[Monsieur D'Arque]

Who are the current King and Queen of Broadway? If not the best performer or the most respected, who are the man and woman who best serve and represent Broadway both as icon, performer, contributor, whatever?

My votes:

Queen = Patti LuPone. I don't like her, and I'll admit it. But she "is" Broadway to hundreds of people who have never even seen her in a show, and her reputation as the grand diva precedes her.

King = Martin Short. As an emissary of Broadway, hosting concerts in the park, singing and dancing on tour across the country, and literally resurrecting the concept of a vaudeville comedian/song-and-dance-man, Marty is a walking, living tribute to Old Broadway's current stylistic return.

[Salome]

John Cullum is easily the King of Broadway... the only classic leading man still regularly starring in at least a production every year and usually getting a nomination.

LuPone?? she is more like the court jester.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

I suppose one could say that Cullum is now the most successful and prestigious actors of our time, but does his presence suddenly lend the "Broadway Mystique" to any given event or occasion, the way, say, Elvis or Celine Dion might exemplify Vegas? Not much. He's just the best actor.

[Salome]

I strongly disagree. Cullum does that much more than lLupone or Short.

Cullum is a broadway legend, Patti a broadway veteran and Short extremely talented.

you hear "John Cullum in All My Sons" or John Cullum in 'Urinetown" or any other recent show he's done you get this thrill and a need to go to NYC at once.

[mastachen]

[Salome]

but lea isnt a great legends shes a young broadway performer who played a couple roles.

talented,cute but nowhere near the status of Lupone let alone Cullum.

[mastachen]

I agree. She hasn't done a lot of shows on Broadway, and the ones that she has done... with the exception of Les Mis.... aren't exactly the best shows in the world haha.


I love her for her talent and personality, though, and not for the shows she's done, so I do agree she is talented and cute

[Monsieur D'Arque]

And I'll admit, Marty's fame is more as "the last consummate entertainer," hence his post Fame Becomes Me tour as a solo comic, storyteller, singer, dancer and caricaturist. He just happens to currently reside on Broadway, much as Billy Crystal did a few years ago.

[Robinflamingo]

I'd like to nominate popular favorites Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters.

[Mistress]

How about Angela Lansbury? She was quite the name in her heyday...you know what, I don't really think there's been definite Broadway Kings and Queens since the days of Ethel Merman and the like...and it's the same for film as well...there hasn't been anyone to match the stardom of Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant etc.

[pish123c]

[Beagle On Stage]

[Mistress]

[actor]

King: John Cullum
Queen: Angela Lansbury

[blackbird_fly]

If it's a Royal Family, wouldn't it include princesses and dukes and so forth?

[Salome]