Happy Friday, and happy Canada Day! We know you're extremely busy dream casting Justin Trudeau in musicals (just us?), but let's take a moment to revisit the wackiest and wildest moments from this week on the Great White Way. A lot went down, from a naked Boq to a klepto Hodel. It's all below, so be sure to study up on the Lessons of the Week!
Audra McDonald Needs to Sissy that Walk
You know what would make us “Halleloo”? Audra McDonald on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Judging by this photo and the Shuffle Along star’s tweets to drag queens, we think it's time for Mama Broadway to join Mama Ru. The contestants could compete in a round of “Find the Hidden Tony in Eggfartopia” or tap dance with a baby bump. Start your engines, gentlemen, and may the best woman…hit a high E!
The Cats Were Roped into Catching Tail
The growing of tails is a difficult matter; it isn’t just one of your holiday games. You don’t want the appendage to dislodge or to tatter; so that’s why you practice to earn the acclaims. To prepare for their full costumes, the Cats cast began sporting rehearsal tails, i.e. ropes tied around their waists. That’s great, but please remember to return them to the Hamilton set when you’re done.
Groff Doesn't Remember His One Life
Jonathan Groff is great at many things, but if there's one place he falls short, it's remembering his own plotlines on One Life to Live. While chatting with Kathie Lee and Hoda, the Looking star recalled that his character had a pill addiction (or something.) Come on, Groffsauce, we all know Henry Mackler drove into a tree after taking drugs. There was even a series of sonnets written about it!
Leslie & Nicolette Have Glam Quarrels
Ugh, it’s just annoying when Broadway power couples are so beautiful and talented, even their fights look extraordinarily glamorous. In Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Autumn Leaves" music video, the Hamilton Tony winner and his wife Nicolette Robinson have words on the steps of Lincoln Center while donning a slick suit and evening gown, respectively. Why are all of Leslie’s duels so high-concept?
Leslie Odom Jr. Is the New Robert Redford
When he’s not getting in scripted, glamorous fights or winning Tony Awards and vlogging about it, Leslie Odom Jr. is pulling cons with Cady Huffman. The two, who you’ve previously seen together on Leslie’s vlog, recently did a reading of a musical adaptation of The Sting, with Leslie in the Robert Redford role. Please excuse us while we devise a scheme to get into the room where that happens.
Boq Celebrates Like the Hulk
When you get a Tony, you do the worm. When you get cast in a show, you…run around the office naked and scream incoherently. At least, that’s what Zachary Noah Piser did. The Wicked fresh face shared that he got the call while working at his day job, and his response may or may not have involved the removal of clothing. We’re happy, too, Zach, but be sure not to do that around the TKTS booth.
Michael Lomenda Could Be a Property Twin
When he’s not onstage saying things like “I don’t give a f**k about the old neighborhood” in Jersey Boys, you can find Michael Lomenda binge-watching home improvement shows. He can’t get enough of HGTV, particularly Property Brothers. We happen to think he could pass for one (or both!) of the Scott twins in a Property Brothers musical. It’d be like Side Show, but with sledge hammers and paint swatches.
Don't Show Samantha Massell Your Posters
Samantha Massell may be on Broadway, but deep down, she’s just like you. She idolizes Laura Benanti; she wants a revival of Baby; she steals show posters from local establishments. The Fiddler favorite confessed to swiping window cards from dry cleaners as a kid (she claims she asked the owners first). She also may or may not have left Broadway.com HQ with a mug and T-shirt. Old habits die hard.
Cheno Leads a Brothel Full of Psychos
Texas has a whorehouse in it, and it's run by a 4'11" pocket diva. Kristin Chenoweth took part in a reading of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which also included an assortment of American Psycho favorites, including Heléne Yorke and Morgan Weed. Unrelated: We really want to see Cheno covered in blood and dancing with an axe. She is the Mistress of All Evil, after all.
Cynthia Erivo Will Always Beat You
Pro tip: Don’t challenge a Tony winner who starts off her two-show days with half marathons and Instagrams things like this to arm-wrestle unless you’re prepared to lose. The Color Purple Tony winner Cynthia Erivo lured The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah into a match. Sure enough, she had her hands doing things like they supposed to. We secretly wish this happened when she was on The View.