Godspell's Hunter Parrish Thinks Idina Menzel Should Channel Mary-Louise Parker in a Weeds Musical

Hunter Parrish may spread the good word in Godspell as Jesus, but TV audiences know him as part of the pot-peddling Botwin family on Weeds. Parrish recently stopped by Broadway.com’s studio for his Ask a Star video, he mused about which actors could potentially play his TV family in a musical version of the hit series. When casting his mother Nancy Botwin (played by Tony winner Mary-Louise Parker) Parrish thought of someone who already knows how to go green on Broadway: Wicked Tony winner Idina Menzel.

“We could maybe have Idina Menzel play Mary-Louise and be crazy and sing her face off,” Parrish said with a laugh. “The thing is all the cast already does a lot of theater, but musical theater I don’t know about. Maybe right before the show gets canceled, we could do a musical episode. We’d have to ask Mary-Louise if she wants to sing, and she’ll scream and say 'No.' She doesn’t do that publically.”

So who else does Parrish imagine in a musical version of the show? “We need someone really good for Doug [Kevin Nealon], we could change it up and have Harvey Fierstein. Someone totally crazy.” Parrish would also like to see Justin Kirk, who currently stars in Other Desert Cities, reprise his role as uncle Andy on stage. “I think Justin Kirk can sing. Uncle Andy probably wouldn’t really sing a lot, so I think the Justin Kirk version of vocalizing could be great. You haven't heard his stuff. He really likes the crazy indie music so it could be a good fit.”

Parrish will depart Godspell later this spring to film Weeds’ eighth season. Check back on Broadway.com for Parrish’s full Ask a Star video.