With a track record like hers, Lady Gaga is on the right path to EGOT status if she pursues her dreams of theatre

by Theatre Expert Jim Dixon at SeatPlan

“Earlier this month, this year’s Oscar nominations revealed the names of actors and actresses recognised for their contribution to film.

“However, while the likes of Olivia Colman, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Chastain and Kristen Stewart – were recognised for their leading roles in this year’s blockbusters, one star was snubbed from the list – Lady Gaga.

“Despite receiving nods from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild, Lady Gaga’s performance as Patrizia Reggiani missed out on Oscar nominations – to the outrage of 2,414 fans, who took to Twitter to vent.

“This wasn’t the Born This Way singer’s first Oscar run, as she has already won one award for her Best Original Song ‘Shallow’ from 2018 film, A Star Is Born. Plus, her other achievements, such as 12 Grammy wins, one Oscar and three Emmy nominations, already set her on the right path to EGOT Status.

“Considered the ‘grand slam of showbusiness’, the EGOT (an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) is the designation given to people who have been honoured with awards in television, recording, film and theatre.

“The EGOT status has only been achieved by 16 people throughout history, including John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Whoopi Goldberg.

“With awards and recognition for three out of four EGOT categories, theatre is the only thing that the star hasn’t pursued, although has expressed an interest in writing and starring in her own Broadway musical during an interview recently.

“Yet, Lady Gaga’s early life was centred around the theatre. She played the lead in several school musicals, including Guys and Dolls and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, auditioned for several New York shows, and studied method acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

“The fact is, Gaga’s achievements could bring her full circle.”

But which other stars have written, contributed or starred in musicals?

1. Sara Bareilles – Waitress

Grammy-nominated singer Sara Bareilles wrote the music and lyrics for the musical adaptation of the 2007 film ‘The Waitress’ in 2016 and joined the cast as main character Jenna.

The Waitress has won four Tony Awards, including Best Original Score for the singer.

2. Lin-Manuel Miranda – The Heights and Hamilton

Also tipped for an EGOT – after being nominated for an Oscar, for songwriting contributions in the 2021 Disney film Encanto – Lin-Manuel is no stranger to the world of theatre, after starring and writing music and lyrics for Broadway productions of ‘In The Heights’ in 2008 and ‘Hamilton’ in 2015.

Hamilton, which holds the record for most Tony Award nominations, has won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for Lin-Manuel. It has also won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Drama League Awards, a Fred and Adele Astaire Award, a Dramatists Guild of America Award, Edward M, Kennedy Prize, Billboard Music Award and Kennedy Center Honors for its’ Broadway production, as well as several for Off-Broadway, West End and Australian production’s.

3. Elton John – The Lion King, Aida, Billy Elliott and Lestat

Following the success of the 1994 animated feature film, Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical The Lion King masterpieces were recreated for Broadway in 1997. The show won eight Drama Desk Awards, five Tony Awards and a Theatre World Award for its Broadway production, two Laurance Olivier Awards for its London Production, three Moliere Awards for its French production and four Helpmann Awards for its Australian production.

Sir Elton also collaborated with Tim Rice to compose the music for a musical adaptation of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Aida’ – which won a Tony Award in 2000. He’s also worked on ‘Lestat’ in 2005 and multiple Tony and award-winning 2006 musical ‘Billy Elliott’.

4. Dolly Parton – 9 to 5

In 2009, Dolly adapted hit film 9 to 5 – a comedy about three women working office jobs under a chauvinistic boss – into a musical theatre show, which featured her own music and lyrics.

The show has won one Drama Desk Award and received nominations for four Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Drama League Awards, one Grammy Award and 14 Drama Desk Awards.