Stunt casting: Celebrity vs Broadway Actor

[@granger.danger]

TIME STAPS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS COMMENT :) ⚠️For everyone saying that Gaten wasn’t stunt cast: At the start of this video (0:23) there’s a disclaimer talking about that. But I’m going to elaborate: I know there’s a debate to where people draw the line when it comes to stunt casting. I am obviously aware that Gaten started his career on Broadway (Gavroche in Les Mis). Therefore, I added said disclaimer in order to explain the how and why some of these celebrities might not be considered stunt casting (where I was mainly talking about Gaten). Still, in the disclaimer I mention how everyone in the list could be considered “star casting”. By that I meant, how every single celebrity in this list became famous OUTSIDE of Broadway. And it wasn’t until they became famous that they starred on Broadway (or in the case of Gaten Matarazzo and Nick Jonas, they RETURNED to Broadway as adults.). Now, I personally consider Gaten star casting (even though he is perfect for the role of Jared). He was a really good Gavroche, but if it wasn’t for Stranger Things, the majority wouldn’t have known he was in Les Mis on Broadway. And still, it’s possible he didn’t went through the audition process for Jared the same way other actors do. When I said that there’s a debate to where people draw the line on stunt casting, I’m talking, for example, how Nick Jonas was on 3 Broadway musicals (he was also Gavroche) before he became famous. But still, everyone considers him stunt casting when he technically only returned to Broadway/West End. Now, as you can see in this video, I’m fully aware that Gaten was a better cast in DEH than Nick Jonas in Les Mis, where some say that part of the definition for stunt casting is when a celebrity is cast in a role that they aren’t well fitted. But that’s a debate. Nevertheless, the point of this video isn’t necessarily about that, as it’s more about seeing the differences/similarities in the performance between a “celebrity” and an actor who’s main work is in theatre (most of the Broadway actors that I referenced in the video originated the role). My mistake was adding a disclaimer about what I mean with celebrity, as I definitely should have added a disclaimer talking about what I mean with Broadway actor. And like I just said, I’m talking about an actor who’s main work is in theatre, where they are mostly known for being on Broadway and constantly star on musicals. So yes, both Nick and Gaten started on Broadway, but currently their main work isn’t in theatre. And they are known for their work OUTSIDE of theatre. Now, I wanted to title this video “star casting” in order to prevent confusion, but I found out that “star casting” doesn’t mean what I thought it meant. Apparently, it means: “An all-star cast”. Which no one in the list fits in that definition. That’s why I just opted with stunt casting (as the majority of this list definitely are) where I was aware I needed to add a disclaimer. I’m really sorry for the confusion.omparing celebrities with actual Broadway actors that originated/played the same role. Enjoy =) Time Stamps: Keke Palmer (Cinderella): 0:48 Cameron Dallas (Mean Girls): 1:38 Nick Jonas (Les Misérables): 2:44 Melissa Benoist (Beautiful): 4:15 Emma Stone (Cabaret): 5:33 Cody Simpson (Anastasia): 6:54 Jordin Spark (Waitress): 8:29 Joe Sugg (Waitress): 10:10 Colleen Ballinger(Waitress) 11:34 Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) 13:40 Jordan Fisher (Dear Evan Hansen): 15:16 Gaten Matarazzo (Dear Evan Hansen) //Sincerely, Me// - Part 1: 16:38 - Part 2: 17:31 Brendon Urie (Kinky Boots) 18:45

[@heathercrupi1233]

Just so you guys know, (and I’m an authority as Gaten’s mother) Gaten went through grueling audition processes for both Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd. He was not offered these roles, he earned them. His first and deepest love is the theatre. He takes his career very seriously and works very hard

[@Mopman33]

@@heathercrupi1233 Can you get me Sweeney Todd Tickets 😂. JK, but you have a very talented son! Don't listen to the haters!

[@helliot666]

I’m gonna skip the relevant comment overall, but on the other hand… Jane Horrocks being considered the stage performer when she’s more famous for being in AbFab 🤷🏽

[@RLucas3000]

@@heathercrupi1233 I have not watched Stranger Things yet, have they done a musical episode? Or might they in the future? Do you think that is something Gaten would enjoy? (The Buffy musical is still the best episode of TV ever as far as I am concerned, maybe Stranger Things could beat it?)

[@RLucas3000]

I’m a little shocked a channel called Granger Danger didn’t choose Darren Criss as the celeb for ‘Brotherhood of Man’, as the second Harry Potter replaced the first Harry Potter in the show.

[@leedraconis5793]

Gods imagine trying act with CAMERON DALLAS as your scene partner. Big props to her for keeping her usual pace while facing such a Sisyphean task

[@celestecainzos6881]

​@oliviabb73849 Reneé must've been mad asf, congrats to her and Erika for being able to kiss him on stage and keeping a straight face all the time

[@M21011]

Everytime a time celebrity came on screen, i was like "oh they're actually doing good" & the Broadway professional would come on & blew them out of the water.

[@hannahlebrecht]

Hahaha, spot on!!

[@yef122]

That was my exact reaction to Nick Jonas then Michael Ball!

[@amydixon2377]

Yep, even when the celebrities did well the Broadway actors shone, either through articulation, emotional expression or breath control. Or more to the point, they had good enough breath control to be apparently on the verge of tears (or whatever the moment called for), and yet belting out a huge note that was 100% clear in its articulation.

[@elmsigreen]

I'm really sad for Nick Jonas because he did a great job... but then he was standing next to some of the greatest performers in the business and just looked so bad in comparison.

[@Valeriamtzp]

​@@elmsigreen Me too, plus, he was just 18, I'd like to think he'd do much better now even if not as great as Michael Ball

[@allysonbua]

cameron dallas sounded like that one boy who got casted in your high school show just because he was a male

[@Rae.Harper]

He sounded like he should have been a tree…

[@Cab1726]

Truly exactly what I was thinking. It’s one thing to lack singing ability, but most talented celebrities would have enough comfort and charm to still get the performance across without looking like they were trying to melt back into the wings and flee to their dressing room. 🫣

[@DiegoSanstwen]

@@Rae.Harper Not if Scarlet Johansson beats him to it

[@wonieism]

absolutely

[@KatieSteedArt1]

*popular*

[@Emylisis]

as someone who has never heard any of these songs before: I could understand DRASTICALLY more of the words when sung by the broadway actors, not to mention how much more emotion was conveyed

[@Cherrypi393]

Yeah I noticed that too. They enunciate better

[@PrinceDamienOfDarkness]

The first rule of an actor is to be heard. If the audience can hear the story you are telling, what's the point?

[@Ellie-rx3jt]

*some* of that is probably that a lot of the celebrity cast videos are shot illegally on potatoes, whereas a lot more of the pro cast ones are official recordings with decent sound equipment. But a lot of it is also the modern pop mumble-singing style Vs well enunciated musical theatre singing.

[@Demonsta]

TBF all the celebrity castings (up to the point I stopped watching) were taken from cellphone footage, while the pro counterparts had official recordings. This video is a really bad representation, even though I also have certain feels about "stunt casting", this creator obviously cherry picked bad quality performances as examples. Like the whole point of a celebrity casting is to create promotional material for the show, there has to be official recordings of at least some of their songs, it's insanely convenient that they chose only examples shot on cellphones... Even the best singer in the world can be ruined by poor audio mixing, the pros in this vid did not need that kind of cheap advantage to outshine the celebrity counterparts.

[@angelicaterry3367]

making sure to hit every consonant is taught in drama school or specific drama classes that recognise stage craft as the gold standard. A lot of screen actors don't enunciate properly but it only becomes obvious on stage because the cheap seats can barely understand you and on top of that they struggle to project their voices.

[@klee_.fangirl]

Nick Jonas was actually incredible, but then I heard Michael Ball... he was absolute breathtaking. It brough actual tears to my eyes.

[@thebishopofme]

It's the difference of classical training and voice type. Nick was awesome, but Michael Bell is in a league of his own. I enjoyed both versions, but Bell's was just that much more amazing.

[@mieulrichsen8578]

Celebrities: doing an adequate job of singing (except Cameron Dallas) Broadway actors: bringing soul and life to the characters

[@peggyknecht5551]

Exactly. They were emoting.

[@Niggity_giggity]

I think keke did really good too

[@aldranzam3456]

Ngl Nick Jonas was amazing, but he's a singer more than an actor. Of course the broadway singers are more emotion driven in their singing style. And I love how Daniel Radcliffe sings too-

[@PrincessOfTheYew]

I thought Jordin Sparks ate

[@hisdeathmygain]

@@PrincessOfTheYew That was one that the celebrity (Jordin) and the broadway actor (Jessie Mueller)where both so insanely awesome. Either one in the lead would be a fantastic production.

[@rickyricardo9710]

My biggest takeaway from this is just how different of a style broadway and theatre acting/singing are from other media. None of the celebrities were bad singers (well, except Cameron Dallas and maybe Joe Sugg), but the broadway performers' voices were just so much more full, rich, and relaxed even if they were both hitting the same notes. And none of the celebrities were bad actors (well, except Cameron Dallas), but the broadway performances felt much more naturalistic and polished. It just somehow feels more right with the broadway actors.

[@michelcomenta]

exactly and most of these celebrities had a musical background (well, except Cameron Dallas)

[@macacalocaedoida]

Come on guys, everyone deserves a chance. (well, except Cameron Dallas).

[@juliasings6131]

And tbf a big reason for that is probably because the broadway actors are used to the broadway schedule, and a lot of the stunt casts probably haven't had to use their voices to that scale every single night many times in the past, so they aren't prepared for it

[@growingupwithdisney]

🤣🤣🤣you're so right, everyone literally wasn't too bad (well, except Cameron Dallas)

[@svens.1871]

Yeah and at least they could entertain the audience (well, except Cameron Dallas)

[@KaynDarlene]

Jordan sparks talent is absolutely insane. Her note didn't shake once her breath control is astounding.

[@raquelnunes9793]

Ikr

[@mariereau3783]

she impressed me the most tbh

[@bozzie1904]

kimiko be able to sing whilst moving around vs colleen who cant at all is a perfect example

[@daughter_of_eros]

personally i didn’t like colleen’s version at all. this was def not her song and it was very strained you can tell. dancing would also make it much more difficult

[@minisnakali]

I think its very clear she can sing she just isn't fit for this kind of song, I think she did very well but compared to Kimiko she doesn't come close, its pratice vs talent and Kimiko has praticed far more and it shows

[@J.MahargJust]

I genuinely love Kimiko so mucj

[@irinakermong1217]

See, the thing with Nick Jonas is that if he was in a high school production, he'd be a perfectly adequate Marius. Dude never stood a chance against Rob Houchen or Michael Ball.

[@musicalmeg19]

Absolutely! And then they cast him in a production with Lea Salonga, Ramin Karimloo, Norman Lewis, etc and the poor guy really was out of his depth. He could've been an OK choice for the movie.

[@BethDiane]

Give him ten years or so.

[@krussell1608]

I thought he was brilliant!

[@Likewhoa300]

I totally disagree. I think Nick was a perfect Marius. Vocal styling and fullness are big deviations here but I think he was better suited for the role than Michael Ball. And I actually love Nick’s voice. Again, hard to compare because their voices are so different but Marius is supposed to have this innocence and youthful optimism and even naivety at times that I think Nick had inherently even years later. Michael’s voice is phenomenal, no question, but I think Nick is the better Marius.

[@khills]

He really should have been compared to an age-appropriate Broadway actor, tho - of COURSE Michael Ball is going to sound better!

[@abbiegclark]

Can we talk about how Daniel Radcliffe absolutely slayed that? He made me smile so big.

[@Skeepers_]

YES! also the fact that he sang PERFECTLY while literally SPRINTING across the stage?!?

[@englishatheart]

No we can't. You don't have to ask permission before talking about it. 😛 And his voice is not remotely good enough to contend with most of the non celebrities on Broadway.

[@abbiegclark]

@@englishatheart Why is this reply so aggressive 💀

[@Ash-xt1ej]

@@englishatheartyikes calm down. She was just complimenting his performance.

[@Skeepers_]

@@englishatheart who hurt you?

[@grandlordSpencer]

This really shows the difference between a good celebrity cast and a stunt cast! You've got folks like Urie in Kinky Boots or Jordin Sparks in Waitress who can carry the parts with their own merits and takes on the vocals and performance choices, and then...you've got Cameron Dallas.

[@klaradvorak2633]

Brendan Urie is incredibly talented

[@lorencappelson6475]

Brandon Urie is such an insane vocalist, I would have loved to have seen him in Kinky Boots

[@boojersey13]

​@@lorencappelson6475 It's a shame hes apparently used up his vocal chords already, I heard that he did the whistle tones so much and strained so much he even misses notes now :/

[@alexiah6362]

@@boojersey13I saw him live at the end of the Viva Las Vengence tour and he was doing his usual adlibed high notes etc, and he was phenomenal!!! An amazing performer still

[@MG-mn7ig]

@@boojersey13he didn’t, that’s what people who hate him say. He sounded incredible til the very last Panic concert. He never over strained his voice like people claim.

[@KBeom7]

Of all the celebrity casts, though, I think Daniel Radcliffe really killed it. He seems at home at the theatre

[@priscilliambemba8888]

It’s because event though he is worldwide famous as Harry Potter he is also a trained theatre performer now and he just won a Tony.

[@Sammy-S]

​@@priscilliambemba8888 It really showed in his performances tbh

[@KnarfStein]

​@@priscilliambemba8888 He won a Tony 😮?

[@ginger_L3]

the way my jaw actually dropped when it got to kimiko glenn her vocal control is insane, especially compared to colleen who sounds out of breath the whole time

[@birdie7910]

And she's also dancing and moving so much more. Kimiko ate

[@oliverdelica2289]

I did not know Colleen was Miranda Sings too 😂

[@garrettr3644]

literally

[@michelcomenta]

Not only did Cameron sing like he had a gun pointed at his head, but he acted like it as well. Imagine paying to see him as Aaron when you had Kyle who absolutely killed it in the role. I'd ask for my money back

[@imbored5095]

I'm so glad I saw Kyle and even got a picture with him

[@laurenhunt1245]

And alongside Renee rap too👀

[@ButterFlyGardenBlossom]

Okay that was the most hilarious comparison in the video 😂 Kyle sounded so pretty and Cameron sounded so bored

[@kandyappleview]

Yeah on Caneron's I was definitely thinking these tickets aren't cheap I want my money back

[@theforgottencompanion]

It’s funny, cause you can really notice in the stunt casting who has a background in musical theatre, who was cast as an actor who can sing, who was cast for their singing abilities, and who was just cast for the sake of being a known name (Cameron Dallas)

[@keltzy]

My favorite thing is of all the celebrities in this, Cameron Dallas is the only one I've never heard of.

[@larynadams1127]

I'm assuming thise celebrities would be Brendon, Keke, and Jordan Sparks in that order right?

[@jazzy3120_]

emma stone, keke palmer, jordan sparks and yes cameron and colleen

[@aproperusername]

The thing is cameron dallas wasn't even that known, he was on his peak during 2014-2016 and his fame never really went beyond what magcon is so i don't even know what is the reason for them to cast him

[@carolinamariaicardi3760]

It’s interesting how a lot of the non theater actors have very little variation in dynamics in their performances meanwhile the theater actors sing with much more dynamic range.

[@Shay45]

There are very specific reasons for this.

[@medealkemy]

​@@Shay45 Which ones ?

[@samoanbiscuit8795]

​@@medealkemy For commercial singers, the main consideration is having a distinct sound and style, and one that is "commercial" i.e that fits the taste of the music buying and streaming audience. They also do most of their work in a recording studio, where autotune, vocal layering and dynamic adjustments are used. Diction, clarity and projection are not generally concerns for many modern singers. Think of the slurred syllables of SZA, the disappearing consonants of Ariana Grande (who started off in musical theater!), the vocal cracks of Sia. Conversely, most big Broadway names will never crack the Hot 100 outside of a Disney song feature because their style of singing is not considered to the taste of most music listeners.

[@jonanewyorker]

Perfectly said!

[@judahsawyer2029]

Daniel Radcliffe left the silver screen to whole heartedly pursue Broadway. He goes in the Broadway category in my mind.

[@Sharpe1502]

Even when he was still Harry Potter, he was doing stage stuff. That man loves the stage.

[@alleycat-oy5kv]

​​@@Sharpe1502 I saw him in London in The cripple of Innishmaan and he was so good. I was shocked because I thought he was a bit wooden in the HP movies. But you could have heard a pin drop in the theater when he was performing.

[@benwusten5179]

AND won a tony for his work ♥

[@jamiegdubois]

I saw him in How To Succeed in Business and he was fantastic!

[@secretninja247]

Gaten also started off as a Broadway kid I think 😛

[@teaganthordarson1770]

The fact that they had to change the key for so many of these celebrities. If a regular theatre actor went into an audition and asked to have the key of their main song changed, they would laugh them off the stage.

[@daughter_of_eros]

Which songs did they do key changes for I don’t wanna go back and listen- Also yeah I agree it’s insane to change the key for someone of a big song- like bro they can find someone better who will sing the song and be grateful and qualifyied for the role 🙏 😭

[@harryfranklin1263]

There are cases of shows changing the original keys to better suit the voices of replacement actors, even when they're not celebrities. I believe Andrew Barth Feldman was singing some of the Evan Hansen songs a half step down for part of his run, and I know that the West End production of Moulin Rouge lowered the key of Roxanne. A lot of Broadway songs were written to fit the voice of the original actor so it's not unheard of for the score to be changed for replacements, but you're right that it's much more likely to happen for celebrity stunt casts than for regular Broadway actors

[@bluejay9638]

​@@harryfranklin1263 To be fair, most shows come with acceptable alternate keys. If an actor an amazing fit but it's just a little high, sometimes it's a change directors are willing to make. It's all about what sounds best for the actor to perform. Granted, it's just cause these people are rich so there's that lol

[@sirnoobsalot101]

​@@daughter_of_eros My Petersburg was dropped 4 keys (half-steps)

[@dogsar4]

@oliviabb73849 what??😭😭

[@mirukusheki]

I'm not much of a theater or music enthusiast, but what I got from this video alone is that theater singers seem to have a different resonance to their voice. They have booming voices, like their voices echo from within.

[@stuartm6069]

Theatre actors are trained to sing to the back row of the theater. Many theaters outside of Broadway don't have good sound systems. So, when they are learning, they have to belt it out. Those who are trained in Movie and television are playing to a specific point, mainly the camera. So their performances tend to be much more subdued.

[@solaceskies1]

Agreed! Which makes the performance 10x felt!

[@maggierappa417]

I think another difference is most (not all) stunt castings tend to just sing the notes on the page and act with their faces only. Whereas theater singers act in both their faces as well as the notes

[@chelsearoses22]

As Kristin Chenoweth once sang, you have to breathe from your hoo-hah ...seriously to get that good support you have to feel and breathe from way down below. My voice teacher told when she did operas, one of her friends would clench her buttcheeks any time she was on stage. That will help too with the support 😅seriously

[@lovenotegestapo]

My vocal coach always said, "Project from the asshole." It works

[@hank_430]

There’s a crispness that professional theatre performers have just by the very nature of the medium they are proficient in. When vocals HAVE to be heard *and* understood, even in the nosebleeds, they have to be and are trained for that specific skill. Even with how advanced tech is these days, a mic isn’t magic and it comes down to training, YEARS of training. I applaud the non-Broadway actors for even attempting a medium so outside of their skills but I am saddened that we don’t get to see the real professional at work bc financially they are seen as unmarketable compared to a “famous” actor.

[@musicfangirl7403]

Yes to this. The art form of musical theatre is telling a story through song. The point is the hear the lyrics. And that crispness is essential. The modern way of singing is to be all mumbly and do lots of runs. Dynamics are important in theatre but all the vocal doodling is not.

[@VenusAD]

Yes, this! I was trying to put into words that just...extra something the pros have and this captures it exactly. They're also just amazing at conveying emotion and story while still putting out incredible vocals and they know exactly where to not go as hard for narrative impact.

[@lux279]

10000% agreed!! So wonderfully said!!

[@mushlii]

Those in the theatre tend to annunciate more because they are trained for that clean crisp noise, they also project wayyy more because in theatre you need to. Especially if you were a high school theatre kid with no mics lol

[@caittails]

The thing I’m noticing is that the celebrities seem to be one of two things: either clearly trying to express an emotion but afraid to commit to the big actions the stage requires, or over-committing to the big actions without thinking about if that action matches the emotion and energy of the moment.

[@rosariomsoley]

Fantastic conclusion. Agree!

[@beawriting]

Yep. The phrasing and breathe control. With the celebrities, if they can song, all they can do is belt it with no nuance.

[@nikibronson133]

Some did good though

[@noshoes1588]

They also use their hands to act rather than facial expressions where the Broadway people have the faces down

[@nikibronson133]

@@noshoes1588 eh it’s give and take bc in theater you don’t what’s want to hide your face. All of them used their hands. I have to disagree with this

[@OlivReme]

2:06 I was reading the comments in this part and thought "Oh wait Cameron got better at the end" then realized that it was the other guy singing 😂

[@jabathepegasus]

I did the same thing 😭😭😭

[@geckopecko]

literally same lmao

[@beckiesuesim2157]

Daniel Radcliffe and Brendan Urie absolutely killed their rolls.

[@Harry-gc8kb]

Brendan Urie is the best celebrity singer on that list so that's expected

[@downinthemack]

keke too

[@OfficialAtticus]

@@downinthemackehhh, Paige Faure gave more acting. Keke has a nice voice but she didn’t really feel interested in the book but Paige held it out to admire it, like it was a jewel

[@downinthemack]

@@OfficialAtticus i disagree, keke has a lot of acting experience. plus she can sing, but to each their own.

[@OfficialAtticus]

@@downinthemack Can you give an example of something you can take away from kekes performance in the clip?

[@panchish]

giggling at nick jonas vs michael ball you know what you did w this comparison 😭😭

[@chappelled]

“oh he’s decent” “never mind”

[@panchish]

@@chappelled famously never compared performances from the 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary

[@j.s.viewer3923]

The comparison would’ve been a tie for me if they had done John Lloyd Young (Marius @ 2008 Hollywood Bowl) vs Michael Ball. Obviously Michael is amazing, but John’s my favorite version, tbh. Though John’s still more Broadway famous than famous-famous which wouldn’t quite fit the comparison they’re going for here.

[@sushishishu]

I thought he was amazing after Cameron Dallas 💀 then i was like "oh"

[@kaylahensley1581]

Honestly I still like Nick Jonas’s Marius. Michael Ball killed him with the vocals, but he sounded more manly and mature like he should be playing Jean Valjean Nick was more believable as a young man still wet behind the ears.

[@imogenkrause5790]

jordan fisher sounded SO GOOD but ben platt's fidgety awkward mannerisms really bring the character to life

[@tahlia__nerds_out]

Jordan gives off “cool” vibes to me, if that makes any sense. He just doesn’t feel as awkward as Ben Platt. Both can definitely sing, but Ben Platt embodies the character of Evan Hansen.

[@e.dalesmith-gallo6897]

Actually, after hearing many (many) Evans over the years, I really appreciated that Jordan Fisher was the only one that I ever heard that wasn't doing his "best Ben Platt impersonation". Ben Platt is amazing in the role, but I loved that-- years after it debuted-- Jordan Fisher worked to put his own fingerprint on the role.

[@ThatWeirdo04]

Is it just me or did Ben sound a bit out of breath in that performance?

[@tahlia__nerds_out]

@@ThatWeirdo04 it might be on purpose… Evan Hansen is told to stop hyperventilating at one point. I can see where the character would talk (sing) fast enough to make himself gasp a bit

[@chappelled]

jordan just never like. fit. he’s just too cool

[@annarichardson3944]

I think the main difference is that the Broadway actors LOVE being up there and it absolutely shows. Like you can tell that there's absolutely nothing else in the world that they would want to do with their time, whereas the celebrities clearly like being on the stage but you can tell there isn't the same passion or love being put into their performance

[@dumblebee9167]

Honestly I’d say Dan Radcliffe is an exception there. Dude clearly LOVES the theatre.

[@FaydOgolon]

I remember an article after Andy Gibb died. It stated that he thoroughly enjoyed the glamor of opening night of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in LA. But he wanted every night to be like opening night, and for Broadway-style theatre, after opening night, it just becomes a job for most people. I have to wonder how Cameron Dallas performed on opening night.

[@clairethompson5549]

This was absolutely clear in Dallas Cameron’s clip. It looked like he wanted to be doing literally anything else in that moment.

[@richardmayora1289]

What rubbish! Exactly how do you measure that somebody loves being on stage versus somebody who doesn’t? This is just stupid theater snobbery

[@annarichardson3944]

@@richardmayora1289 I 100% see your point and think that's a super valid opinion! All I meant was that people who are on Broadway first generally have wanted to be on Broadway their entire lives and because of that have worked ridiculously hard to get into theatre BFA programs that generally accept 12 - 30 kids per program, and then after that they had to deal with barely getting by auditioning like crazy, working as a waiter so that they'll have time to stand for hours and hours in line in hopes that they'll be seen at ALL, and in the end if they end up getting a job doing the thing they risked all that for, I think it shows. I definitely didn't mean to take away from the celebrity's experiences, because I'm sure most of them experienced similar things with film acting which is probably part of why they shine so nicely on the screen! And I'm sure some of them also wanted to be on broadway when they were younger, but all I meant was that there's a difference in energy when you risked everything to get that job versus having a different job you risked everything for(in most cases) and now you get the opportunity to do a fun little short term job doing something you really really like.

[@GenesisLuciano-yf5xf]

Jordin Sparks literally brought me to tears oh my goodness she is so talented

[@SpaceCase69]

I think the major difference between the celebrity and broadway actors is the ability to emote through their singing. The Jordin Sparks/Jessie Mueller and Brendon Urie/Stark Sands comparisons show that the best, because while those celebrities do a killer job technically, it doesn't feel like watching a character, it feels like watching a singer perform a cover.

[@deseuryderia]

so true. jordin was quite good but it was a bit too light. i feel like it needs to be a bit more gutteral and desperate, and it’s kinda a running theme with a lot of the celebs, the singing in and of itself isn’t horrible, sometimes it’s pretty good, but the character just isn’t there. theatre is such a juggling game between singing, character and dance (which, i mean, if you’re not dancing, i feel like the first 2 should be really on point). on film you can rely on editing and other people to fix a lot of your mistakes… absolutely NOT on theatre, though. 😭😭

[@LindsayCatherine]

Kimiko’s Dawn was a full body reset for me. A new dawn rose.

[@jakewmonty]

Daniel Radcliffe is slightly different on the “celebrity” list-since he actually went above and beyond to acquire the skills for the stage. (Opposed to the typical “plug and play” of most celebrity castings.)

[@granger.danger]

I agree, Darren Criss/Nick Jonas (his replacements) are more of stunt casts. I mean, can it really be stunt casting when he originated the role in that production? Selfishly, because I enjoy Daniel Radcliffe’s performance so much, I wanted to include him to show that stunt/star castings aren’t always bad when the “celebrity” is well prepared.

[@KaylaMarieYT]

@@granger.danger considering it was a revival i would say yes, it’s stunt casting. just like casting jane lynch in funny girl or bette milder in hello dolly.

[@goodyougetastar]

@@granger.danger tbf to Darren though, he did go to school for musical theater. And of course everyone already knows Nick had been on Broadway before. Def both are still more stunt cast-y than not.

[@goodyougetastar]

@@KaylaMarieYT I prob wouldn't consider Bette a stunt cast since she has a looong history on Broadway and in musical theater in general. She just so happened to have become a big celebrity since the start of her career.

[@lennies_mindful_life]

These days Daniel wouldn't be classed as stunt casting but back then it definitely was, im old enough to remember the hype around it

[@aristired6252]

Gaten Matarazzo essentially took a break from Broadway to do some screen acting. It looks like he’s going to back to Broadway now with Sweeney Todd, it’s unfortunate that he’s always going to be seen as “lesser than” just because his role in a stranger Things is more well known. Some of these celebrity castings aren’t really stunt casting imo. Just because they’re more known for a certain television or film role, doesn’t mean that they aren’t trained or aren’t originally theatre actors. They’ve gotten their foot in the door and their name known to the general public, plus they have the proper capabilities. It makes sense to cast them. Now Cameron Dallas, on the other hand. That’s stunt casting💀

[@Simplenotion]

Who sees him as "less as"? Certainly not most theatre actors whom most of would love to do film work (which generally pays much better) - there even was a skit about this with Laura Benanti, Megan Hilty and Andrew Rannells. There's nothing less than about either work. It's just different and requires different skillsets.

[@simpleplanfan011]

I don’t think he will. Great actors like Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren started out in theater then progressed to the screen. They certainly aren’t viewed as less.

[@robtooley4002]

​@@SimplenotionI don't think all theater actors, or even most, would prefer film over stage. It's such a different style and there is nothing like feeding off the energy of a live audience when everything is in sync. It's magic. Not everything is about money. Movies are more quiet, out of order, done in pieces. It's hard to get hyped up to do a scene sometimes when it is totally out of order so isn't byilding on anything. It's fun and interesting but they are totally different types of acting and not every actor wants to or can do both. I was fortunate to do a local show with someone who had starred on Broadway in a couple of shows and off Broadway as well. For one, he got rave reviews and was dumped for a stunt casting. It's heartbreaking to do that to someone's career for someone who needs neither the exposure or the money. Also, sometimes it's hard to see celebrities as anything but the celebrity. It's nice to get lost in the characters. That being said, some of these celebrities were excellent.

[@mayita1usa]

@@robtooley4002 Sounds a little like "Pierre and Natasha"...

[@Des17S]

I was looking for this. Some TV actors start off on Broadway actually. Especially if they're child actors. That's why this video was likely going to be a mistake for me because just seeing the thumbnail...Keke palmer has been in theater since she was really really young.

[@StinkSkink]

Daniel Radcliff is a STUNNINGLY talented performer and never fails to exceed my expectations in everything he does

[@Torrey33327]

He seemed to need breath control. But I liked him.

[@kiriko12]

I think we should all collectively appreciate the fact that Jordin Spark did an absolutely amazing job on she used to be mine

[@MariAnKenobi]

You can hear how she’s not opening her mouth or throat enough. Especially when compared to the actual broadway singer after her. The “Used to be miiiiine”s are especially obvious.

[@deseuryderia]

the singing was good, but i feel like the character wasn’t 100% there. it was a bit too polished, since the characters is quite literally in the lowest place in her life, so i feel like making it sound more gutteral, raw and desperate makes sense. it’s not exclusive to her though, most celebrity casts are superficial and wondering about “am i hitting these notes?” rather than “did i develop this character enough?”

[@emma-grace]

How is no one talking about Melissa Benoist?? She did great, really held her own!

[@nghnnn2991]

She was in theater before she was on tv so it makes sense

[@GA-fn8hr]

Her piano playing was funny tbh,

[@jjam1025]

​​@@GA-fn8hrthe vid is kinda not synced

[@findme7585]

I actually liked her performance a bit better!!

[@xiaomifeng]

i wasnt very shocked by her performance bc she was phenomenal as marley in glee

[@kingofmeereen]

Colleen Ballinger literally going to college for Vocal Performance and sounding like that is actually kinda sad 😭

[@sterlingross919]

I love how she completely ignores the southern accent for the entire song except for when she says “I am”… like girl, stay in your lane.

[@stellasdoesstuff]

As much as I hate complement her, her voice usually is better than this. It seems she just cannot keep up her breath support while dancing around as Dawn. Which, I mean, singing and dancing at the same time is kinda the point of musicals

[@kingofmeereen]

@@stellasdoesstuff her voice USED to be better than this.* Her older singing sounds pretty good. But after years of doing the Miranda voice and barely singing professionally with her own voice, I think she honestly forgot how to properly sing. Her livestream concerts show how much she struggles to sing regardless of material. She’s never really sounded good singing pop so that’s a given, but you’d think as a musical theatre girl, she’d nail Broadway showtunes. But that’s just not the case. Now belting isn’t really her forte, so let’s grant her that leeway - she studied opera specifically. But even her head voice hasn’t sounded good for quite some time now tbh. When you get paid to sing horribly, at some point you probably just forget how to sing well ‘cause there’s not much utility in sounding good for you.

[@GrainneMhaol]

She probably needed a ukalele.

[@eeeeeeeee9895]

She lost her voice on the toxic gossip train

[@imateakettle]

The most prominent difference I notice is that the Broadway actors generally have better vowels than the celebrities. Their placement is also better and their mouth is shaped better, for lack of more eloquent wording.

[@Caulderone]

Good post. In my one and only vocal class we started to learn about how to pronounce consonants and vowels. It can be complex. I think I understand your post. Vibrato also seems to be placed rather than randomly used.

[@imateakettle]

@ Vibrato placement on the broadway actors is soo good. Vibrato can come naturally, but it’s clear who’s trained to use it 😂

[@kalels4459]

matching nick up against THEEE MICHAEL BALL is cruel 😭 im dying tho

[@nikkinadler4543]

no bc i was like damn nick was pretty good and then michael started singing and i was like 😀😀 oh ☝️

[@rhi-y8d]

I mean, that's what the casting people did when they cast him for the 25th anniversary production. It was always going to be compared to the 10th anniversary performance of Michael Ball 😬

[@Indomitable_Alykat]

Cameron Dallas' performance was actually painful 😭 I've never heard someone sound so bored. Kyle Selig on the other hand was a phenomenal Aaron

[@brandonroffina2304]

i almost feel bad for him it was so so bad

[@Violinst_Bee]

I'M CRYING THIS IS SAVAGE

[@jaqui1401]

the fact that someone with that poor singing level was able to debut on broadway is just so unfair

[@jariah92005]

Omg yes, I was like “what high school performance is this?”.

[@FaydOgolon]

@@jariah92005 That's exactly my thought. This is how I felt when we were performing in our high school musicals.

[@woogie2345]

emoting and enunciating for live stage performance is soo different, this video shows that so well. for the most part the celebrities do really well, their training just wasn’t specific to this particular art

[@shugadri]

imo brendon urie was literally killing it w the emotion & the high belting and it was honestly just giving idk why he didn’t play that role longer that was literally iconic

[@hanonondricek411]

Yeah, A: _Damn Brendon Urie..._ B: All of his music is very theatrical so he totally knows how to work a stage.

[@kpwxx]

Yeah, a big difference I noticed was a tendency for the "broadway" actors to just give bigger performances, more movement and really extreme emotion shown which tracks because the people at the back of the circle need to see it, whereas as a close up in a movie it'd seem way too OTT. But Brendon very much had that vibe too which also makes perfect sense given his music and performance style.

[@TheUnmitigatedDawn]

Brendon Urie is not an ordinary celebrity Brendon Urie is Brendon Urie

[@SingingLeon69]

He was so good

[@annaxxxx99]

The main difference is you can tell the celebrities are "performing" while the Broadway actors are just being their characters.

[@Pastadudde]

There's also the factor of the Bway performers (most of them) used in this comparison originated the roles, so they essentially ARE the characters.

[@sonablom]

Especially saw that with Brendon urie he performed well, but I saw Brendon performing not Charlie reaching a point of character development

[@TeenyWeenyDork]

thissss! like, they were mostly amazing singers! but the emotion felt more lost to me

[@candaceroberts3238]

Some of the celebrity singers sounded like they were just shouting the songs at us.

[@ellaqyk]

EXACTLY!!!

[@BriBri897]

Most competent vocalists can sing the songs from Waitress… but it’s difficult to bring the heart the performances need. Every character in that play is so sincere, that’s why you can’t cast sociopathic losers like creepy Colleen 😂

[@laneysharp223]

All I could hear was Miranda when she was singing

[@imateakettle]

@@laneysharp223even when she was talking too

[@Villan.00]

It was painful to listen to her even ignoring the drama. Song ate her

[@BJ_Freeplay]

I did not realize she was actually THAT bad at singing??? I thought that was supposed to be her thing or something, but hot damn I could barely understand her!! And she was singing one of my favorite pieces, how did she even get cast?!

[@moreandmore7962]

Waitress' "When He Sees Me" is actually hard to perform. I agree that most competent vocalists can sing it. But the performance requires the actor to has good breathing technique as the character heavily danced, being tossed around, while belting in 5th octave notes. And Eb5 is kinda a tricky note. But yeah Colleen is the worst Dawn ever lol. Colleen didn't even move around as much as Kimiko and other Dawn actors. She's not ready for the role of Dawn. I saw Colleen's "Opening Up" from Waitress and I don't like it too. While Opening Up is a much easier song than When He Sees Me and didn't require heavy dance, well barely dance, she still somehow couldn't perform it decently. Probably because her Miranda singing, she became so attached to that voice 😂

[@akisorax]

Can we all agree that Daniel Radcliffe absolutely ate?

[@jayemm7942]

as an outsider to theatre community my observations: many actors seem to be giving more with less apparent effort than the celebrities. like they are super talented + have invisible vr system which convinces them they’re really in the world they’re showing to the audience + still aware of the overlaid 3d space occupied by the viewers, mindful of how their physical form and voice and “presence” relates to this unnaturally lit space occupied by unusual and varied perspectives + innately gifted in emotional awareness and expression. i enjoyed it alot, thanks for putting this together!

[@ChloeJohnson-cl9rz]

It’s something I love about stage acting. You lose yourself in the role while still retaining what ends up being muscle memory of how to play to an audience. And I think broadway vocal performance is some of the most technically challenging and rewarding because of the need for projection, enunciation, when to not be too vocally perfect because of the character, etc. I just love it lol.

[@IsobelKelly-ly3nz]

Ok but for Nick Jonas,he was quite good,the thing is NOBODY can top Michael Ball so it's a hard competition,but overall Nick did quite well!

[@mithramusic5909]

I actually preferred Nick because he's so much better for the role. The character shouldn't sound like a fifty year old mature operatic baritone. I think that's why I prefer a lot of non-Broadway performers in that show in particular

[@gracebonifabulous]

exactly! I thought he did a wonderful job

[@Villan.00]

@@mithramusic5909i will always defend Nick here! He was Marius and i could believe him. But for me perfect choice would beRob Houchen. But I’m just big fan of les mis cast from west end 2013

[@mystery1317]

FR, when I saw they put him up against Michael Ball I went "well, that's just not fair!" . Personally, I think his youthful vibe suited the character super well and he did a good job, but stacking him against the likes of Alfie Boe, Samantha Barks, Ramin Karimloo, etc was doing him dirty!

[@nightlydrugs6927]

In one of the anniversary performances, Enjolras was Ramin Karimloo, and when he sang anywhere near Marius it was like aaahhhh stop it lol.

[@moirabrown6105]

Jordin Sparks has a gorgeous voice and I'm so glad she was cast in that role she sang the song beautifully! But damn Jessie Mueller just makes me cry. Instantly. I'm at a loss to describe how she does it.

[@juliannehannes11]

It should have been Jordan Donica, Jordan Fischer was too pop for the role and strained his voice trying to keep up with Josh Groban. He can't do opera.

[@ThatWeirdo04]

Jordin did just fine, but Jessie is sublime

[@chattanoogastatehealthscie6668]

@@juliannehannes11what show are you talking about?

[@cucckles]

Jordin sparks really did have a lovely voice, it just feels like she was missing some of the emotion

[@marissabulso6439]

I know!! Jessie’s performance tears me to shredddds. I don’t know how she does it.

[@AimlessSky]

There's always a stereotype that once a broadway actor ventures and succeed outside broadway (e.g. in movies and tv), they are automatically no longer considered as part of the community. And if they were to return, they'll always be treated as a celebrity or stunt casting.

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

Yeah it’s kinda bull crap honestly.

[@phenominiallmusic]

I don’t think patti lupone or Sutton foster would be considered stunt casting

[@RD-vt9uu]

@@phenominiallmusicWhat about Hugh Jackman?

[@mushlii]

YES, I hate this. Once a theatre kid always a theatre kid lol, just because you go outside the stage doesn’t mean you are less a stage actor. That’s why I love when big movie actors were apart of plays wayy before and were even on broadway.

[@nyckaren]

@@mushlii Exactly. Ian McKellen is a great example of this. He says go see my movies but to really get your money's worth come see me at the theatre.

[@kastensok]

I was fortunate enough to see “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” back in 2011 with Daniel Radcliffe as Pierpont and he was amazing! His timing, dedication, chemistry with his fellow performers, and dancing. Who knew Harry Potter could do that? 😆

[@ambermeridy7550]

Jordin Sparks voice sounded so powerufl and effortless! Excellent casting!

[@annathefirst5424]

Who allowed Cameron Dallas to be on Broadway?

[@skyhi5274]

Exactly

[@d43imoet]

That was excruciating I’m sorry 😭😩 Same goes with Nick Jonas, the reason I don’t listen to the 25th anniversary as much as I do for 10th anniversary. Which is a shame, because Ramin was Enjolras 🙃

[@MusicalTheaterGeek24601]

@@d43imoet really? he was jean vealjean in the 2014 broadway revival. and i think that andy mientus was the best marius with eddie redmane as a close second

[@alyzu4755]

@@d43imoet I feel a bit sorry for Nick Jonas. It seemed like he wanted to have a real musical theater career, he just doesn't have the chops.

[@tomoreilly5803]

@@d43imoetNick jonas wasn’t terrible, when youre in a cast with basically the avengers you’re gonna sound weak

[@nonducorduco7356]

There is something magical about a classically trained broadway singer and how they sing and it's insane to see the difference side by side, even if the celebrity is known to be a singer.

[@ellie6475]

At least most of these people can actually sing- I’ll never forgive Mean Girls for casting Cameron Dallas

[@TamagotchiFreakFan]

even before the drama went down, i never really understood the casting for colleen as dawn in waitress. she's not necessarily a terrible singer bur she's sooo clearly out of her depth here. i remember the vlogs of all her fans showing up (mostly teenage girls who said this was their first time seeing a broadway show) and all of her hardcore fans defending her lackluster performances online when the reviews came out but this video lays it out perfectly.

[@tardybloomer]

i had no idea Kimiko wasn’t in the celebrity category, since my introduction to her was through a netflix show. nice to know that she’s literally IN theatre! 🥰

[@phoebexxlouise]

Thanks for always showing the celebrity first, to give me the chance to think "What's wrong? They did a great job" before being proven wrong

[@misskingii]

I mean, they might not have been amazing, but they certainly didn’t sound like they didn’t do a great job either, with the complete exception of cameron dallas a d emma stone

[@dish3151]

@@misskingii Emma Stone is playing Sally Bowles - a second-rate cabaret singer, who will never have a successful acting/singing career. I get that it doesn't sound very pretty but she absolutely nails the character.

[@misskingii]

@@dish3151 Oh, she's supposed to sound like that? Got it. I had no idea.

[@WelcomeApathy]

@@dish3151 Yeah, it was not the best comparison for people unfamiliar with why she was singing the way she was.

[@krazykittymatt]

I know you already talked about Gaten. But don't forget this was actually Kimiko Glenn's Broadway debut. She toured with Spring Awakening when she was younger. But people knew her from Netflix too. She was in Orange Is the New Black two years before she came into the role of Dawn. There was actually two other actresses who work shopped it and did the trial before her before it finally made it to Broadway, including Barrett Wilbert Weed.

[@quinnaddison420]

The other was Jeanna De Waal.

[@chelsear534]

who did she play in spring awakening?

[@bonniemartinez-jackson]

kimiko def defies stunt casting ❤

[@quinnaddison420]

@@bonniemartinez-jackson knowing what she actually got paid for Orange Is the New Black, idk if it’s technically stunt casting

[@bonniemartinez-jackson]

what i mean is she NOT stunt casting she defies it bc she started on Broadway and is so talented and so good on Broadway AND TV and she’s not that famous, just super talented!

[@mirandasuarez822]

I don’t put Jordan Fisher in the stunt casting category because he’s done a lot of different roles in broadway and he’s a theater kid at heart same with Gaten

[@juliannehannes11]

But to be fair, compare Jordan Fisher to Jordan Donica. Do it. Now.

[@Villan.00]

I was Just writing the same thing

[@chappelled]

no, he’s not a stunt cast, but he’s definitely used to draw in more tickets. he’s a household name, which is the main reason he’s casted so often. im going to be brutally honest, im not a fan of his acting. lol.

[@ellaqyk]

With Jordan that man is a theater kid at HEART, the disney wanna build a snowman cirlce of stars thing is a great example

[@campbellmer]

Agree. #hadestown

[@chaibunnie]

for me jordan truly brought life to the character as well

[@freddieperkins6953]

If I was in the audience for that Cameron Dallas performance I'd demand my money back plus extra for having to sit through it

[@lazitazi5645]

Broadway singers have this thing called resonance, and you can really hear that the sound not only pushes forward but around like 360.

[@Mrs.Magix58]

while you're right, "resonance" does not mean what you likely think it does. any genre of singer can have a very resonant voice as long as their technique is healthy and proper

[@thefilmwatcher1216]

Listening to Cameron Dallas and not knowing the song, I thought that he wasn't awful. Then Kyle Selig showed up. Why did no one teach Cameron how to sing?

[@nikkiu.2148]

Same. I was like "Eh he's not bad" but then the other guy started singing and I was like "Whoa. What an improvement."

[@juliasings6131]

There are much worse clips of cameron dallas, too...

[@kitcat4058]

Honestly, the clip in this video of Cameron singing is probably the best one out there. If you look up other recordings of him there are some that are physically painful to listen to and in one he's singing a duet with the actress who plays Cady and goes so off tune that he actually messes her up and gets her to go off tune too and they actually had to cut out most of Aaron's singing parts while Cameron was in the show (even though the character doesn't even sing that much) because Cameron wasn't capable of singing the material.

[@lenap319]

He put in zero effort. They had to feed him lines and also cut a lot of his lines bc he was so bad

[@princeyakiko1733]

Legitimately sounded like high school dudes being forced into chorus LOL

[@shanacharlie9940]

Are we gonna talk about how Jessie Mueller slayed in not one but two of these roles?!

[@j.s.viewer3923]

I heard that opening night of Beautiful / Carole King, Sara Bareilles went backstage after and said she wanted Jessie for the lead of the new musical she’d been working on (Waitress). To be OG for two such successful shows back to back like that is crazy

[@stevenfoley6915]

Putting anyone up against Jessie Mueller is just cruel tbf

[@aprilknapp9631]

And in the second one, she was suffering from a terrible cold and still slayed.

[@Phasmania]

@@stevenfoley6915I’m ngl I actually preferred Jordin Sparks, imo the song/vocals are already emotionally charged so Jessie’s version kind of felt like overacting to me- I didn’t really feel like anything was told with a lot of those big movements, it just distracted me from the emotions personally, that’s just me though

[@phenominiallmusic]

She’s my fave I love her sm. She literally learned how to play the piano for beautiful like what a slay

[@COSun25]

I loved Brendon Urie's performance for Kinky Boots.

[@neo-xy3fr]

Melissa Benoist is basically a Broadway actress. Definitely a theatre person

[@mollywalker5790]

I mean she was literally in Glee

[@marissawilson9460]

Impressed by Daniel Radcliffe, Melissa Benoist, and Jordin Sparks!

[@mrsmercurial]

I feel like the video quality for Melissa Benoist made that an unfair comparison

[@nikibronson133]

And Jordan Fischer too

[@xhappyponyxwasmyoldname1395]

Emma Stone was really fantastic for such a demanding and emotionally exhausting role that can be interpreted in so many ways- but it realllyyy feels like she’s just trying to copy Natasha Richardson to the T, at least vocally. It doesn’t feel like her own.

[@Violin_Viola_Music_Box]

From an acting standpoint she nailed it, the vulnerability of the character.

[@GrainneMhaol]

She really went balls to the wall with her performance, which surprised me given how bad she was in La La Land (sorry).

[@umbellicalchick5635]

​@@GrainneMhaol I don't remember what her acting was like in La La land just that I didn't enjoy the movie, but I've recently discovered that she's an amazing actress. Like she really does act balls to the wall in everything I've seen of her lately. In Poor Things and The Curse

[@GrainneMhaol]

@@umbellicalchick5635 Her acting was great, as always. Her singing was not. I don't blame her, as Ryan Gosling sounded bad too. I blame the director for thinking he could make a musical without the chops for it. They either didn't get the time they needed to prepare or they were grossly let down by the production.

[@oboebuddy15]

She sounded better than the Broadway singer...

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

it's fascinating how the "broadway accent" that so many non-musical theatre fans make fun of is actually the exact thing that makes the broadway actors so much better. it's a matter of the medium necessitating that style of singing. even brendan urie, which i actually loved here because this was during his vocal prime and he's am amazing vocalist, pales in comparison to stark sands because sands is "acting" the song rather than singing it with emotion. it's why (and i know this wasn't in the video) i disliked ariana grande in hairspray even though she's an incredible singer. the only celebrity i preferred was jordan sparks because she actually seems to take up that style of singing rather well. i also enjoy seeing how the broadway performers just know how to gesture and use the stage so much better. celebrities who don't have a theatre background often over and underutilize the stage and mannerisms in my opinion. just compare kimiko glen to colleen ballinger and you'll see exactly what i mean.

[@Delilah_Fields]

Kimiko Glenn doing When He Sees Me gave me actual chills, oh my word. She seems like such a perfect casting choice.

[@speccysquaregolike9629]

JANE HORROCKS IS PUTTING HER WHOLE BODY INTO THAT SCREAM GODDAMN

[@whomth]

Cody Simpson was actually crazy good, I wasn’t expecting such a beautiful tone

[@mkd1095]

If the video didn't say he was a celebrity (because I have not seen the guy before), I honestly would have thought he was a broadway actor. His singing and acting are both on point.

[@mystery1317]

In my opinion as someone who was following that production pretty closely at the time, the only two real issues with his casting were: 1. He was a good singer but a pretty stiff actor 2. He's more of a baritone than a tenor (which the original actor is), so he kinda struggled with some of the higher notes But overall, not bad!

[@cheriegiannandrea5509]

I saw Cody on Broadway. Much better than expected.

[@alenanela1743]

His career trajectory is crazy. Bro is training to be an Olympic swimmer now, and has made crazy progress since he first decided to start competitive swimming again. One of the fastest sprint butterflies in Australia rn

[@kittykatsanchez]

​@@alenanela1743he is mega talented. Sings and swims

[@mike-m123]

For me, the epitome of stunt casting is Cameron Dallas as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls. What the fuck was that 🤣

[@xiaomifeng]

i remember there being a recording of him in mean girls where the person recording couldnt stop giggling 😭

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

Joe sugg in west end waitress Joe Locke in Sweeney just screamed stunt casting when you first see the casting announcement

[@beawriting]

Yes. That was painful.

[@notuslethe]

the sheer indignity you did perfectly decent nick jonas by comparing him to michael ball, who sang that song so well it momentarily brought victor hugo back to life 🤣

[@emmaschragel4402]

So I actually got to see Daniel in both how to succeed and in merrily we roll along recently and I would say like I enjoyed his performance in both, but it’s very clear to me that his home is the stage now. It seemed like stunt casting at the time so you’re totally correct for including him in this but like for example I wouldn’t include his role in merrily as stunt casting anymore because he’s clearly made a name for himself on Broadway I mean, I think this is his fifth Broadway show and he’s nominated for a Tony award for this role, I think he’s earned his spot - he’s been living in New York for 10 years doing theater on and off.

[@laurenj6771]

I feel like the celebrities do it well, they just do it like it’s a job. The Broadway actors perform with every fiber of their being and soul into it.

[@OneEightCosplay]

Daniel played Pierrepont Finch so beautifully, I think he was a wholesome and wonderful fit for Finch!

[@cleighud]

He worked hard on that role, and was excellent!

[@gracebonifabulous]

I always thought it was a perfect choice

[@valwee]

The celebrities (for the most part) sound pretty when they sing but don't really have emotion. However the Broadway performers always are able to capture the emotion and mannerisms of the character. Makes sense granted how they are taught to sing. Loved seeing all the comparisons.

[@dothedo3667]

You can tell that most of the celebrities have the typical "pop" music type of singing rather than musical theatre singing and that makes a big difference.

[@asha_vere]

Nick did FAR better than I ever would have expected.

[@CuriosityKilledThisCat]

I appreciate the intent in this video and it was very interesting to see them directly contrasted, but I can’t help but feel like this was more “the best person in the role vs a celebrity.” I think an equally stark contrast could be made between various theater trained Broadway leads.

[@elizabethtucker6026]

And the sound and angles the videos are shot from vary greatly, so even as a celebrity vs great...it's not exactly a straightforward pair of apples. Most of the celebrity recordings are worse bootleg, probably because celebrities are seat fillers so filming their performances would be policed even more than normal. Doesn't mean there's not core truth...but this is a bit of a false comparison.

[@lynmariegm]

i love derek ofc, but damn that clip of cody actually surprised me! im not too familiar with him but that man Can Sing omg

[@victoriapark1104]

I thought the same thing! The only part that got me was that they lowered the key by 3 semitones. Derek belts an A5 for the final note while Cody does an F#5

[@crimsonmaverick8237]

@@victoriapark1104*A4 and F#4* :D The A4 is known as THE tenor belt note in Broadway.

[@jacobmccain8794]

@@crimsonmaverick8237yep, and a high C 5 for tenors singing opera.

[@stellasdoesstuff]

He was better than a lot of the celebs here for sure, and I was pleasantly surprised by his belt, but I did think the tone/color of his voice was off. Again, very minor sin compared to many of these

[@briannathompson2864]

The Derek and Christy chemistry also gives him the edge 😭 Chills

[@andrea-wp7rs]

cameron dallas was atrocious wtf😭

[@lailadobb9221]

I felt so bad for Erika!!!

[@gemini_4real]

​@@lailadobb9221and Renee Rapp😭😭

[@lailadobb9221]

@@gemini_4real I felt so bad for her; imagine having to kiss him, no offence but…gross. I also feel so bad for all the male ensemble who had to watch him be the lead with no experience/hard work nor preparation every night, whilst they worked so hard day after day for breadcrumbs…

[@LM-uc5sg]

Literally the worst thing I’ve heard in a long time 😂

[@gracebonifabulous]

I actually really enjoyed nick jonas in Les Mis. and if you really want to get into plot and congruency, the character of Marius has always felt like a naive little boy who matures much too fast and nick jonas has that youthfulness I've always given marius no matter the production.

[@chappelled]

really adds to it. he looks like a baby compared to everyone else.

[@HH-mr3iq]

Yeah, he's got the look...but the voice.😢

[@katrinasillaman7524]

Jordan Fisher is so freakishly talented that when he came up I was like - but he did a phenomenal job! Oh right.... it's too bad he's up against Ben Platt who is just on a whole different plane of existence 😆

[@rebekahmeadows7261]

Kimiko is just 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 top tier every time

[@ashandtheink]

WOW Jordin Sparks has an incredible voice. my god!

[@nightlydrugs6927]

She really does. Wasted in the pop scene.

[@urmom.phobia7470]

i’m not sure if i would consider Gaten being cast as Jared “stunt casting”. he got his start on Broadway in Les Mis, and has also gone onto play roles like Jack in Into the Woods

[@ARMV21]

Probably why they put the disclaimer at: 0:29 Besides, Nick Jonas literally has the same or even bigger musical theatre path. Nick was Gavroche on Broadway and Link in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hairspray (same theatre that made Into the Woods with Gaten). He even has a bigger résumé, where he was Chip (Beauty and the Beast) and Little Jake (Annie Get Your Gun) on Broadway. Now, I’m not saying Nick and Gaten are on the same level; it’s clear that Gaten was better fitted for his role. However, both, Gaten and Nick, became more famous outside of Broadway. And it wasn’t until they succeeded in Hollywood that they decided to return to Broadway. Therefore, it is at least star casting, because as much as I love him in the role, we can never be sure that he would’ve been cast if it wasn’t for Stranger Things. Again, Gaten is a perfect choice for Jared, but if we are taking in consideration weather or not they were on Broadway when they were kids, then Nick is less of a stunt cast than Gaten.

[@fruncedx6225]

Did you not read the disclaimer.

[@ShortKid226]

But where do most people know him from? Most likely Stranger Things. I even think when he was cast in DEH many articles said "Gaten from ST".

[@sallywhelan]

Jordan Fisher is so talented! He has grown so much I think he is better than Ben as Evan..

[@michelcomenta]

same about Jordan Fisher

[@TeddyPalf]

The biggest difference ive noticed is the way the broadway actors are able to project their voice compared to the celebrity. It makes sense, they usually dont have to project, theres a microphone and sound crew to make sure youre heard!

[@nataliaarlovskaya6459]

I love Jordan's voice but Ben really committed that awkward kid mannerisms which added more to the character

[@trixieout]

I saw Brendan Urie in Kinky Boots. Stunt casting? Yes. Outstanding? Yes.

[@Katharina-rp7iq]

Brendan Urie and Daniel Radcliffe are both people who really really wanted to be on broadway and trained accordingly for years. They're not singers or actors who jumped in for a performance because they needed the money or because they thought it might be fun when someone asked.

[@emilykim5415]

Ok but Keke killed it let's bffr she was putting her whole heart into what is usually a p chill song and sounded good too. And I personally don't have a problem with her singing it lower. Also, i think it's a little unfair to compare Nick Jonas to the dream cast concert. That was no ordinary broadway performance of les mis. Like obv he's not as good as the Broadway actors, idk if we need to rub it in that much he was like 17 y/o.

[@BoredSudoku]

I didn’t get Cinderella from it tbh the OG girl sounded prettier and this is coming from a huge Keke fan! She’d do a great in an original role

[@ajwest5663]

​@@BoredSudokui completely agree with you and im also a fan of keke

[@lonerangeresc]

It wasn’t the role for keke

[@kikelomohassan7638]

@@BoredSudokuWhat do you mean by original role though? I mean, if she wasn’t suited for Cinderella, that’s fine but I’m kinda confused as to how the alternative is that she would better in an original role? I’m sure there’s many established characters she would be great in. Not trying to be rude, just confused by your wording at the end there

[@imateakettle]

@@kikelomohassan7638I think they just meant that keke’s voice wasn’t suited to cinderella’s role

[@degrassihoe5693]

Y’all, no one is denying Gaten has a gorgeous voice. That one “sincerely me” that he belts is BEAUTIFUL. He is bway trained yes, but he was clearly cast bc the show was on its way out and they needed to drive in ticket sales. It’s unfortunate for Gaten that they didn’t just put the actor for Evan or Connor on the note at the end, bc having him falsetto it is very underwhelming. I hope he gets cast soon in a role that he can actually sing

[@crimsonmaverick8237]

Bet you appreciated him in Sweeney!

[@degrassihoe5693]

@@crimsonmaverick8237 Oh absolutely!

[@cheriegiannandrea5509]

Not the case with Sweeney Todd, and he was excellent in that as well!

[@arthur1428]

I just don’t think screen actors are used to having to be really big or exaggerate their presence in order to be scene onstage. That’s probably why they aren’t as “expressive” when really they’re just used to working more intimately with their audience, where every micro expression is picked up and used to communicate emotion as opposed to their tone of voice or gesticulation.

[@BeansKneez]

yeah that was the most consistent difference i noticed. the theater pro performances were so much bigger in terms of facial expressions, body language, and vocal emotion.

[@irongirltoni]

I agree. So the director should PUSH them bc they are clearly capable of a good performance

[@BelleShadow]

Kimiko Gleen whipped the floor with Miranda Sings

[@Kaylobeans]

The cough during the Cameron Dallas one made me giggle, but the more respectful cough during the Kyle Selig comparison it took me out.

[@dumblebee9167]

I saw Joe Sugg in Waitress on the West End & honestly was not expecting much but I thought he did a really fantastic job! His vocals weren’t flawless but suited the character, and his acting was really great! Of course Lucie Jones blew literally everyone else out of the water but I still thought he was great!

[@lindsayswarthout9227]

That’s what I thought while watching this! Obviously he wasn’t as strong a singer, but he was able to act well enough that he was still engaging and interesting to watch.

[@ishauni_x]

Perfect examples of a difference between just singing a song and performing one

[@KatieSteedArt1]

This is why I hate *celebrity* voices in animated movies (cough) Disney (cough) Paige O'Hara Vs Emma Watson in Beauty and The Beast One lady performs and makes a character live and another is an autotuned flat bleugh (but beautiful...)

[@lolmfs]

​@@KatieSteedArt1almost all cartoons u watch got celeb voice actors smh Don't like em then act in one yourself

[@umbellicalchick5635]

​@@lolmfsno that's the point. There are professional voice actors trained specifically in voice acting that don't get the big roles because of stunt casting

[@Sunray3000]

okay but like no one can be compared to derek klena, cody simpson never stood a chance 😭

[@YourFriendErikaM]

Agreed, even though Cody was pretty amazing. He impressed me in this whole line up

[@Sunray3000]

@@YourFriendErikaM yeah he did well but Derek just has the most stunning voice

[@nicolerobertson2654]

Derek's voice is absolutely phenomenal

[@elizabethfeuerbach5006]

I saw the show with the OBC, and Derek was amazing!

[@Cherrypi393]

Yeah, Derek is amazing

[@orangesedits1149]

Most celebrities sing it really well, but I feel like Broadway actors bring more emotion and make you really feel it. Like in she used to be mine 9:50