This Week’s Picks: Get Whipped at 50 Shades, Root For Rocky & Toast Klendez

Hey, remember back in January when you made that New Year's resolution to go out and do more stuff? It's horribly cold outside for what seems like the millionth day in a row, but don't settle for a bad TV movie when there's so much to see and do in New York City. This week, Rocky enters the Broadway ring, Klendez reunites underground, and a sexy musical parody of a popular book opens off-Broadway (no, not the Bible). Here’s our must-see list!


Clink Glasses with Klendez
March 10 at 54 Below
Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena (Wicked, Dogfight) are pairing up again, this time to “celebrate the music they love and their friendship.” That is too adorable, right? Oh, Klendez! The evening is directed Dogfight scribe Peter Duchan and features musical direction by Dogfight and Wicked alum Bryan Perri (Unfortunately, those guys don’t have a cool, blended nickname). Click for tickets!


Make an Effort for Second Stage
March 10 at Second Stage Theatre
Hey, it’s a benefit! Wait, where are you going?! Unlike most benefits, which involve somber speeches, stuffy attire and snobby dowagers, this one for Second Stage's 35th anniversary looks like a blast. Comedian Annabelle Gurwitch takes the stage in an adaption of her new book, I See You Made an Effort, a humorous look at turning 50. Even better, she’s brought Alice Ripley, Gina Gershon, Judy Gold and other talented ladies to juice things up. Click for tickets!


DVR This B'way-Bound Duo
March 11, check local listings
Don't you love your DVR? Us too. Especially when Toni Braxton and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the latest guest stars of After Midnight (who will debut March 18), visit Ellen. They’re slated to perform a song from their new album, Love, Marriage, & Divorce, and maybe they'll even sing something from the show. Or, who knows, maybe they’ll belt a few tunes accompanied by a ska metal band. Daytime TV is an unpredictable beast, after all.


Have a Spanking Good Laugh
March 12 at the Elektra Theatre
So, you read Fifty Shades of Grey, (on your Kindle so no one the bus would know) and joined the scads of readers—including your grandma—who are gaga for it. The movie isn’t coming out for another year, and who knows when the theme park will open. What to do? Check out the official debut of the riotous parody 50 Shades! The Musical, featuring whips, chains and laughs. Don’t forget to bring Nana. Click for tickets!


Cheer For the Italian Stallion
March 13 at The Winter Garden Theatre 
The musical adaptation of the Oscar-winning boxing drama Rocky officially bows, starring Andy Karl as the Italian Stallion and Broadway newcomer Margo Seibert as his timid, beret-wearing gal, Adrian. It's got all the grit and heart of the original film, plus some gorgeous songs and an in-your-face boxing ring that you have to see to believe. Also, ice skating, turtles, and lots of meat. Click for tickets!