Odds & Ends: Bobby Cannavale Goes Through a LOT in Vinyl Teaser, a Patti LuPone Album Makes a Comeback & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Bobby Cannavale Goes Wild
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll: Bobby Cannavale’s got all three. Take a look below at the teaser for the upcoming HBO series Vinyl, starring the Tony nominee as record label honcho Richie Finestra. Cannavale narrates us through the wild ‘70s in New York, concluding with, “I earn my right to be hated.” Trust us: You’ll see what he’s talking about in the clip. The series from Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter is set to air in 2016. Among Cannavale's co-stars are Paul Ben-Victor, P.J. Byrne and Olivia Wilde.



Steven Berkoff Will Play Saddam Hussein
U.K. stage and screen alum Steven Berkoff will take on the role of Saddam Hussein in Dinner with Saddam. The world premiere of Anthony Horowitz’s play will begin performances at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory on September 10. Berkoff will be joined by Sobu Kapoor, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nathan Amzi, Ilan Goodman and Rebecca Grant. The dark comedy tells the story of the dictator showing up unannounced and uninvited to a private home in Baghdad for dinner. The production, directed by Lindsay Posner, will open officially on September 22 and run through November 14. 

Patti LuPone Album Gets a Reissue
Have you heard Broadway legend Patti LuPone sing “Back to Before” from Ragtime or “Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I? Do you want to? Of course you do. Broadway Records will issue a rerelease of Patti LuPone: Matters of the Heart, the Tony winner’s solo show album first released in 1999. The set list features 20 musical theater numbers devoted to—you guessed it—love and relationships. It’ll be available once more online and in stores on September 18. You can catch LuPone in person off-Broadway in Shows for Days through August 23.

Casa Valentina Crosses the Pond
Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina will receive its European premiere this fall. The play, which follows a group of men who spend their weekends in the Catskills dressed as women, will begin performances at London’s Southwark Playhouse on September 10. Luke Sheppard will direct the new production; casting will be announced later. Just five days later, the West End production of Kinky Boots, which features a book by Fierstein, will open at the Adelphi Theatre. Want more Harvey? He’s also contributing additional material for NBC’s The Wiz Live!.

Shoshana Bean Shares a Beaches Tune
The Drury Lane Theatre production of Beaches, starring Shoshana Bean and Whitney Bashor, ends its run at the Chicago venue on August 16. As a final farewell, Wicked alum Bean has shared this acoustic jam session of the show’s iconic anthem “Wind Beneath My Wings.” So much soul. So many runs. So many riffs. No word yet on whether the musical will make a splash on the Great White Way, but if you need us in the meantime, we’ll be here listening to this on loop.