As the adage goes, there’s no business like show business—and it’s especially true this week! A ton of exciting, wacky and downright crazy stuff happened, and Broadway.com is here to fill you in. Check out the top 10 lessons we learned in the last seven days.
Neil Patrick Harris Dreams of Dragdom
After six years playing hilarious womanizer Barney on How I Met Your Mother, Neil Patrick Harris has carte blanche to play pretty much any role he wants. And he chose…a transsexual rocker from communist East Berlin with a botched sex change operation. Yep, he’s taking on the title role in the first-ever Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This is great news, ja? Plus, we can finally cross “NPH in heels” off our Tony Bingo cards!
The Miss Saigon Helicopter Is Circling London
Pack your bags and board the next helicopter to London, because the hit musical Miss Saigon is heading back to the West End. Cameron Mackintosh's newly reimagined production will feature new sets, new costumes and even a new song—a ballad called “Maybe.” Hmmm. "Suddenly" we're hoping "Maybe" isn't as snooze-inducing as the added song in the Les Miz movie.
Patina Miller Is a Cult Member
Pippin Tony winner Patina Miller isn’t just a member of the circus—she also happens to be a member of “the fiercest cult ever.” This is not a cult that sacrifices goats, keeps you up all night chanting or has you wander the East Village tapping a tambourine. No, this is a cult of muscular arms, toned abs, glitter and unicorns. Yes, it's Mark Fisher Fitness, baby. Anyone can drink the Kool-Aid, but you may want to check how many carbs it has first.
Sunny the Dog Is a Floozy
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Not even two weeks after Annie star Sunny the Dog’s public makeout sesh on the Tony telecast with host Neil Patrick Harris, the pup was spotted locking lips with Jesse Tyler Ferguson backstage at the Palace Theatre. Paws off, Sunny, you home wrecker! Bad dog! Cam and Lily would not be amused.
Mama Morton Needs Big...Talent
How you doin’, Chicago? There’s only a few days until Wendy Williams makes her Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton, and her wise predecessor, Christine Pedi, offered up some advice about what it takes to play the brash cell block warden. Apparently, all Wendy needs is “big hair, big lashes, a big mouth and big boobs” to nail the role. Check, check, check and check.
Orfeh Could Be Your Waitress in Queens
Broadway faves Orfeh, Allison Case and Taylor Louderman are serving up pancakes and eggs just south of the Long Island Expressway. In the new movie Life of an Actress, the stars are playing a trio of aspiring performers who moonlight as waitresses in Maspeth, Queens. We don't know why any aspiring actresses would trek out to Queens when they could sling burgers and sing showtunes right here in Times Square, but we're going with it.
Jenna Fischer Trades The Office For the Sorority House
TV regulars Jenna Fischer and Leslie Bibb have taken the stage at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, and the Reasons to Be Happy stars are thoroughly enjoying their off-Broadway debuts—maybe a little too much. Jenna admits she and Leslie, who share a dressing room, act like “a couple of rowdy sorority girls” backstage. We’ll be sure to stop by after the show for beer pong and Jell-O shots.
Santino Fontana Even Sounds Like Royalty
While the world waits patiently for news about the royal baby, may we kindly remind you not to forget Broadway’s own prince, Santino Fontana. The star, who plays Prince Topher in Cinderella, has also been tapped to play Prince Hans in the new Disney animated flick Frozen, proving that even his voice oozes royalty! Hmm, we wonder if his voiceover work on The Princess Diary had anything do to with this.
Mandy Patinkin + Taylor Mac = WTF?
Stage stalwart Mandy Patinkin and outrageous cabaret artist Taylor Mac are teaming up in the new musical The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville. We have no f**king idea what this means, but we’re assuming an “apocalyptic vaudeville” is what you get when you combine Inigo Montoya, sequined dreadlocks, Sunday in the Park, a bathtub full of rubber gloves, Homeland and maybe some thumbtacks. Sounds awesome.
Faith Prince Will Take Care of Your Japanese Wedding Needs
Annie is about to have a brand new Miss Hannigan: Tony-winning Broadway powerhouse Faith Prince! We were so excited, we headed to Prince’s official website, faithprince.com, to get the scoop on her new role. But after visiting the site, we just really, really wanna get married. In Japan. Omedetō, Faith!