Former American Idols Play Broadway

Bernard Telsey, a casting director in New York has referred to American Idol as a "televised open call" since Broadway has culled so much talent from among the ranks of those who have appeared on the small screen via American Idol. In some ways Idol is looked at as the farm team for one major league team: Broadway.

Ultimately, many Idol stars have sidled onto the Broadway stage at some point once the competition ended. In fact, the Village Voice once declared that it's a dirty little secret that former Idols are much more likely to find work on the Broadway stage than as a pop star.

It doesn't seem to matter which genre the Idol star came into the competition preferring, and it doesn't seem to matter if the contestant went out in the first round or won the whole shebang. Many of the American Idol alumni have done a tour or two along the Great White Way after exiting the Idol stage.

Taylor Hicks, who won Season Five of Idol, seemed to wander aimlessly for a time, but like some predecessors, looked to Broadway. He joined the cast of Grease as The Teen Angel who sings "Beauty School Dropout," a song some would call tailor-made for him. Hicks says that he was asked to appear on Broadway in Hairspray as well, but he couldn't work it into his schedule.

Another former Idol, Ace Young, Season Five, joined Hicks (for part of his run) in the cast of Grease. Young took on the role of Kenickie, made famous by Jeff Conaway in the movie version.

No discussion of Idols on Broadway would be complete without Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson. Barrino, Idol's Season Three winner, took on the role of Celie in the Broadway version of The Color Purple. It was during this time that Fantasia developed problems with her vocal chords and had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor on her vocal chords.

Jennifer Hudson walked from the Idol stage to the Broadway stage, starring in the mega hit Dreamgirls. Hudson won an Oscar, a SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Award, as well as a Golden Globe for her work on Broadway. Despite the horrific tragedy she's had to endure since Dreamgirls, Hudson certainly found a niche on Broadway.

While some found Broadway for the first time, some Idols merely went back to their Broadway roots. This was the case for Season Four finalist Constantine Maroulis. Maroulis had a very different background from those of the other Idols. Even before he took the Idol stage Maroulis, who holds a BA in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory of Music, had already done a tour with the Broadway International touring company of Rent. So strong are his Broadway roots that when Idol had its Broadway week, Maroulis nailed his version of My Funny Valentine. Randy Jackson stated the obvious: "This is what you should be doing, dude!" Post Idol, Maroulis went back to Broadway, appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Others have taken a turn on Broadway as well. Clay Aiken, Season Two runner up, appeared in the Monty Python play Spamalot as Sir Robin. He said he took the part because it was so out of sync with his squeaky-clean image. It was just another way to challenge himself.

Another runner up, Diana DeGarmo of Season Three, took over the role of Penny Singleton in Hairspray. Likewise, Tamyra Gray, Season One, sought out Broadway in 2004 to star in a role in Bombay Dreams. When that play didn't make it, Gray's Broadway days were not over. In 2007, she took over the role of Mimi Marquez in the award-winning musical Rent. Another 2004 American Idol contestant, Amy Adams" toured with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

American Idol makes a point of putting contestants through many musical paces to see how versatile they can be. It seems that in post-Idol days they put that training into play, garnering a variety of roles on the Broadway stage. It's certainly a boon for Broadway.