To actress and sophomore Amelia Schaab, the prevalence of celebrities performing on Broadway appears to have increased in recent years. Schaab said she believes this is due to people’s decreased attention spans. 

“I think a lot of people’s attention spans (are) becoming shorter and we have all the short form content with TikTok and Instagram Reels,” Schaab said. “You have to really grab people’s attention or people have to have an incentive to come see a show. People will look at Instagram and be like, ‘Oh, my favorite actor is going to be in this Broadway show. Why don’t I go see it?’”

Schaab is not alone in noticing the uptick in celebrity theater castings. According to the Washington Post, 2025 was a historic year in terms of celebrities performing on Broadway, and this trend has continued into this year amid a slowdown in TV and film production. 

Choir director Katherine Kouns said she has also recognized the trend of celebrity castings, but said she believes this trend has always existed. 

“I think more celebrities are interested in being a part of the Broadway community because it gives them the exciting opportunity to perform live and there’s nothing quite like having the audience right there to respond in the moment,” Kouns said via email. “I also think that securing a popular name of a celebrity that many people know drives new audience members to the Broadway community, who might not otherwise have seen shows in that form.”

Actress and senior Adelina Larranaga said she believes celebrities are cast in Broadway shows due to the attention they bring to a show.

“I think that more and more celebrities are getting casted because they already have the recognition, experience and publitcity that someone who just got out of college doesn’t,” Larranaga said.

Kouns said she feels proper training is essential for celebrities cast in Broadway productions. She said despite the drive in interest that celebrity performances can have, sacrificing technique and training is not worth it.

“Live stage acting and performing is very different than on-camera work. It is extremely important that anyone who is trying to give eight live performances a week has been trained properly to maintain their stamina and to handle it in a healthy way,” Kouns said. “It takes incredible vocal strength, stamina and healthy technique to be able to sing the demanding roles that are happening on Broadway over and over again for a long period of time. It is definitely a physically daunting task and without proper training, anyone will crumble under the pressure.”

Schaab said she believes it’s important for anyone cast on Broadway to have theater training and experience, but that training may vary.

“I feel like we could say going to a prestigious theater college for so many years or just being in so many shows, knowing the way of the stage because I feel like there’s a difference,” Schaab said. “Like street smart versus school smart. A lot of actors are different and I definitely believe it’s very good to be trained and have experience, especially if you’re going into a big place like Broadway.”

Larranaga said celebrity casting on Broadway creates a more competitive environment for incoming actors. Larranaga also said training is necessary to have success performing on Broadway.

“There is a lot you need to know about stage presence, and how to perform, but the best way to learn is through experience,” Larranaga said. “There is nothing that will help you grow more than going out and trying.”

Kouns said, overall, celebrity casting on Broadway is a kind of double-edged sword.

“I think sometimes there are celebrities who started out in musical theater or live ‘straight theatre’ and they are very qualified to go back into that arena and give stellar performances,” Kouns said. “However, I also think that sometimes underqualified people are cast in leading roles because their popularity will bring more audience members. This is difficult because it takes away performance opportunities for qualified actors who are lesser known.”

Larranaga agreed celebrity casting brings both positive and negative qualities.

“Celebrities can help publicize shows that deserve to be seen and heard, but they also limit the success rates for incoming talent,” Larranaga said. “Most people acknowledge theater for its actors and talent, but underneath the famous faces, there are powerful stories waiting to be seen and heard.”