Idina Menzel Was a Wretched Little Farm Girl, Rafael Nadal Is Probably the Hottest Phan Ever & More

Happy Friday! Before you head off for your exciting Labor Day Weekend festivities, we need to make sure you’re up-to-speed on what’s been happening on the Great White Way this week. We sure learned a lot about the history of shirtless Valjeans, where all the shoes on Broadway are ending up and more. Read all about it in the Lessons of the Week!

Queen Lesli Is a Shoe Thief
Lesli Margherita has conquered nearly 1,000 performances as Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda (and roughly that many vlog episodes). Amy Spanger’s going to have some big shoes to fill when she…wait. Where are they?! Lesli says she’ll really miss her pink sparkle dance shoes and might just steal them. Are they waterproof?

Taye Is a Double Shoe Thief
Who knew it was possible to one-up Queen Lesli? While lounging on the Broadway.com couch, Hedwig star Taye Diggs revealed that when he leaves the show later this month, he wants to take Hedwig’s gold heels and Tommy Gnosis’ bedazzled Converses. We get it, guys. All of Broadway has a shoe fetish.

Idina Has a Wicked Secret Past
Seriously?! Enough with the damn shoes. Before she was belting her face off in green makeup and getting a Tony for it, Idina Menzel was rocking ruby slippers. She recently Instagrammed a shot of a wee Men(t)zel dressed as Dorothy—a.k.a. “the other one.” If you’re going to imprison a “wretched little farm girl,” you should at least walk a mile in her shoes.

Camryn Manheim Knows the Brooks Well
Camryn Manheim’s making her Great White Way debut in Spring Awakening starting next week, but she’s technically been on Broadway before…in the very same theater. On Andy Mientus’ premiere vlog episode, the Emmy winner revealed she used to bartend there back in the ‘80s. We’re pretty sure that entitles you to free intermission drinks, Cam.

Hedwig Almost Had Dead Petz
She has a well-documented affinity for wigs, and apparently Miley Cyrus was in talks to pull some more down from the shelf on Broadway. She’s said some enlightening things on gender identity in the past and is well-versed in the art of glitter, but alas, Hedwig is closing soon. Sorry, Miley. No gold heels and bedazzled Converses for you.

Rock Stars Love Bikini Bottom
In case you’ve forgotten, Spongebob Squarepants is surfing to Chicago and probably Broadway. Are ya ready, kids?! No? Well, a bunch of rock legends are. The show will feature original tunes by Bowie, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and more. We hear the role of Spongebob has already been cast, but if that falls through, we have a certain six-time Tony winner in mind.

The Phantom Could Have Mean Topspin
While tennis/underwear superstar Rafael Nadal is in town for the U.S. Open, don’t be surprised if he stops by the Majestic Theatre. He loves Phantom so much he’s seen it “like seven times.” Andrew Lloyd Webber is game and said Rafa would make a “wonderful” Phantom if he could sing. There you have it. The secret to an ace serve? Slowly, gently…

Alfie Boe Pioneered the Shirtless Valjean
We know you know Ramin Karimloo’s Jean Valjean loved to show off his prison-workout bod. How do we know? Because we’ve linked to this 24,601 times before. New Les Miz star Alfie Boe revealed, however, that he actually ripped off his shirt in the West End before Ramin played the role. He won’t take it off on Broadway, though. Ugh. Rafa would…if he could sing.

Brad & Brooks Are St. James Soulmates
Between a friendly baseball rivalry, a hotdog machine and an assortment of booze, Something Rotten! co-stars Brad Oscar and Brooks Ashmanskas have it made in their shared dressing room. It also helps that they both have a history there: the two appeared in The Producers together. Brooks understudied Leo and went on a few times opposite Brad’s Max. They truly never quit, hit after hit!

Guarini Has a Strawsome Co-Star
Justin Guarini’s leading Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical, the countrified Broadway-bound musical in Dallas, and we just got a look at the stars. Two things to note: He’s not wearing a cowboy hat (yet), and they’re all dwarfed by a giant haystack. We’re excited for Justin and the gang, but we really can’t wait for that haystack to make its Broadway debut.