Idina Menzel Lets It Go, Billy Porter Has a New Lunch Date & More Lessons of the Week

Well, it’s time to say so long to another week, and we’ve got some eye-opening lessons to share from our favorite stars. From Julia Roberts’ dreams of getting fancy with Meryl Streep to Ryan Murphy's ongoing Spring Awakening obsession, catch up on all the exciting and preposterous goodies we've collected from the headlines this week!

Julia Roberts Does What She's Told
When Julia Roberts dreamed of working with Oscar winner Meryl Streep, playing a battling mother and daughter in August: Osage County wasn’t exactly the pairing she imagined. She thought they’d be “drinking tea and speaking in fabulous accents.” Apparently swearing, sweating and sporting a butt pad wasn’t part of the dream. Whatever it takes to get close to Meryl, Jules!

Glee is Calling John Gallagher Jr. & Lauren Pritchard
Glee creator Ryan Murphy is always scouting for new talent and always comes back to 19th century Germany for inspiration. Exhibit A: Darren Criss' selfie of newest Glee guest star (and Spring Awakening alum, obvs) Skylar Astin! You guys! This means more Spring Awakening stars could be next! We’re looking at you, John Gallagher Jr. and Lauren Pritchard! You're gonna look great all slushied.

All Bank Commercials Should Be Grease Parodies
Amy Adams gets free checking with no minimum by giving good soprano! Jimmy Fallon surprised the American Hustle star by showing her first ever on-camera gig, in which Adams was bobby-socked-up as a faux Sandy in a Grease!-style bank commercial. We want all our banking ads to be this catchy. "We Go Together...Like Credit Liquidity and Capital Investment!" (Sing it. It totally works.)

Emma Thompson Is the Queen of Multitasking
Move over, Gisele! Emma Thompson is the true master at juggling it all! The actress-writer-director-flawless Brit is not only promoting her Oscar-bait new film Saving Mr. Banks, she's also preparing to make her New York stage debut as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. She can sing, too! Thompson is so ready, as she showed everyone on Live with Kelly and Michael this week. She's gonna kill...literally.

It's Springtime for Laura Benanti
We never thought of ourselves as Nazi sympathizers, but Tony winner Laura Benanti's take on the Baroness in The Sound of Music Live made us consider it. The show, as everyone knows, was more fun to live-tweet than Smash. (And it actually had a huge audience!) So obviously, NBC is going to capitalize on its success with another live musical event. Anything with Benanti is fine with us. Heil, Laura!

Julie Andrews Is a Sell-Out
No, Julie Andrews is not singing Pepsi jingles for a few extra dollars (not that there’s anything wrong with that)! She is seling out theaters, and she's not even singing. The Oscar winner just returned from a talking tour of Australia and New Zealand, and is now planning one in her native U.K. Fingers crossed the practically perfect dame will come Stateside...and maybe give us some of this?

Sondheim Can Wear Many a Hairdo
If you haven’t seen the new HBO documentary Six by Sondheim, you're missing his hair hall of fame. Director James Lapine says his favorite Sondheim style is definitely the one “where it looks like his hair is sort of blown out and flipped up.” We are more partial to this dapper look. Good times and bum times, he's seen it all...and my dear, he's still HAIR!

Madonna’s Daughter Is a True Blue Star
Tell me more, tell me more! We'll tell you this, Madonna's daughter Lourdes "Lola" Leon is one lucky star. The high school senior is playing the fast-talking, pedal pusher-wearing bad girl, Betty Rizzo, in the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts's production of Grease, and guess what? She's actually amazing! (Listen!) To quote Madge, "Take a bow!"
 
Billy Porter Needs Daily Facetime
Billy Porter made New York institution Sardi's much Kinky-er this week with co-stars Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford and director Jerry Mitchell all getting caricatures. The Tony winner told us he will be visiting the restaurant "daily" for a special date with his portrait. Watch out, tourists munching on the famous bar cheese, you're in the Land of Lola now.

Idina Is Poised for Her 21
Theater couple Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs broke our hearts this week when they called it quits after 10 years of marriage. We're bummed and love them both. The only good thing that could come out of this is Idina (literally) singing the blues...and winning an armful of Grammys for it like Adele. But really, we'd rather have Tayedina back together.