How many degrees of separation are there between Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman? As has been reported almost everywhere, Cruise has been sacked by Paramount on the basis that he's weird and he hasn't been giving the studio sufficient return on its investment. Jackman, meanwhile, is touring Australia with what is likely to be a very profitable production of The Boy from Oz, both for him and for the show's producers. The connection is that both of them have brought into focus the issue of "star power" and how much it is worth. Cruise was expendable but Jackman, at least for now, is deemed to be worth the reported $250,000 per performance he is getting for Oz. Indeed, the show would not have happened without his participation. If nothing else, that's something to think about next time you're buying petrol, paying the mortgage or investing in theatre tickets.