Kristin Chenoweth Is a Doll, Daniel Radcliffe Finally Meets Darren Criss & More Lessons of the Week

It’s hard to believe another week on Broadway has come to an end, but here we are with another 10 lessons from the last seven days, from Oscar winner with Broadway dreams to long-awaited star encounters and more. Read on below to find out what we learned from your favorite shows and stars. 

And She Is Telling Us, She Is Going to Broadway
She’s already starred in her dream show, Dreamgirls, on the big screen and won an Oscar to boot, but Jennifer Hudson is determined to come to Broadway. “Everyone keeps asking me, ‘Jennifer, what’s next?’” she told Broadway.com this week. “I’m coming to Broadway eventually!” Hudson made no secret of her respect for the stage: “Broadway and theater represents so much true, true, true talent, and that’s an inspiration for me.” Whatever her eventual Rialto role may be: You, you, you, you’re gonna love her.

Kristin Chenoweth Is a Cabbage Patch Kid
If there’s anything cuter than Kristin Chenoweth, it’s Kristin Chenoweth as a Cabbage Patch Doll. The Tony winner showed off her very own doll to a highly amused Chelsea Handler on a recent appearance on Chelsea Lately. But there's bad news for Cabbage Patch and/or Cheno fans who want a doll for their collection. Only one was made, and it was auctioned to support The Adoption Institute. Don't fret, Cheno’s fans rallied to buy it for her so she could give it to her (adoptive) parents. Nope, nothing cuter.

Jeremy Jordan Is Having a Pretty Good Week
Everything’s coming up Jeremy Jordan! His star turn in Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde was cut short in 2011, but from the looks of things, his 2012 is off to an awesome start. Earlier this week, Jordan walked the red carpet for his brand new film, Joyful Noise, and days later it was officially announced that he would head back to Broadway as Jack Kelly in Newsies, a role he created. What next? He gets engaged to a gorgeous stage starlet? Oh, right.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Doesn’t Get Everything He Wants
As if there weren’t enough drama in the upstairs/downstairs TV hit Downton Abbey, now there’s some real-life controversy surrounding the gorgeous castle, stirred up by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber. The famous Phantom composer apparently pissed off the owners of Highclere Castle, which serves as the title setting on the British show, when he expressed interest in buying the property to house his art collection. They probably just don't trust him; that place must have a ton of chandeliers.

Bye Bye, Birdie May Get a Hip Hop Makeover
Adam Shankman, helmer of the stage-to-screen adaptations of Hairspray and Rock of Ages, wants to direct a hip-hop version of Bye Bye, Birdie. OK, but we have questions. What takes the place of The Ed Sullivan Show? Who will play title star Conrad Birdie, the teen heartthrob and singing sensation who gets drafted? Are you going to poach Jay-Z from the Annie remake? As long as “The Telephone Hour" doesn't become "The Texting Hour," we're on board.

There’s Nothing the Cast of Chinglish Can't Do
They are already bilingual, Broadway-caliber actors, and next up in their apparent quest to make us all look bad the cast of Chinglish set their sights on the trapeze. The entire company got "flying" lessons as an opening night gift from leading man Gary Wilmes, and Broadway.com tagged along to see how they did. “I’m surprised at how good everyone is,” Wilmes said as the session wound down. So when can we expect commercials for "Chinglish, now with more flying!" ads?

Nick Adams Went All The Secret On His Career
For being a hackneyed story convention, the whole "plucked from the chorus" thing doesn’t really happen all that often. But it did for Nick Adams, who had only ensemble credits before landing the featured role of Adam/Felicia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. His secret? The Secret. “When I first read that book, I was like, ‘This is how performers have to live,’” he said. “You have to envision things working out the way you want them to.” OK, everyone: Envision Adams' washboard abs when you're at the gym, and report back.

Audra McDonald’s Eyes Can Save a Scene
Porgy and Bess’ Phillip Boykin is a stage pro but a Broadway first-timer, and if he ever gets nervous he has an excellent life-raft in leading lady Audra McDonald. “She said, 'I find that if we look into each other’s eyes, we can make whatever is going on real for us,’” he told Broadway.com. “So whenever I am on stage with her, I try to catch her eye. I am looking, just piercing into her eyes, because that turns on the emotion of the scene.” Let's face it: The lady doesn’t have four Tonys for nothing.

Holy Crap, LaChanze is 50!
No one’s birthday is a secret in the age of Google, but that didn’t stop jaws from dropping in the Broadway.com office when we learned that gorgeous Tony winner LaChanze recently turned 50. The actress, who won a Tony for The Color Purple and appears in current Oscar contender The Help, looked youthful as ever when she stopped by to chat with Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek. It seems like just yesterday she was lighting up the stage in Once on This Island. Time flies when you're on Broadway.

Daniel Radcliffe and Darren Criss Finally Met
There has been a meeting of the Finches and Broadway is still standing! It became a running joke that former and current How to Succeed stars Daniel Radcliffe and Darren Criss had never met, but in recent interviews both actors said that the wait is over. According to Criss, Radcliffe was a “complete gentleman" when the two met on the stage of the Hirschfeld Theatre. Sadly, Radcliffe said there are no photos of the event, so this explosion of charm will just have to exist in our imagination. Sigh.