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That's interesting, because I first saw the show at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC and wasn't sure how it would play here in NYC due to the location. But lo and behold!

Also, musicals about a specific event or country have done well outside their sphere of direct influence. Remember Evita?

I think that was the Barbican costume. It never really happened again and now looks more like a red xylophone.

It's not necessarily idealism. It's because many other theatregoers aren't like us. Poll tourists leaving (generally) the more touristy shows and 90% of them won't know who they just saw, and it doesn't matter to them. Even my parents, who have seen Les Miz and Book of Mormon multiple times with me, can probably only name a couple of actors they saw in it, even if they had a great time. My parents saw the national tour of The Wiz and Annie back in the 70s and 80s, but they didn't know or care that they'd seen Molly Ringwald as an orphan. (My mom did recognize Lilias White as the woman who'd played Dorothy years later, but she wasn't why they went.)

A good friend of mine (also here in NYC) is a frequent but casual theatregoer. She is amazed whenever I can remember who I saw in what. She just remembers that she saw a show and enjoyed it and maybe knows the names of a couple people she sees in one season. But she keeps tabs on what she wants to see — just not who she wants to see. (However, she can remember what she ate and at what restaurant and with which friend at the drop of a hat.)

I can see them doing an arena tour, or one to bigger houses for long stops, but not a national tour in a traditional sense.

A good friend of mine was a longtime writer for a well-loved niche magazine. It was in her contract that she had to engage with readers on twitter (which she'd established well before working for them), and, I think, in the comments. She said she generally didn't mind since people weren't all that rude (at least compared to other publications), but I can see how in a slightly different or more popular format, it could be awful.

I'm still laughing at some of the comments on instagram:

My gosh, Larry be looking fine 👌
Since when is larry Murphy hot??
oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! daddy!!!!!!!!!!!
he’s even more daddy than Michael park

I mean, they're not wrong... 

http://instagr.am/p/BjuwNNzABQt

I just don't think it happens as much to theatre actors because it's easier to be rude or at least abrasive to a TV/film celebrity who you can assume (however wrongfully) isn't reading their own mentions.

I will say there was an entertainingly tense exchange between Russell Crowe and Andrew Varela back in the day:

I'm CRYING over how old I feel (but also this is shaping up to be a great tour cast).

I'm glad! So you saw Erich Bergen's first performance. I've been on the fence about the show, but he'll probably push me off the edge, finally.

That's interesting — I went on Memorial Day weekend and from what I could tell, most of the people entering were people who'd lost the Wicked lotto. It wasn't quite that many — maybe 60 people? And I won. I definitely have qualms with the story (more how it ends than anything else), but the production is beautiful.

Hm:

www.broadwayworld.com/article/No-Decision-Set-On-Ruthie-Ann-Miles-Return-To-THE-KING-AND-I-in-London-20180604

Stephen Oremus is a badass; you never know.