Broadway Body Positivity Project Launches 'Shape of a Star' Series

Broadway Body Positivity Project launches Shape of a Star featuring plus size performers as ingénues, romantic leads, and vamps from iconic musicals. The seven-week multimedia series runs from September 17th, 2024 - October 30th, 2024 via social media on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. The first six weeks will consist of individual photo shoots, highlighting one performer each week, and the seventh week will highlight music videos by select performers.

Featured performers include Coco Kasperowicz (Lottie à la West), Stephanie Lexis, LaVon Fisher-Wilson, Ron Blakely, Suzie Juul, and Erica Dawn.

“Historically, and even in the current landscape of American musical theatre, plus size performers are overlooked for roles that are characteristically heroic, sexy, and/or worthy of romantic love” said Stephanie Lexis, founder of Broadway Body Positivity Project. “The average American dress size is in the 14+ range and yet performers in these bodies are assumed to play characters deemed ‘unattractive” Lexis continued.

In 2023, Lexis testified at City Hall in favor of Bill INT 0209, which would prohibit size and height discrimination, in public access, employment, and housing. While Fatphobia and Achondroplasiaphobia remain prevalent in the entertainment industry, Lexis spoke about size discrimination in the theater industry, particularly for those who aspire to work on Broadway.

Six years in the making, this multimedia concept led to the forming of Broadway Body Positivity Project. The project aims to feature unknown artists located across the country who represent non-binary, neurodivergent, women, Black, White, Jewish, Southeast Asian, and East Asian performers.

Shape of a Star runs online from September 17th, 2024 - October 30, 2024. Learn more and follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/broadwaybopo/