The waning star(s) of musicals…..

When Spamalot opened on Broadway last year, the name may not have meant much to local audiences, but the names did: Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde Pierce were amongst the stars who opened the show there. Now that it’s on the way to London, the big question was whether we were going to get Tim Curry or Simon Russell Beale, who took over in December from Curry on Broadway, as King Arthur.

That question has now been answered: we are getting both of them, in fact, in succession: Curry to begin with, then Russell Beale once he has completed a run of two plays at the National Theatre that he is returning for in the autumn. But the other question – who else is starring in London? – was also answered at yesterday’s press launch, and I’m surprised at the (lack of) star power: yes, it’s a show that can probably now sell itself, but we’re getting Tom Goodman-Hill as Sir Lancelot (originally Azaria) and Robert Hands as Sir Robin (originally Pierce), who are not exactly household names. While another Broadway import Wicked is yet to reveal its casting hand for its September opening, the recent announcement of the arrival of Avenue Q in the West End in June is also a cast of unknowns; and the forthcoming Evita at the Adelphi (also in June) may yet make a local star of the Argentinian actress being imported for the title role, but otherwise has no saleable names. Nor does Movin’ Out (arriving next month at the Apollo Victoria) or Footloose (at the Novello in April). And The Sound of Music seems intent on not casting a name, either, when it is revived: the search for a star will be conducted by reality television, in the hope of finding a complete unknown.

So in the scheme of things, Curry does, after all, count as the sole name fixture of the forthcoming musical jamboree in London; but what value, ultimately, is a “name” for a musical, when perhaps the brand of the show itself is strong enough? The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Cats have all done very nicely, thank you, without any for most of their runs; but each of them, at least, opened with names (respectively, Crawford/Brightman; Colm Wilkinson/Patti LuPone; Elaine Paige/Brian Blessed/Bonnie Langford/Paul Nicholas etc.) It seems that the London star-driven musical, on the other hand, is largely a thing of the past.