Whose Star Will Shine Bright on the Big Stage?
Some screen names are heading to the stage, but not all are bound for success.
Aug. 1, 2008— -- Over the next 12 months, an eclectic group of top stars is expected to tread the boards on Broadway and, in a few cases, abroad. Some have substantial stage experience; others, well, don't. None are guaranteed rave reviews — ask Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington — or massive ticket sales. USA TODAY asks celebrity columnist and culture vulture Michael Musto to assess various celebs' chances.
Katie Holmes
Project: Mrs. Tom Cruise makes her Broadway debut co-starring in a revival of Arthur Miller's post-World War II drama "All My Sons," set to open Oct. 16. The ensemble cast features John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson.
•Prospects: "I never thought that "Dawson's Creek" and Arthur Miller would be a good match," Musto quips. But Holmes, 29, has proven herself to be a "game actress" in a variety of films, he adds, and it will be "interesting to see if she has the chops" that Nicole Kidman, Cruise's former wife, demonstrated a decade ago in London and Broadway productions of David Hare's "The Blue Room."
Daniel Radcliffe
Project: The "Harry Potter" star, 19, will reprise his role as a less-than-stable stable boy in a revival of Equus, which was a hit on the "West End" last year. Tony Award winner Richard Griffiths ("The History Boys") also returns as his psychiatrist in the Broadway production, which opens Sept. 25.
• Prospects: Musto thinks Potter's enduring popularity, combined with the "sensationalism of being naked" — Radcliffe's character appears in the buff in one scene — "will be irresistible to fans of a certain age."
Drew Lachey
Project: Nick's kid bro, 31, and fellow boy-band alum, who made his Broadway debut in Rent a few years back, stepped into Spamalot in June.
• Prospects: "The younger Lachey might not be Sir Ian McKellen," Musto says, but ""Spamalot" has already established itself as not being above teen-idol stunt casting. So having 'the brother of the guy who was married to Ashlee Simpson's sister' won't be that much of a blemish on its rep."
Related Stories
ABC News Live