Ashlee Simspon-Wentz Moves From Melrose Place to Broadway
Jude Law in Hamlet, Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, Hugh Jackman in A Steady Rain and now Ashlee Simpson-Wentz in ChicagoHollywood's elite have been hitting the Playbills and paying Broadway's bills.
People magazine reports, "Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is the latest, and possibly biggest, tabloid-ready name in a wave of Hollywood stars to hit New York's Theater District in recent days."
Though the singer, 25, played the role in London, her December revival will mark her Broadway debut. Wentz told People, "I'm honored to be reprising my role as Chicago's Roxie Hart, returning to the stage and joining this amazing cast. Being on Broadway is a childhood dream come true."
But is the celebrity migration from Hollywoodland to Broadway a good thing for the theater industry? One thing is certain: in this economy, celebrities are welcome.
According to The New York Times, "The overall box office receipts demonstrate that while other parts of the entertainment industry have struggled during the recession, Broadway continues to be an attractive destination for tourists and residents of the New York area, partly thanks to major celebrities' headlining shows." Says Philip J. Smith , chairman of the Shubert Organization that owns three of the theaters where celebrities are headlining, "They've been a huge factor in this unusually healthy fall for recession-era Broadway. If only all shows were doing so well."