Mmmm I agree with almost all of the names listed, granted the same ones have been repeated over and over. Definitley Kristin, Idina, Hunter Foster, Sutton Foster...Audra....so many leads on Broadway are sincerley, genuinley talented. I'd be pleasantly surprised if Cheyenne reached "legend" status.
"Sing 'till you're breaking glass or you're breaking down"
Okay I'd just like to remind everyone the name of the topic is FUTURE legends. Like saying a group of children are the future leaders of America and whatnot. True these names people are listing might not "put butts in the seats" at the moment (except maybe Kristen, and if not, give her a few years) but the OP asked who we thought WILL BE PUTTING butts in seats a decade or two from now. Thank you.
You're reminding me of people you hear at the movies asking questions every ten seconds, "Who is that? Why is that guy walking down the street? Who's that lady coming up to him? Uh-oh, why did that car go by? Why is it so dark in this theater?" - FindingNamo on strummergirl
"If artists were machines, then I'm just a different kind of machine...I'd probably be a toaster. Actually, I'd be a toaster oven because they're more versatile. And I like making grilled cheese" -Regina Spektor
"That's, like, twelve shows! ...Or seven." -Crazy SA Fangirl
"They say that just being relaxed is the most important thing [in acting]. I take that to another level, I think kinda like yawning and...like being partially asleep onstage is also good, but whatever." - Sherie Rene Scott
Patti LuPone sure as hell is putting my ass in a seat when I see Gypsy this summer, so if that's the definition of a Broadway legend, then there you go.
She's the reason I'm seeing the show. Even if it were a different show, even if the rest of the cast was different, even if it was being done in The Village instead of on Broadway, I'd be there just for her.
That's the mark of a legend. Which many people mentioned in this thread do, or will one day meet.
Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done.
-John Patrick Shanley
Simple answer. There are none. Peters, Lupone, Buckley, and Chenoweth haven't had and never will have the careers or talent to become true legends.
Some people are so transparent.
If YOU can't be a legend, then nobody can be a legend, right?
Poor, sad, old man.
Meanwhile, speaking of putting butts in seats, Angela Lansbury couldn't put butts in seats for DEUCE this past year, so does that mean she is not a legend?
That logic is silly.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
Agree with Foster. And when was the last time a Broadway show headlining Patti LuPone closed in red? You might have to go as far as the 80s (not sure if THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD recouped). Even the SWEENEY revival that many people thought would not recoup, turned out to be profitable and she was the bigger name attached to it. I disagree with Tom. I think at least six of the actresses mentioned in here: Donna Murphy (IMO, the best musical theater actress of her generation and one of the best stage actresses of her generation), Tonya Pinkins, Sherie Rene Scott, Kristin Chenoweth, Anika Noni Rose, and Audra McDonald (even if I'm not a huge fan) certainly have the talent and--most importantly--the star power and stage presence to become Broadway legends. Now the people saying Stephanie J. Block are the ones I don't really get.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
The reason why Stephanie J. Block is immortalized on this board is because she was everyone's first Elphaba, since nobody lived in New York and the only way they could see WICKED was on the First National Tour.
Aside from being, like, SO super nice at the stage door, ALL around the country, WICKED-ites were pissed because Block somehow was going to originate the role on Broadway but Idina Menzel came in and swept the role out from under her, winning the Tony, playing half of her run squealing, unable to handle the vocal demands the way that Stephanie J. Block was on the tour.
Block was wronged, and she is their hero. She rose above the loss of creating the role on Broadway, and came flying back with PIRATE QUEEN, which everyone hated, EXCEPT for the WICKED-ites, most of whom never saw it, all of whom went on and on about how fierce her performance was as the Pirate Lady, and how she and the show were robbed of Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Leading Actress, Best Featured Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Featured Actor, Best Book, Best Score, Best Costume Design, and most importantly, Best Choreography.
Block flew beyond the PIRATE QUEEN debacle and made a triumphant return to Broadway in the role she should have created from the start: Elphaba.
So this, my friend, is where all the Block goddessization comes from, and, unlike Idina Menzel, this reaches far beyond New York. It is a nationwide idolization. And we will never. forget. it.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
It is a nationwide idolization. And we will never. forget. it.
Stab me now. Please. Just take a sharp object and stab me.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I'm pretty much gonna echo what people have already said:
Audra, Kristin, Sutton, Raul
and Idina. And I'm NOT just saying that because I'm personally a fan. Truly, I'm not. I'm strictly going on the fact that I can mention Idina to people who BARELY even know Broadway, and there's like a 75% chance they'll know who I'm talking about. She's really getting very big. People on HERE may like to make fun of her and say she's overrated, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a widespread and still growing fanbase.
I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.
HARVEY!!!! I’m sure it’s just an oversight, but I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned Harvey Fierstein yet. If he isn’t already established as a Legend then it’s only a matter of time before he is considered one. Updated On: 2/27/08 at 06:32 AM
Nathan Lane Kristin Cheoweth Audra McDonald Patti LuPone Harvey Firestein Bernadette Peters Brian Stokes Mitchell Sutton Foster Raul Esparza
I might be reaching for Brian and Raul, but hey- a gal can dream, right?
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
I consider Harvey already a legend. He has won awards as both actor and writer and is a larger than life personality. Legends already : Betty Buckley, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane
Maybe future (if they do more roles) - Kristin, Idina,Hunter Foster
Given the people mentioned, the term "legend" has gone the way of the standing ovation. Neither seems to mean anything any more.And it's an insult to those true legends and those who truly deserve standing ovations.
Orfeh has the vocal power, has been compared to Merman and has an enviable attendance record. She's also gaining an avid if a bit "passionate", following. Much like someone said about LaChanze, if she chooses to continue doing Broadway, I think she's a legend in the making. I'd say the same about Sara Ramirez but again, I'm not sure how much Broadway she's going to want to come back and do. At least, not while her TV career is hot.
I don't think Idina will ever be a "legend." More like a pop-star that will lose popularity as time goes by. Plus, I don't think she'd ever return to the stage.
"Hey, you! You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!"
-Family Guy
Kristen Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, Laura Bell Bundy lol I'm totally kidding about that last one! I hope that if Julia Murney does more shows that she'll become a legend!
I'm bothered by hearing this talk of "I hope ___ can become a legend!" and so on. That's why the word doesn't mean anything anymore, because you don't pluck an amateur from a crowd and go, "I hope this person will be in more shows and hopefully be a legend." It just don't work that way, friend.