Broadway stars might be thought of as extinct creatures from a bygone era of entertainment. But reports of this species being wiped out are greatly exaggerated.
At the moment on Broadway, two nuclear-powered performers with avid theatrical followings are beaming bright in classic American musicals. One can set off an earthquake in ticket sales even in the midst of a pandemic; the other can go viral by giving a tour of her basement, snatching a cellphone out of the hands of an audience member or simply being the subject of a hilarious send-up.
Hugh Jackman stars in “The Music Man” at the Winter Garden Theatre in a production built entirely around his overpowering charisma and box-office muscle. His co-star, two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster, is prominently featured on the marquee. But when Jackman appears on Broadway, he is the sun around which all other celestial bodies revolve.
