Tag Archives: Broadway Friday

– Spider-Man lead Natalie Mendoza is permanently leaving the accident-plagued show, citing continuing dizziness from a concussion suffered during the first preview. In other incidents, one actor broke both his wrists, another broke both his ankles. Mendoza’s replacement has not been announced. The show continues in previews towards a February 7th official opening. – Tony nominee John Leguizamo’s new solo …

-Steve Hayes (Tired Old Queen At The Movies) stars with playwright Bradford Scobie and drag legend Murray Hill in Moisty The Snowman Saves Christmas, now running Off Broadway at Dixon Place. Get tickets here. – Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) will replace Christian Borle as Prior Walter in the critically raved Off Broadway revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels In America. Urie …

– Hugh Jackman will star in a new musical titled Houdini, scheduled to open sometime in 2012. Aaron Sorkin is doing the book, Danny Elfman (!) is writing the music, lyrics by Glenn Slater. – The musical version of Women On The Verge just opened and the reviews are scathing. – Kiefer Sutherland will make his Broadway debut this March …

– Openly gay Broadway star Marty Thomas (Wicked, Xanadu) is suing Twitter to force them to disclose the identity of a user who claimed that Thomas was given crabs by a cast member of Avenue Q. Thomas said in court papers: “I do not suffer from, nor have I ever suffered from a sexually transmitted disease.” Twitter has never been …

– Legendary playwright and Tony nominee Charles Busch (left) has opened Off Broadway with his latest, The Divine Sister, in which he plays Mother Superior of St. Veronica’s, where “dark secrets are rampant.” Early reviews are boffo. – Nicole Kidman returns to Broadway next fall in a revival of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird Of Youth. The original 1959 production starred …

-Openly lesbian Tony winner Cherry Jones (Doubt) begins previews tonight in George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Opening night is October 3rd. -Next Sunday (Sept. 12) La Cage Aux Folles lead Kelsey Grammer hosts the annual Broadway On Broadway spectacular in which the casts of more than two dozen hit Broadway shows perform for free in Times Square to the …

-New attitude! Patti Labelle will join the cast of the Tony-winning Fela! on September 14th and will perform there until the show’s scheduled closing in January. She will replace Tony winner Lilias White in the role of Fela’s mother. -A Broadway version of Glee will definitely happen, according to the show’s co-creator Ryan Murphy, who says he is already auditioning …

– Jesse Tyler Ferguson and a host of fellow gays earned Emmy nominations yesterday. Joining the Modern Family star with noms are Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Alan Cumming, Lily Tomlin, and Ian McKellen. Glee leads the pack with 19 nominations. Darling of the gays Betty White scored a nom for her gig as SNL host. – South …

– Mark Ruffalo will star in a movie version of Larry Kramer’s AIDS drama, The Normal Heart. Other casting and production details have not been announced but reportedly Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy is involved. – Elf: The Musical (SRSLY) opens at Broadway’s Hirschfeld Theater on November 2nd. Tony nominee Casey Nicholaw will direct and choreograph. – Standing room, rush, and …

-Neil Patrick Harris will be among 30 celebrities to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other honorees: Joe Mantegna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Sutherland, Penelope Cruz, Bruce Dern, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, The Muppets, Kenny Ortega, Ridley Scott, Sissy Spacek, Reese Witherspoon, Danny DeVito, Tina Fey, Simon Fuller, John Langley, Ed O’Neill, John Wells, Oprah Winfrey, Melissa Etheridge, …

-Don’t cry for him, Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin will star in a revival of Evita slated to open in the 2012 season. Martin will play narrator Che (based on Che Guevara) opposite West End veteran Elena Roger in the title role. Evita last ran on Broadway from ’79-’81. Martin made his Broadway debut in 1996 as Marius in Les Miserables. …

-I know you are but what am I? The Pee-wee Herman Show will transfer from its wildy successful Los Angeles revival to Broadway for a six week run to start on October 26th. The show debuted in 1980 as a for-adults act before morphing into the kids friendly TV show that ran from 1986-1990. – Beefcake-O-Rama! Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS …

-Liza Minnelli will release a new album titled Confessions in September. The CD will come in two versions. The track listing for the extended 15-cut deluxe edition is here. The album’s producer has not yet been named. -Christine Ricci makes her Broadway debut in Time Stands Still when it reopens on Broadway in September. Laura Linney will rejoin the cast …

-Brandon Victor Dixon, currently earning rave reviews in The Scottsboro Boys, will take the title role in the upcoming Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Musical. The show begins previews on October 8th. -The 2010 Tony Awards nominations will be revealed on Tuesday at 8:30am. Watch live on the official site. -Try to remember: Tomorrow The Fantasticks celebrates its 50th …

PHOTO: Broadway Beauty Pageant winner Charlie Williams of Memphis accepts his tiara as verklempt past winners Marty Thomas and Frankie Grande look on. The Ali Forney Center fundraiser played to a packed house at Symphony Space on Monday with celebrity judges Charles Busch, Tony winner Christine Ebersole, and Michael Musto providing Idol-esque commentary. The evening was hosted by four-time Tony …

-Daniel Radcliffe will star in the 2011 revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Radcliffe received positive notice in 2008’s production of Equus, but has not yet performed in a Broadway musical. Matthew Broderick won the Tony in the same role in 1995. -The NFL makes its first foray into Broadway as a promoter of the upcoming …

-Sexy space stud Patrick Stewart returns to Broadway next season in David Mamet’s A Life InThe Theater. Engage! -Despite many rave reviews for Little Miss Sunshine’s Abagail Breslin, the revival of The Miracle Worker closes on Sunday after only 38 performances. -Musical Everyday Rapture will replace Lips Together, Teeth Apart which was torpedoed when lead Megan Mullally walked out. Opens …

-Reportedly due to creative differences with Tony winning director Joe Mantello, Megan Mullally has abruptly pulled out of the revival of Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart, causing producers to cancel the run. It was scheduled to begin previews on April 9th and producers are scrambling for a replacement show. -The Off Broadway revival of The Boys In The Band …

– Neil Patrick Harris will star in a mixed live action/animated version of The Smurfs. NPH will be live, Alan Cumming and Jonathan Winters will be animated. NPH is also slated to guest star in an upcoming episode of Glee. – Ugly Betty stars Vanessa Williams and Michael Urie will co-host this year’s 76th Annual Drama League Awards on May …

– Carrie Fisher says the producer of her just-closed hit show Wishful Drinking hasn’t paid her what he owes and failed to move the show to a big enough Broadway house. The show had its entire run at the small and non-profit Studio 54. – South Pacific will close on August 22nd. – Women On The Verge Of A Nervous …