After nine shows shuttered on Broadway last week, the Great White Way is preparing a slate of celeb-filled productions that it hopes will drive ticket sales. Though Broadway has typically relied on revivals and big names in an effort to lure audiences, the 2009 spring season is notably packed with celebs as producers "play it safe" during the recession, notes the Wall St. Journal. Comic actor Will Ferrell will begin his one-man show about George W. Bush descending from a chopper on Jan. 20, Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen will star in "Impressionism" and Jane Fonda will return in the show "33 Variations" after 46 years off the Broadway stage. Productions must still contend with a number of difficult battles this year, including pricey union agreements, theater rentals and elaborate stagecraft.
Stars Come to Broadway’s Rescue
After nine shows shuttered on Broadway last week, the Great White Way is preparing a slate of celeb-filled productions that it hopes will drive ticket sales.
