Paul Rudd Is Over His Testicles, Grant Gustin Has a Broadway BFF & More Lessons of the Week
As the sun sets on another eventful week on the Rialto, Broadway.com looks back on the headlines that tickled our funny bones, raised our eyebrows or just made us shudder. From Kristin Chenoweth’s very own nursemaid to Patti LuPone’s influence over Jake Gyllenhaal, read on to see what we learned this week.
Paul Rudd’s Testicles Are Taking a Hiatus
Paul Rudd has won over the hearts of millions in films ranging from Clueless to Romeo + Juliet to Anchorman. As the charming movie star preps to return to the Broadway stage in the new play Grace, he is concerned how his fans will react to this career departure. “This might be a little different,” he said to Broadway.com. “I hope they like it and that they aren’t just waiting for me to start making jokes about my testicles and stuff, which I seem to do a lot in movies.” Come on, Paul! Testicle jokes on Broadway, as if!
Adrienne Warren and Grant Gustin Are Overdue To Hang Out
In the new musical Bring It On, Adrienne Warren plays a high school student with fab friends, and in a recent My Space, we learned that Warren’s real-life besties from high school are also fabulous. She shouts out to her BFFs, including Glee hottie Grant Gustin. “When we were in high school, we made a deal that when I did my first Broadway show, we would meet up and catch up on old times,” Warren told Broadway.com. Time to set up camp at the St. James—that show opened nearly a month ago, so Gustin (who tweeted how "proud" he is of Adrienne) should be due there any day.
Bobby Cannavale Dreams of Al Pacino
Broadway vet Bobby Cannavale is going head to head with the legendary Al Pacino in this fall’s revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, and he says working with Pacino is a dream come true. Cannavale (who is taking on the role of Ricky Roma, which Pacino immortalized in the film version of the play) told New York Magazine that he used to imagine Pacino in attendance as a tactic to get psyched before performances. "My little mantra was, 'Al's coming tonight,’” Cannavale admitted. We wonder who Pacino imagines is in his audiences? The Pope?!
Sarah McLachlan Can’t Get Away from Animals in Need
We’ve all seen the commercials, Sarah McLachlan petting an abused pet while her song "Angel" makes you want to weep. Well, now McLachlan is upgrading from needy cats and dogs to a captive 50-foot gorilla named Kong. The Grammy winner is composing a song for the world premiere of the musical King Kong, and no doubt it will be a tearjerker. For Sarah’s next project, we anticipate a maudlin stage adaptation of the 1989 animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven. Please pass the Kleenex.
Patti LuPone Puts Jake Gyllenhaal To Sleep
Jake Gyllenhaal makes his New York stage debut this weekend in If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, and as he preps to take the stage he told The New York Times about his early experience with the theater; namely, seeing Broadway diva Patti LuPone as Reno Sweeney in the 1987 revival of Anything Goes. And while at first he was dazzled by her rendition of “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Gyllenhaal then “promptly fell asleep.” Perhaps Patti prefers sleeping audience members to ones with ringing cell phones, but we still think you owe Miss LuPone an apology. And maybe a hug. And a kiss. And a cuddle. OK, we'll stop.
Elphaba Needs a Xanax to Defy Gravity
When listing qualities needed to play Wicked’s Elphaba, fans might say a big belting voice, great comic timing, distinct cackle and the ability to defy gravity eight times a week. Yet when Broadway’s current Elphaba, Jackie Burns, sat down with co-star Chandra Lee Schwartz for Broadway.com’s Ask a Star, she admitted to having a fear of heights. Whoa! Anyone familiar with the musical knows just how high Elphie soars at the end of Act I. Don't worry, Jackie! No one's going to bring you dowwwwn! Ahhhh!
Spring Awakening Is a Breeding Ground for Bare
The cult teen musical Bare is returning off-Broadway this November in a new production starring Taylor Trensch, Jason Hite, Elizabeth Judd and Gerard Canonico. This quartet of young stars all share a common credit on their resume; they all starred in various productions of the Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening. It’s good to know Spring Awakening vets now have a choice: either you graduate to Glee, or you star in Bare. There are no other options.
A TV Commercial Saved Rosie’s Life
Last week, Broadway.com learned that hair extensions saved the life of Broadway darling Kristin Chenoweth. This week, fellow Emmy winner and Broadway veteran Rosie O’Donnell survived a heart attack thanks to a TV commercial. O’Donnell blogged, “I took some Bayer Aspirin. Thank God. Saved by a TV commercial. Literally.” We make a lot of jokes in the lessons, but let's take a moment to be happy these two ladies are on the mend. Broadway needs you both!
Booze, Prayer and Violence Can’t Get Kathy Griffin a Tony
Kathy Griffin has made no secret that she wants a Tony Award, in fact her only Broadway credit is the show Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony. So when the comedian went to nurse ailing friend and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth, we suspected she had some ulterior motives and, it turns out, we were right. After plying Chenoweth with booze and distracting her with prayer, Kathy made an aggressive move to steal Cheno's Tony Award! That's not the way to do it, Kathy. Either you earn the award on stage the old fashioned way, or you work with dogs until someone gives you a special Tony.
Darren Criss Trumps Justin Bieber, Usher and Taylor Swift in Musical Talent
In the new promo for Vogue’s international Fashion’s Night Out, Glee star Darren Criss rocks out as he covers Madonna's 1984 hit “Dress You Up.” While we are all for it, something does seem a bit off that Vogue chose Darren as the commercial’s musical performer over Grammy winners Usher and Taylor Swift and pop music icons Justin Bieber and Victoria Beckham, all of whom also appear in the promo spot. We predict a thinly veiled, very angry and super catchy song about this experience courtesy of Taylor Swift.
