There are a ton of Hollywood stars on and off Broadway these days. Here’s a game you can play

NEW YORK – With so many Hollywood stars on the New York theater stages or on the road, you might want to up your stargazing skills. Why not play bingo?

Certainly, Robert Downey Jr. Daniel Dae Kim Jim Parsons Mia Farrow and Katie Holmes are currently in New York, with George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Nick Jonas and Jake Gyllenhaal set to spend the spring.

But if you really want to impress, why not connect the stars like playing bingo with the Frasier stars? Catch Bebe Neuwirth (who played the cold Lilith) is now in “Cabaret” on Broadway; Dan Butler (who played Bulldog on the TV show) in the off-Broadway production of Another Shot, and then, a few months later, see David Hyde Pierce (who played Niles) in The Pirates of Penzance.

If a little TV stardust is enough to convince theatergoers to see Butler in a witty and insightful recovery play “One More Shot” at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theater the actor says he’s in the game.

“I love that it will take people there, and you can just hope they get bitten by what theater can do that no other medium can do,” he says. “I hope this gets you to the doors again.”

Laura Stanczyk, an experienced casting director and producer who has directed dozens of Broadway, Off-Broadway and international plays and musicals, knows that many shows provide a bankable star who is trying to stand out.

“When you have actors like Robert Downey Jr. finally emerging and being involved in the New York theater scene, it becomes even more important to have someone who has some kind of fame,” she says.

She is producing the Spike Manton and Harry Teinowitz play, starring Butler, in which the deadpan Butler plays a recovering radio DJ. “It’s like Bulldog going to rehab,” the actor jokes.

Wave of Stars

Movie and television celebrities have been part of Broadway’s DNA for decades – one of the last big waves came in 2010 with the arrival of Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Kiefer Sutherland, Daniel Radcliffe, Pee-wee Herman, Vanessa Redgrave, Ben Stiller and Edie Falco – but their presence in this season is especially striking.

Keith Connor and Rachel Zegler starring in “Romeo and Juliet” Nicole Scherzinger there’s Sunset Boulevard, Peter Gallagher and Julianna Margulies in “Left on Tenth,” and Sean Astin plays Santa in “Elf the Musical.”

Stanczyk says it’s not surprising to see such a large number of stars, since many television and film stars have their roots in the theater. Margulies studied the stage, and this is where Connor and Zegler began their careers. Scherzinger studied musical theater at Wright State University.

“People forget that these great actors started their careers in the theater,” she says. “I think some directors gravitate towards it because they know these people—it’s in their blood and they have a common language.”

The reason “Frasier” Bingo is possible is because many associated with the show are theater veterans, dating back to James Burrows director who helped create the spin-off “Cheers.” Burroughs began his career in the theater and is the son of legendary playwright and director Abe Burroughs, who created Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Butler, who was recently cheered on by Piers during a visit to Another Shot, said Frasier often felt like he was on stage. “Every time we filmed, it was like doing a short play in front of a live audience,” he said.

Other TV shows such as Law & Order, The Good Wife, The Gilded Age, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and The Only Murders in the Building share this stage vibe, as they also leaned toward casting from the theater.

It’s so hot in New York that stars even come from Broadway, like Adam Driver in “Hold on to Me Darling”, Marisa Tomei in “Baby” Kenneth Branagh in King Lear, T. R. Knight in The Merchant of Venice, and Christian Slater and Calista Flockhart in Curse of the Starving Class.

The influx of Hollywood types is not crowding out Broadway stars: Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Jonathan Groff, Patti LuPone Megan Hilty Jennifer Simard Adrienne Warren and Darren Criss have already booked roles.

The attraction of the scene

Louis McCartney, The rising screen star, who will bring Stranger Things: The First Shadow from London to Broadway in spring 2025, has not trained as a stage animal, but he is mesmerized.

“It’s kind of like going back and forth,” he says. “You give your soul every night. And I think it’s beautiful.”

If “Fraser” Bingo doesn’t suit you, there’s always “Legacy” Bingo: Jeremy Strong was on Broadway in the revival of The Public Enemy. Kieran Culkin will be a revival of Glengarry Glen Ross and Sarah Snook This spring, he’ll have the stage all to himself, playing all 26 roles in the film adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Or play the long game: With Clooney and Margulies, you can start a game of Ambulance Bingo.

Stanczyk believes Hollywood’s interest in the stage may be driven by stars trying to express themselves professionally and capture the unique excitement that theater can bring to life.

“Every night when you are in the theater, something happens that has never happened before. It’s a unique exchange of energy,” she says. “There is nothing like it in the world.”