These are Broadway’s most influential stars on Instagram

We don’t often think of our favorite thespians as social media influencers, but new data has revealed Broadway’s most influential stars on Instagram, naming Lea Michele as having the highest potential earnings. 

The study, conducted by Broadway tickets site SeatPlan, analyzed the Instagram profiles of Broadway cast members from popular musicals using influencer marketing tools to determine the stars who can charge the biggest fee for a single sponsored post should they wish to monetize their profiles. 

The research revealed that actress Lea Michele could charge the highest price at a reported $42,700 per post, should she choose to make a profit from her account. Currently, the actress boasts of 8.3 million followers on Instagram, giving her a huge audience on the site. 

The actress, who made her Broadway debut as a replacement for young Cosette in 1995, was most notably part of the original Spring Awakening cast in 2006 as the lead Wendla before featuring on the mega-successful show Glee in 2009. Since those early years, Michele has continued her pursuit of Broadway and has most recently been playing the iconic role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.  

The second highest earner on the list is Ashley Park from the original, and now 2024 film adaptation of Mean Girls. The actress played the role of Gretchen Weiners on Broadway and can earn up to $19,600 for a sponsored post.  

Since her theatre debut in 2009, Park has acted in iconic musicals like Mamma Mia! and The King and I, and over the last few years the star has turned to screen acting featuring in Netflix’s Emily in Paris. From such a legendary career, Park’s Instagram has amassed over 3 million followers. 

In joint third place, Taye Diggs and Ben Platt come next, both earning a potential of $12,300 per post to their individual 1.6 million followers. 

Diggs, known for originating the role of Benny in Rent, has had a hugely successful career starting off on Broadway before moving to screen acting featuring in shows such as Private Practice and Will & Grace. Thanks to his illustrious career, the actor has a reported net worth of $16 million. 

Newer to the scene but no less successful, Ben Platt can also boast of a respectable career, finding huge recognition with his performance as Evan in Dear Evan Hansen. For the role, Platt won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. As well as this, the show won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album making Platt’s career already very decorated despite his young age of just 30.  

Following the two, Broadway icons and Frozen co-stars, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad come in joint fourth. 

Menzel, a Tony Award-winning actress, currently has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and a charging price of $10,400 per sponsored post. Menzel made her Broadway debut as Maureen in the Pulitzer-Prize winning musical Rent, also playing the same role in the 2005 film adaptation. Since then, the star has continued to act in musicals, including the wildly successful Wicked, for which she won her Tony Award, and has made an effective transition to film and TV.  

As for Gad, the star also has 1.3 million followers and a charging rate of $10,400 per post. Gad’s early career involved guest featuring in television shows before triumphing in his role as Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. For his role, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical alongside his co-star Andrew Rannells, and the show also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.  

Next in line, Skylar Astin from the original cast of Spring Awakening takes fifth place. The actor, also noted for starring in the Pitch Perfect films, can charge $9,900 for a sponsored post on Instagram. The star currently has an impressive 1.2 million followers on his account.