Hudgens to join stage alums in ‘Gigi’ reading
Vanessa Hudgens, who co-starred in “High School Musical,” will take part in an industry reading of the Lerner and Loewe musical “Gigi,” which is being revised and readied for a Broadway revival, as reported by Playbill.com. The cast will also include stage regulars like Victoria Clark, Kate Burton and Howard McGillin.
‘Forbidden Broadway’ to close
The latest edition of “Forbidden Broadway,” the long-running Off-Broadway musical parody of current and classic Broadway musicals, will close on July 20 after a five-month run at the Davenport Theatre. “It seems like it works best for us in these seasons, to do the show in New York as a series of limited runs,” Alessandrini said in a statement, promising it will return “when there are new shows and stars to spoof.”
LaBelle trying to save ‘After Midnight’
Patti LaBelle, who is currently appearing as the special guest vocalist in “After Midnight,” told ABC News Radio that she has “angels working” to see whether someone can put up the money necessary to keep the Broadway revue running past June 29, its scheduled closing date. At this point, it’s unlikely that the acclaimed show will be rescued.
Texas ‘Hardbody’ shut down for tampering with show
A Texas production of the musical “Hands on a Hardbody,” which had a short Broadway run last year, unexpectedly made the news when it was revealed that its director had made substantial changes to the script and score without seeking the authors’ permission. The remaining performances were canceled after a cease and desist letter was sent by Samuel French, the company that licenses the musical.
‘Zanna, Don’t!’ to receive reunion concert at 54 Below
“Zanna, Don’t!,” the cult 2003 Off-Broadway musical about an alternative high school universe where “gay is the norm, the chess team is cool and the football players are dorks,” will receive two concert performances at 54 Below on Monday night that will reunite much of the original cast including Anika Larsen, who is currently playing Cynthia Weil in the new musical “Beautiful.”
Award Ceremony for High School Actors Set for Monday on Broadway
The Jimmy Awards, the annual awards show for high school students who took the prize for best performance in regional competitions around the country, will be held on Monday night at the Minskoff Theatre. Each student, in costume, performs a minute-long excerpt from the musical he or she appeared in as part of carefully choreographed medleys.
‘The Anthem’ closes without warning Off-Broadway
Just a week after the Spanish-language version of “The Vagina Monologues” closed without prior notice, another Off-Broadway show has suffered the same fate. “The Anthem,” a musical based on Ayn Rand’s work of the same title, closed on June 22 after a 33-performance run. Its cast was led by Randy Jones of The Village People.
Spotted …
Vince Vaughn, Spike Lee, Michael Jordan, Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Noth at “Holler if Ya Hear Me” … Bernadette Peters and Anika Noni Rose at “After Midnight.”
