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Behind the Curtain: Sondheim denies there’s a sex dungeon in his basement

Sondheim: There’s no basement sex dungeon

In an interview with the Times of London, Stephen Sondheim was questioned about the “sex dungeon” supposedly located in the basement of his Turtle Bay brownstone. Although he admitted to having heard those rumors, he insisted that “there is no basis of truth in it whatsoever” and that his basement just contains a washing machine, boiler and closet. “What it represents is people trying to put me down and trash me,” Sondheim told the Times.

Wolfe, Glover, McDonald set for ‘Shuffle Along’

The 1921 musical revue “Shuffle Along,” which holds an important place in Broadway history because it was produced, written and performed by African-Americans, has inspired director-playwright George C. Wolfe and choreographer Savion Glover (who worked together years ago on “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk”) to create “Shuffle Along, Or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed,” a new musical that will premiere next season on Broadway. Audra McDonald will lead the cast.

‘First Wives’ musical panned in Chicago

The musical adaptation of “The First Wives Club,” which opened out-of-town in Chicago last week, received mixed-to-negative reviews from local critics, which could affect its chances of transferring to Broadway down the road. The Chicago Tribune called it “troubled.” Variety called it “a piece of theatrical plastic.” Time Out Chicago gave it two out of five stars.

Marshall interested in ‘Follies’ film with Streep

Film and stage director Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Into the Woods”) told Playbill.com that although he would really like to make a movie version of the Sondheim musical “Follies” with Meryl Streep, the project is still being developed and there is nothing to report for now.

T.R. Knight to join ‘It’s Only a Play’

T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”) will join the cast of the hit Broadway comedy “It’s Only a Play” on March 31, taking over as the hotshot English director Frank Finger for Maulik Pancholy (“30 Rock”). Nathan Lane, who left the show in order to do “The Iceman Cometh” at BAM, will rejoin the cast on the same day.

‘Hamilton’ mixes Broadway with pop culture in detailed casting notice

Although the cast of “Hamilton” will more or less stay the same when the hip-hop musical transfers to Broadway this summer, the Broadway audition notice (possibly written by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself) is extremely revealing. Characters are described using pop culture and Broadway references: Hamilton is “Eminem meets Sweeney Todd,” Aaron Burr is “Javert meets Mos Def” and George Washington is “John Legend meets Mufasa.”

‘The Wedding Singer’ to get 54 Below concert

54 Below will continue its ongoing series of musicals in concert with “The Wedding Singer” on April 19, which will feature cast members from the 2006 Broadway production including Stephen Lynch, Amy Spanger, Felicia Finley and Constantine Maroulis. Laura Benanti, the original female lead, is not expected to appear.

Spotted ?

Jonah Hill and Cuba Gooding Jr. at “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” …? Vanessa Williams, Jane Krakowski, Victor Garber, Brooke Shields and Bernadette Peters at “On the Twentieth Century” ?… Spike Jonze and David Byrne at “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” …? Rosie O’Donnell at “Hamilton” ?… Neil Patrick Harris at “On the Town.”