Legally Blonde Air Date Changed

Originally scheduled to air on MTV this past Saturday, the taping of Broadway musical Legally Blonde will now have its television premiere on October 13 at 1pm. Set your VCRs!

Duran Duran To Play the Broadway Stage

With the rash of terrible jukebox musicals appearing all over Broadway the last few years, the mere mention of a popular band and Broadway in the same breath is enough to inspire fear in the hearts of many theater fans. However, when Duran Duran ("Hungry Like the Wolf," "Ordinary World") comes to Broadway this November, fortunately it will not be in the form of a musical. The British rockers are merely using Broadway's Barrymore Theatre as a concert venue to promote their new album, Red Carpet Massacre.

It's quite unusual for a band to play Broadway rather than one of the many concert halls in New York City, but lead singer Simon LeBon says "Staging a run on Broadway is something that we've often talked about over the years," and it seems that they've finally found an opportunity to do it. Duran Duran will play a series of gigs at the Barrymore from November 1 through 12. Tickets go onsale through Telecharge beginning October 1.

Casting for Broadway's Cry-Baby Announced

The casting for Broadway-bound musical Cry-Baby has been announced. The title role, played by Johnny Depp in the 1990 film on which the show is based, will be played by newcomer James Snyder. Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie, TV's Frasier), Carly Jibson (Hairspray), Chester Gregory (Tarzan), and Christopher Hanke (In My Life) also star. The musical will open at La Jolla Playhouse in November for a run, and then hopefully come to Broadway soon after, but no date has yet been set.

Lone Star Love Cancels Broadway Production

Lone Star Love, the new musical that puts Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor in a Wild West setting, has canceled its Broadway engagement. The show, which stars film actor Randy Quaid, is currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle (through September 30) and was supposed to open on Broadway on December 3.

Broadway Flea Market Today!

Don't forget to drop in to Shubert Alley today to visit the Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction, benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The event begins at 10AM, when the various Broadway shows and Broadway-related organizations set up their tables full of goods (old Playbills, props, CDs, theater merchandise, and you-name-it). The auction, which includes walk-on roles in Broadway shows, starts mid-afternoon. And throughout the day, television and Broadway celebrities will be signing autographs. The festivities end at 7PM.

A Hair-y Weekend in the Park

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the landmark musical Hair, the Public Theater is presenting three free concert performances of the show at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. As with the Shakespeare in the Park shows, tickets for Hair are being passed out at 1pm in the afternoon (but be sure to get in line early!). The first performance was today, and the remaining shows are on the 23rd and 24th at 7pm. The talented cast is headed by Jonathan Groff, who is currently starring on Broadway in Spring Awakening.

Annette Bening Out of Female of the Species

Actress Annette Bening has withdrawn from the Broadway-bound play The Female of the Species. The Joanna Murray-Smith play is set to open at the Geffen Playhouse in February 2008 before hitting Broadway later in the Spring. No word yet on who will replace Bening.

Broadway-Bound Catered Affair Opens in San Diego

The new musical version of the 1956 film A Catered Affair, which is set to open on Broadway in March 2008, is starting previews in its pre-Broadway engagement at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego tonight. The musical has a book by Harvey Fierstein (who also stars), a score by John Bucchino, and direction from Tony-winner John Doyle.

Date Set For Tony Awards

The 62nd Annual Tony Awards show, which honors the best of Broadway each year, will be held on June 15, 2008 at Radio City Music Hall. As usual, the ceremony will be broadcast on CBS. With the Broadway season just now beginning, there isn't much buzz yet on which shows are most likely to be Tony contenders, but come Spring, the Broadway community will surely be engaging in heated debates over who will take home the statues.

Live From the Pink Carpet!

Today is the live taping of Legally Blonde, and MTV is rolling out the pink carpet for the event. Cast members from the MTV show "The Hills" will host, and there will be a pre-show event featuring other TV and tween celebs. Last week MTV gave out free tickets to fans of the bouncy Broadway musical, all of whom are 15-25 years of age and will be wearing pink (no, seriously!). This certainly ain't your grandma's Broadway!

New York Musical Theatre Festival Kicks Off

Tomorrow, Monday, September 17, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) starts! Over the course of the next three weeks, dozens of new musicals will be presented in theaters all around midtown as a part of the festival. Go to www.nymf.org to learn about the shows and get your tickets. Any one of these shows might be the next big Broadway hit!

Late Broadway and TV Actor Jerry Orbach To Be Honored With Street Name

Jerry Orbach, star of such Broadway musicals as the original productions of 42nd Street and Chicago, will be honored by New York City when a portion of 53rd Street at 8th Avenue is dubbed "Jerry Orbach Way" on Monday, September 17. Orbach's breakout stage role was as El Gallo in the original Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks, and he became a beloved TV star late in his career playing Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order. Orbach died of cancer on December 28, 2004 at the age of 69.

Broadway Director's Movie Opens Today

The latest film from Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of The Lion King on Broadway, opens in limited release today (wide release is on September 21) -- and it's a musical! Across the Universe is a love story set in the 1960s that uses songs by The Beatles to tell its tale. Taymor's wildly artistic -- and often abstract -- style is likely to make for an interesting and divisive movie.

See Off-Broadway Shows for $20

This is your last chance to take advantage of the special "20 at 20" offer that allows you to get $20 tickets for a variety of Off-Broadway shows, including Altar Boyz, The Fantasticks, Forbidden Broadway, and Stomp. At 20 minutes before curtain, these and many other Off-Broadway plays and musicals will sell any remaining tickets to the show for just $20 each. This offer ends this Sunday, September 16. Visit www.offbroadway.com for a complete list of participating shows.

Hairspray DVD Release Date Announced

The DVD of the hit film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray is due in stores on November 20. The movie has already grossed $114 million at the box office in the United States alone, and DVD sales are likely to be strong as well.

Rockers on Broadway: Salutes Motown

"Rockers on Broadway" will be raising money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with a special concert on October 22 saluting Motown music. The event will take place at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill at 8pm. Comedian Caroline Rhea will serve as host, while such Broadway performers as Billy Porter, Michael McElroy, Darlene Love, Tevin Campbell, Deborah Gibson, and Jersey Boys Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer, and Christian Hoff rock out.

Broadway's Legally Blonde To Air on MTV Sept 29

It's official, MTV will be taping the Broadway production of Legally Blonde to air on television. They will premiere it at 1PM on Saturday, September 29 as a part of a Legally Blonde: The Musical special event that will also include "Pink Carpet" festivities at the Palace Theatre and backstage interviews with the cast. The MTV airing is bound to get many teens and tweens excited about seeing the show live on Broadway, so if you want to catch it at a discount, you better act quickly!

Casting For Nine Film Confirmed

The movie version of the musical Nine, to be directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), now has its international star-studded cast intact. Javier Bardem will star as Guido, and the various women in his life will be played by Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Marion Cotillard, and Sophia Loren. The Maury Yeston/Arthur Kopit musical, based on Federico Fellini's film 8 1/2, had a glorious Broadway revival in 2003 starring Antonio Banderas and featuring the feminine talents of Jane Krakowski, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Chita Rivera. The original 1982 Broadway production starred Raul Julia in the lead role.

Young Frankenstein To Offer Ticket Lottery

It has been announced that Mel Brooks' latest film-to-Broadway venture, Young Frankenstein, will offer discount tickets via a daily lottery drawing. In an unusual move, though, the lotteries for the first two weeks of preview performances will all be held on one day, September 10. All during that day, from 10AM to 6PM, lotto entries will be accepted at the Hilton Theatre box office. Then, at 7PM, the actual drawing will be held in front of the McDonald's across the street from the theater.

Legally Blonde To Air on MTV ...?

Word on the street is that MTV is negotiating to film a performance of the Broadway musical Legally Blonde to be aired on the popular music television network. There are a lot of potential problems with such a proposal (in the past, videotaped versions of Broadway shows haven't aired on TV until after the production closed), but it would be a great boost for Broadway to have one of its own touted on a youth powerhouse like MTV.

Broadway Shows Support the Actors Fund

Wanna help a good cause and see one of your favorite Broadway shows at the same time? Then buy tickets for a special Actors Fund benefit performance of Grease (9/9 at 8PM), Curtains (9/30 at 7:30PM), Legally Blonde (10/23 at 7PM), Les Miserables (11/11 at 8PM), or Mary Poppins (12/11 at 8PM). To order tickets, call 212.221.7300 ext. 133 or send an e-mail to tickets@actorsfund.org. The Actors Fund is a non-profit organization that offers support to entertainment industry professionals in need, including health care and housing services.

Are You the Next Broadway Idol?

For the second year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival is holding its "Broadway Idol" competition, modeled on the hit TV series American Idol. If you're 21 or older and don't have Broadway credits (but you're convinced you've got Broadway-caliber talent), then head to the auditions on September 8. Auditions are held at the Ha! Comedy Club (163 W. 46th) from 10AM to 6PM. Be sure to arrive between 10 and 10:15AM to be assigned an audition time. Callbacks will be held the next day from noon to 3PM. Contestants must be prepared to participate in the competition on the following dates: September 21, September 28, and October 5. For the audition, bring a 16-bar Broadway song that best reflects your style and abilities. The winner of "Broadway Idol" gets to do his or her own solo concert produced by Ars Nova.

Former Broadway Star Speller Now Movie Star

Dan Fogler, who originated the role of William Barfee in the Broadway production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is now starring on the big screen in the comedy Balls of Fury. Ever since Fogler won a Tony for his hilarious turn in Spelling Bee, Hollywood has been courting him for numerous film projects.