In Support of National Tours

I recently read on a Broadway themed message board that one person did not like going to see tour productions because "they weren't the real thing" and that she "didn't want to pay money to see less talented people perform." This really rubbed me the wrong way. Home from college, I've been in a cleaning craze, and as I was sorting through my bookshelves, I found some of my old playbills. I was pleasantly surprised to find some familiar names:

Patrick Wilson from The Full Monty, appeared as Billy in Carousel

Erin Davie from Grey Gardens, appeared in Swing!

Michael X. Martin from Curtains, appeared as Javert in Les Miserables

Sarah Uriarte from Beauty and the Beast, appeared as Julie in Carousel

Sutton Foster from Thoroughly Modern Millie, appeared as Marty in Grease

Marissa Jaret Winokur from Hairspray, appeared as Jan in Grease

Steven Pasquale from Light in the Piazza, Secret Garden in Concert, appeared in West Side Story

Caissie Levy from Wicked, appeared in Hairspray

Natalie Hill from Grease, appeared in Hairspray

Stephanie J. Block, Derrick Williams, Jenna Leigh Green, and Kendra Kassebaum in the Wicked national tour

Ven Daniel from Legally Blonde, appeared in Swing!

Aaron Tveit from Next to Normal and Hairspray, appeared in Rent

Troy Britton Johnson from Drowsy Chaperone, appeared as Corny Collins in Hairspray

Christian Borle from Legally Blonde, appeared as Riff in West Side Story

Jason Daniely from Curtains, appeared in The Music of the Night

Michelle DeJean from Chicago, appeared in West Side Story and Chicago

Natascia Diaz from Kiss of the Spiderwoman, appeared as Anita in West Side Story

Brenda Baxton from Chicago, appeared in Smoky Joe's Cafe

Ryan Patrick Binder from Grease, appeared in Mamma Mia!

J. Robert Spencer from Jersey Boys, appeared in Cats

So what's my point? When you go see a national tour, you may not see the big stars of today, per se, but you are getting to see the stars of tomorrow, which can be even more exciting.