The last Broadway show of the 2012-13 season opened this week, which means that the upcoming madness of the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards (and something called the Tonys) is soon upon us! But before awards season takes over, we’re looking back at the past seven days and giving you our favorite lessons learned from the week that was. Check out the list, which includes everything from Twilight superstitions to Doctor Who dreamboats.
Arthur Darvill Is Just Your Average Time-Traveling "Guy"
Former Doctor Who favorite Arthur Darvill made his Broadway debut this week in the Tony-winning musical Once, and we’re thoroughly impressed with his musical chops as an Irish street busker. Now we know why his fans are head over heels for the English gent: not only can he fight aliens, rescue dinosaurs and travel through time, but he can sing about it, too! Consider us in love with this "broken-hearted Hoover fixer sucker" guy.
Once an Emcee, Always an Emcee
Macbeth star Alan Cumming is rumored to be reprising his role as the Master of Ceremonies in a new revival of Cabaret, the show that won him a Tony Award back in 1998. If Cumming wilkommens us back to the Kit Kat Klub, we’ll gladly oblige, especially if it means we’ll get to see him beedle deedle dee with two more ladies. Maybe this time, he’ll play all the characters, too!
What the "M" in the Divine Miss M Means
Modesty! On opening night of her one-woman show I’ll Eat You Last, Bette Midler was anything but a diva when we asked her about her fans. “I think people are coming to see Sue, to tell you the truth,” Midler demurred. Well, it’s nice to think that folks are traveling from across the country to see a Hollywood agent they’ve never heard of, but we’re gonna have to go ahead and disagree with the Divine Miss M here. Sorry, B, it's all about you!
Lesli Margherita Craves the Twilight Touch
Backstage at Matilda, sassy scene-stealer Lesli Margherita has a wacky pre-show ritual with a cardboard cut-out of Twilight vamp Robert Pattinson. “It’s a little superstition that I have to say ‘Bye, Robert,’ and then I touch him,” confessed Matilda's mama. Well, that's the hunkiest good luck charm we’ve ever seen, and that’s including our life-sized cut-out of Michael Crawford from Dance of the Vampires.
Guys and Dolls Is Gonna Get Steamy
If the rumors are true, we might be seeing a movie musical version of Guys and Dolls in the near future with Channing Tatum as Sky Masterson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Nathan Detroit. Um, could we be swooning any more dramatically? Between both movie stars, this may be the hottest set of Guys we’ve ever seen, which suddenly makes the idea of rockin’ the boat a whole lot dirtier. Sue us!
Anything Goes Could Use a Modern Makeover
We’re kind of obsessed with a YouTube video that features Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana giving new life—and new lyrics—to the Cole Porter song “You’re the Top.” As it turns out, the 21st century lyrics that the Cinderella duo sing gave the ditty a fresh update. Who knew that Lady Gaga, Harry Potter and Angry Birds were just what Anything Goes was missing!? Next up, a new rendition of “It's De-Lohan.”
Lindsay Lohan Has an Affinity for Orphans
Speaking of LiLo, it’s no secret that Lindsay Lohan has the ickiest parents ever, so we imagine that she was thinking of them when she decided to check out the aptly titled Orphans on Broadway. Perhaps she was slightly envious of the parent-free characters? Who knows, but when you consider Dina and Michael's parenting skills, Momma Rose starts looking like a fairy freaking godmother.
Terrence Mann Had More Fun in Fishnets Than in Whiskers
When Pippin star Terrence Mann recounted his favorite stage roles, he noted that playing Frank ‘N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Show was “the most fun I ever had, legally or illegally.” We first have to speculate what fun illegal things Mann has done (jaywalking?) before asking an even more burning question: what about Rum Tum Tugger!? If you offer him pheasant, he’d rather have grouse—c'mon, how much fun is that?
Lindsay Mendez Had the Longest Wicked Audition Ever
Golden-piped Lindsay Mendez will be the newest Elphaba to step into Wicked, but we quickly realized that her audition for the guys behind the curtain (namely Wicked's composer Stephen Schwartz and director Joe Mantello) started years ago—first, with Schwartz's Godspell and then in Mantello's Dogfight. Who knew it took so long to get to the Emerald City? Next time, you should totally travel by bubble, Lindsay!
Stephanie J. Block Is a Karaoke Strategist
When we asked a slew of Broadway stars to name their top karaoke song picks, Stephanie J. Block revealed herself to be quite the sing-along connoisseur. Citing anything by Karen Carpenter, Block explained, “It’s a low enough key that you’re not going to be surprised at any time of the day…perhaps a little tipsy. You can still hit the notes.” Wait, you’re supposed to hit the notes in karaoke? Have we been doing it wrong this whole time?!