Odds & Ends: Shows Set for Darren Criss-Hosted Stars in the Alley, Spike Lee Reimagines Lysistrata & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today and over the weekend.

Shows Set for Darren Criss-Hosted Stars in the Alley
We now know the participating shows for this year’s Stars in the Alley, hosted by the previously reported Darren Criss! Participating musicals include Aladdin, An American in Paris, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Chicago, Finding Neverland, Fun Home, Gigi, It Shoulda Been You, Kinky Boots, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Matilda the Musical, Mamma Mia!, On the Town, On the Twentieth Century, The Phantom of the Opera, Something Rotten!, The Visit and Wicked. There’ll also be additional appearances from Airline Highway, The Audience, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Hand to God, It’s Only a Play and Wolf Hall Parts One & Two. You can catch Stars in the Alley, rain or shine, on May 27, 10:30 AM through 12:30 PM in Shubert Alley. Small print: the productions are subject to change but then the event is FREE!

Spike Lee Reimagines Lysistrata, Starring J-Hud
Turns out that Chiraq, Spike Lee’s new comedy musical for Amazon studios, is a reimagining of Lysistrata. Screen Daily reports that the movie will feature Kanye West and the Broadway-bound Jennifer Hudson. Various incarnations of Lysistrata, a classic Greek comedy by Aristophanes, have played on the Great White Way, including 2011’s Lysistrata Jones, which had a book by Douglas Carter Beane and score by Lewis Flinn. Lee’s version will follow a woman on a mission to end gang warfare in Chicago.

Mandy Patinkin on What he Shouldn't Do on Homeland
Mandy Patinkin will soon star opposite Taylor Mac in The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville at A.R.T. and he’s thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to show off his comedic skills. “Whenever I do something funny on Homeland, they cut it out,” the Tony winner joked to The Boston Globe. The production will begin performances on May 12.

Tony Winner Elizabeth Wilson Dead at 94
Switching gears, Elizabeth Wilson, who won a 1972 Tony for her performance in Sticks and Bones, died aged 94 on May 9, according to The New York Times. The character actress’ distinguished career included film roles in The Graduate, Quiz Show, The Addams Family and 9 to 5; she was nominated for an Emmy in 1987’s Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder. Wilson never married; she was on record as saying that “in those days, if a woman married, they had to quit what they were doing and stay home and raise a family. I didn’t want to do that and now, thank God, you don’t have to.” Our thoughts are with her loved ones.

Grand Hotel Bound for Southwark
And finally, Grand Hotel is set to play a limited engagement July 31 through September 5, at the U.K.'s Southwark Playhouse! Directed by Thom Southerland and based on Vicki Baum’s Grand Hotel, with music and lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright and additional music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, opening night is scheduled for August 5. Set in a bustling hotel with eccentric and sometimes dubious guests, the 1989 Broadway production’s cast included Jane Krakowski; Tommy Tune collected Tonys both for Best Choreography and Best Direction for his work on the show.