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Micky Jo Theatre (1:23)
so it would seem as though we need to have a conversation about stunt casting on stage again. And I say this because I keep nearly talking myself into arguments in social media comments sections before I invariably come to the decision that that particular forum isn't the best way to express the nuanced and complicated thoughts that I have about this topic. And whenever I have objectively too much to say about something, this is where I end up. So put on your theatrical seatbelts and get ready for a conversation about what happens when we put celebrities on stage and why we're talking West End, Broadway and beyond as we consider recent stunt casting. Like Whitney Levitt in Chicago. If you don't know, she is one of the Mormon wives whose real lives are currently being explored by Disney. We're also going to talk about trained musical theatre performer and social media sensation Dylan Mulvaney joining the cast of six, the recently announced rotating King Herods in the upcoming West End return of Jesus Christ Superstar, Catherine Tate joining the UK production of O Mary, and the singer Nat Bass playing the role of Jenna in Waitress in Australia. Yes, stunt casting has made its way around the world, and so will today's conversation about it. And in addition to the obvious questions I'd like for us to consider, such as what exactly is stunt casting and for how long does it continue to be stunt casting and when isn't it stunt casting, I would also like for us to have a robust and conscientious conversation about why we are so determined that the alternative to that must be fresh, undiscovered new talent and whether that mindset is in fact a little bit toxic. So much for us to unpack as we proverbially tap step our way onto the landmine that is this potentially incendiary topic. But before we do. Oh my God. Hey. Welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Hello to those of you meeting me for the first time, as well as everyone listening to this on podcast platforms. My name is Micky Jo and I'm obsessed with all things theatre, hence why I have so much to say about it every day of my life. And if you want to hear everything that I have to say about the theatre industry worldwide, including all of my reviews as a critic, make sure you're subscribed here on YouTube or following me on podcast platforms. And if you're looking for the easiest way to stay up to date with everything that I say across the Internet, you can also subscribe my free weekly substack newsletter at the link in the description. And who knows, maybe if enough of you subscribe, I gained sufficient celebrity status that I too can be stunt cast in multiple different shows. Honestly, I'd be thrilled with a walk on role in Cats. Well, not walk, crawl on. Perhaps literally just across the back of the stage. Do not, do not expect me to dance. Anyway, for this to truly be a conversation, I need to hear what you are thinking. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below as we traverse each separate aspect of the world of stunt casting. Is it theatre's commercial lifeline or a morally wrong but necessary evil? Let's talk about it. So to begin with, then, let's make sure we're all on the same page of the script. What is and isn't stunt casting? Because the term has been thrown around for a good long while and I feel as though it is starting to get a little bit misused. I truly was just ready for my head to explode the other day when somebody described Cynthia Erivo's stage return to the West End as stunt casting casting in light of the fact that she had been in the Wicked movies which had boosted her profile. Regardless of the fact that prior to that she had made her name on the West End and Broadway stage and that, you know, she was a RADA trained actress with a Tony Award, for crying out loud. No, just because she's gone and done a film does not mean that Cynthia Erivo is now stunt casting. I think we need a different term for what this Is we talk about event theater. Maybe we need a word like this, whether it is event casting or commercial casting or star casting, but it's not necessarily the same thing. No. Stunt casting historically has been used more specifically for when performers or even non performers from outside of the traditional theatrical realm have been brought into productions in order to create a bit of a splash and sell more tickets and reach potentially a wider audience than that production otherwise would have. And it's a fairly self explanatory marketing decision. The show is struggling at the box office. What happens when we put in a singer or a soap star or a reality TV personality or a retired sports person and it often earns a negative reputation because perhaps unsurprisingly, those individuals are unlikely to give a better performance than trained theater actors, or should I say experienced theatre actors. Because as soon as we talk about training, we actually enter some fairly murky waters. A lot of the pop stars whose later in life stage segues have previously been described as stunt casting were actually, as it turns out, theater trained in their youth. It's just been a long time since they have been in a dramatic. They have been on stages perhaps for their entire life, singing and performing in front of a crowd, but they haven't necessarily played roles as actors. And there is something to be said for developing and maintaining the skill of live theater, which is this incredibly difficult thing to do as a performer. I really think there is nothing more challenging, especially than like a triple threat role in musical theater. The amount of different skills that you have to be able to deploy simultaneously, I mean, it's mind boggling. And what's interesting is you have some newcomers to that realm who are just brilliant and then there are others who have a theatrical background, but who haven't been on stage in years who don't necessarily seem as comfortable in their return. Thinking back to the Cynthia Erivo conversation though, one thing that I think we really ought not to do is to push back against the idea of actors who have moved away from the stage. Coming back to it. I'm reminded of what Hannah Waddingham said in an awards acceptance speech for her role on Ted Lass. Having broken out of the theater world as this veteran of the stage and made a name for herself and boosted her own profile on screen. And she took that opportunity, that large stage, to say West End musical theater actors need to be seen on screen more, advocating for her entire industry. And I think that's what we want ultimately. We want this to be a revolving door in the world of entertainment where stage actors have the opportunity to do more profile boosting and more lucrative screen work that can fit better around family commit. And if it is truly to be a revolving door, then I think we also have to be open to the idea of TV and film actors also making their way onto the stage. And usually that isn't the kind of stunt casting that people begrudge as much as non actors doing their first acting roles. And even then, there's something else I've been wondering about, which is when does stunt casting stop being stunt casting and start being just a career change? Because there are performers, let's say musicians, who don't have an acting background, who have never been on screen, who do theatrical training in their youth, who were never a child, Gavroche or anything, who have taken to the stage. Maybe they were in a UK tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. I promise I'm not thinking of anyone specific, even though it sounds like I am. But thereafter did another musical tour because they sold tickets and they performed well and they were reviewed well and they were popular with audiences and they enjoyed the experience. Let's say we're a decade down the line and they have continued to do a lot of pantomimes, various different touring musicals, maybe a West End credit, they have even done a play. At what point does that person just become a legitimate actor for having done a lot of roles? When does stunt casting stop being stunt casting? And also, who among us is even fit to determine who or what a legitimate actor is? I say this as someone who calls themselves a professional critic and endures a certain amount of pushback for that, but I don't think we can say that it's theatrical training. I don't think we should have to say like, well, actually they trained in their youth, or actually they went to RADA or Italia Conti or whatever prior to TV or social media success. Because there are plenty of brilliant stage performers who didn't do formal training and shouldn't be belittled because of that. I think inevitably the only barometer for their skill and success in a role is their performance. So the only time when it really makes sense to determine whether or not stunt casting has resulted in a good performance is after they've already made their way onto the stage to give one. And yet people are often quick to criticize casting like this before performances have even begun. And something that we hear a lot is that the role ought to have gone to the best person in the room and not simply the person with the biggest profile or the most Instagram Followers. And the problem that I have with this statement, this myth of the best person in the room, is that it's never really true. Not only is it, you know, the best person who actually managed to make their way into the room, who had representation and who was available to make the audition that day and who the casting director wanted to see and who could get themselves submitted for it. It's also whether they happen to be available, whether they hadn't booked another job, whether they gel with the creative team, whether they represented the best version of themselves at the audition, whether they make sense with the rest of the company and roles that may already be cast, whether they make sense for this particular iteration of the show that's happening. And honestly, whether they have the profile in order to be able to sell the thing if it's a big leading role that they're going to be playing. Those are nine different factors right there. Furthermore, you know, they're not racehorses. And the best person for a role, the best person in a room isn't quantifiable to an exact number of decimal places. It's a very different kind of an industry, one which inevitably will only survive by bringing in new audiences to the theater. Which brings us very nicely to some current examples of stunt casting around the world. Let us journey to some different stages and chat about some some.