If you are someone who dislikes all plays and musicals, or theater in general, you might want start changing your mind—especially if you might see one of your favorite actors or actresses up on stage.

Over the past couple years, there’s been an increasing presence of famous Hollywood stars making their debut on Broadway. During the 2015 season, there were more A-listers in debuting shows than Broadway had ever seen before.

Vanessa Hudgens launched her Broadway debut last year as the role of Gigi in the musical adaptation of Colette’s famous 1944 novella, and since then landed the challenging role of Betty Rizzo on Grease Live! alongside Julianne Hough, Keke Palmer, and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Another Hollywood star who made his debut in both acting and writing, was none other than the hilarious Larry David. “Fish in the Dark” was an immensely anticipated show to debut last year, so much that “its advance sales shattered Broadway records,” according to Ticketmaster Insider.

Some other actors who made appearances as major roles on stage last year included Keira Knightly, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller, Elizabeth Moss, Jason Biggs, and Carey Mulligan. Broadway is already full of glitz and glam, so by adding these well-known stars into the mix, it elevates the expectations of the cast’s performance level, generating excitement from the audience.

Initially, I was skeptical of the presence of Hollywood actors and actresses on stage, perhaps for a relatively biased reason as well. Starting at the young age of five, I grew obsessed with the idea of becoming a star on Broadway after seeing my first show, “The Lion King.”

I loved the grandeur and excitement of seeing shows, seeing the entire cast and crews hard work come together to develop into this incredible form of art and entertainment.

When I joked that I wanted to be on Broadway, my parents reminded me how insanely difficult it is to make something of yourself, let alone make any money.
So, when I started noticing famous people claim the Broadway stage, I felt bad for all the other actors who had to push and shove for a minor role in the ensemble while these Hollywood stars simply had to ask for an audition and land a lead role.

However, after thinking about it, I realized that my view was too narrow and “uneducated” to make assumptions about why these famous actors were showing up in major Broadway shows, and I actually realized that perhaps this was actually a good thing. Bringing fame to live theater has brought publicity and attention from the public.

The art of theater has been around for hundreds of thousands of years; it is one of our oldest forms of entertainment. However, each year, I am pleasantly surprised by the new and exciting risks being taken to engage and entice the public.

From the Book of Mormon, a unique musical written by the same duo responsible for the TV show “South Park,” to Hamilton, Broadway’s new hit musical with an African American cast and contemporary music, theater has become something more than just song and dance.