Broadway is set to have its newest star dancer ... by way of social media.
Charli D’Amelio has over 155 million followers on Tiktok, but the 20-year-old social media star is now making the jump to Broadway. D’Amelio initially went viral in early 2019 for her dance videos. Now she’ll be part of the ensemble in the musical, “& Juliet.” She will be featured in a dance-heavy role this fall.
The TikToker doesn’t just perform for the cell-phone camera. D’Amelio also has more than a decade of experience as a competitive dancer, and made an effort in 2022 to segue into a music career. D’Amelio went on to win season 31 of Dancing With The Stars. She also starred in a reality show called “The D’Amelio Show” with her family, which was canceled in 2023 after three seasons.
But there are mixed opinions about a social media star entering the competitive world of Broadway, and landing a role that many professional dancers would kill for.
USC junior Gabby Garcia is one who doesn’t mind.
“I definitely think of her more as a TikTok dancer,” Garcia said, “but I have seen she does professional work, so I definitely acknowledge that part. Even though she’s popular for TikTok and does TikTok dances, I’m sure she’s also a good dancer other than that.”
But the idea of influencers landing coveted Broadway roles doesn’t sit well with USC sophomore Isabel Castillo. She cited the casting of North West -- daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West -- as Young Simba in the Broadway musical, “The Lion King.”
“She just came in and swooped in, took that role,” Castillo said. “Other parents and mothers were waiting for the audition...and a lot of the cast members that were in Broadway were really upset with the performance and the quality of the musical.”
Erika Driscoll, an Annenberg Radio News alumna and professional dancer who has performed with multiple ballet companies across the country, said she was frustrated by news of D’Amelio making her Broadway debut.
“To have somebody who just gets a role on Broadway because of their fame, or because of their number of followers or their attention on social media,” she said, “I just think is unfortunate for a lot of dancers who are attending auditions on the daily.”
Backlash aside, D’Amelio is slated to make her Broadway debut at the end of October. Her fans will be watching eagerly to see if her transition from the (very) small screen to the big stage lives up to the hype.