Celebrity casting in musical theatre is and always will be a hot topic among fans of the genre. However, this is not a new phenomenon. Celebrities and stars have been cast in music theatre shows since the beginning of the artform. So, what has changed that has caused such passionate discourse among theatre lovers? Could it be that the celebrity itself has changed?
In her first published article, Dr Michelle Pretorius explores the development of the concept of celebrity since the beginning of the twentieth century and how it has influenced musical theatre as a commercial and artistic genre.
She determined that the fame of the stars and celebrities during the beginning of the twentieth century depended greatly on their proficiency as performers. This, in part, distinguishes the stars of the early twentieth century from the celebrities of the new millennium during which reality TV has become a significant medium for the production of celebrities.
As such, although it does not form the dominant mode of celebrity casting within musical theatre in the twenty-first century, the increasing number of reality TV celebrities cast in musical theatre indicates the commercial power of celebrity capital.
=====
Pretorius, M. H. (2025). The changing nature of celebrity in musical theatre: the development of star casting. Celebrity Studies, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2025.2468176
