Broadway on TV: Fall 2009 Scorecard

With TV officially in repeat mode until a few mid-season shows start in January, the Olympics come and go in February and the rest don't re-start until March or April, I thought now would be a good time to see how the Broadway stars that appeared on TV this fall fared.

I would say, with a few glaring exceptions, that Broadway showed up Hollywood pretty darned well.

WINNERS:

• It was a Broadway sweep for Dancing with the Stars, with vets Donny Osmond, Mya and London stage vet Kelly Osbourne making the top three. And then there are the dance pros: Maks, Karina, and this season's champ, Kym, all of whom have or are appearing in Burn the Floor.


• One word: Glee. Broadway vets: Stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele (Golden Globe nominees, both) Plus off-Broadway star and fellow Golden Globe nominee, Jane Lynch. Guest stars (so far): John Lloyd Young, Victor Garber, Debra Monk, Kristin Chenoweth, and songs from Funny Girl, Wicked, Dreamgirls, Cabaret, Les Miserables and more.


• Jesse Tyler Ferguson in the ratings and critical hit Modern Family.


• Still racking up the ratings: Jon Cryer, Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris and Johnny Galecki in (respectively) Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory. On Thursdays, ratings are still top rate for Grey's Anatomy, and are growing for Private Practice, which is great news for Broadway-ites, Chandra Wilson, Sara Ramirez, Audra McDonald, Timothy Daly and Taye Diggs.

RUNNERS UP

• The critically re-acclaimed Ugly Betty is languishing in its Friday slot, but is moving, in a vote of confidence from ABC. Good news for such Broadway folk as Vanessa Williams (Great White Way-bound in Sondheim on Sondheim), Michael Urie and Becky Newton.


• Jane Krakowski and Alec Baldwin, no strangers to the theatre scene, must be relieved that NBC and the Emmys love 30 Rock, because no one seems to be watching...


• Tony-winner Blair Brown faces similar problems with Fringe, as show that is bleeding viewers, but one that Fox and the critics love.

LOSERS

• Broadway-bound (gulp) Kelsey Grammer, whose Hank got yanked early on...


• Joely Fischer, so great in Cabaret, is much less-so in 'Til Death, a show that keeps going for some odd reason.


• The numbers have run out on Numb3rs, the once big hit, now running out of steam show with Tony-winner Judd Hirsch.

Comments? Please leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.

Jeff

Dancing with the Broadway Stars in Chicago?

Doesn't it figure? The top three finalists of Dancing with the Stars all have a Broadway/West End pedigree? Actually four of the top five, if you include growing-up-before-our-eyes cutie Aaron Carter.

Here they are in their final order, with their partners and their theatre links. NOTE to Barry and Fran: Mya as Velma, Kelly as Roxie, Donny as Billy... and Marie as Mama Morton. Box Office GOLD!!!

Third Place: Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel. Kelly, of course, pled on screen for a shot at Roxie (she's already played Mama Morton) to another former Roxie, co-host Samantha Harris. (Louis could certainly hold his own in a black gauze shirt, huh?)

Second Place: Mya and Dmitri Chaplin. Mya has already done one tour of duty in Chicago. Time for another, girl! (Get some black gauze for Mr. Chaplin, too...)

Dancing with the Stars Season Nine Champion: Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson. Donny still has the pipes, the presence, and the charisma to more than pull off Billy Flynn. (How about Kym as Hunyak?)

And Aaron Carter is grow up enough now, too, to play with the big boys... he could be Fred Casely! The Jury?

What do you think? Jeff