing personal and corporal content. A cottage industry for thirsting after uptown’s finest includes the yearly list from Time Out New York of “The 10 Hottest Chorus Boys and Girls on Broadway” (the 2019 ranking, of course, includes Hughes) and Broadway Bares, an annual striptease benefit that has raised millions of dollars for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Hughes isn’t the first nonprincipal player to generate heat. MORE ‘HADESTOWN’: Director Rachel Chavkin’s tattoos, an annotated guide » He said audience members started sending him messages on the platform immediately after the show - and even during intermission. Hughes, who like many actors includes his social media handle in the program bio, has seen his Instagram following jump 20% to about 23,000 since “Hadestown” began performances March 22. ”People at the stage door were telling me, ‘I’ve never seen so much discussion about one individual ensemble member, and you totally met all my expectations!’ ” “My dresser told me, ‘Check the message boards, check Twitter there’s a lot of chatter,’ ” Hughes said of when he caught wind of the attention. It was the 6-foot-7 actor in the show’s five-person ensemble, Timothy Hughes. But it wasn’t one of the four stars of “Hadestown” who was a sudden focus of admiration, though all of them would eventually receive Tony nominations. Online and over postshow cocktails, fans and industry insiders were talking about a standout in one of the season’s most celebrated new musicals. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |