Hamilton Is on Nerd Alert, Andrew Rannells Hears the Bells & More Lessons of the Week

Happy Friday, and happy April Fools' Day! We hope you’ve celebrated accordingly by falling for fake news stories and singing “Defying Gravity” in head voice instead of a belt. While that’s all fun and games, we have some series business to attend to: the Lessons of the Week! From Laura Benanti’s politically charged alternate career to a cavalcade of half-naked men, it’s been a wild seven days, so let’s dive in.


J. Lo's Birthday Party Lasted Forever
Having a high-profile TV gig comes with plenty of perks, like going to Shades of Blue co-star Jennifer Lopez’s multi-part birthday celebration. The Tony nominee spilled the deets between 1776 rehearsals, telling us the Grammy winner/butt-touch encourager even had a step-and-repeat. We hope you didn’t get J. Lo a first edition copy of The Iliad, Santino, because we’re pretty sure she already has one of those.


Rannells Wants a Borle Showmance
Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells and Stephanie J. Block will lead the revival of Falsettos, and they can't wait to bitch in a room and break down together. Rannells is particularly eager to play Borle's romantic partner—and perhaps more. Eight shows a week is more than enough time to fall in love and get married. Will there be a step and repeat? Will Santino be invited? Can Sydney Lucas be the flower girl?


Laura Benanti's New Dream Role Is...Yuge
If Laura Benanti ever grows tired of high notes and ice cream (is that even possible?), take solace in knowing she already has a new gig lined up. The She Loves Me star unleashed her Melania Trump impersonation for Stephen Colbert, and it’s uncanny. Just look at that smolder! We have no doubt Benanti can Make Broadway Great Again (with side-eye and tweets).


Alex Brightman Needs a Pineapple Primer
This week, we got a look at the glamorous life of School of Rock’s Sierra Boggess. When she needs some nourishment before a show, she and Alex Brightman chow down on some pineapple. However, no one seems to have taught him how to eat one. Or maybe that’s just how rockers do it: skin and all. Remember: You’re not hardcore unless you eat your five servings of fruit hardcore.


Jennifer Damiano Knows What We Want
We’ve given Jennifer Damiano a hard time for teasing us about things she wasn’t allowed to film on her American Psycho vlog and showing off a wig that didn’t veer far from her actual ‘do. But this week, she gave us exactly what we craved: a kooky interview with Alice Ripley and a parade of shirtless gentlemen. Keep up the good work, Jenn. You’re a real American Psycho Hero.


The New King Is a Total Nerd
Rory O'Malley was all set to star as Bill Gates in Nerds. Unfortunately, that fell through, but it all worked out for the Tony nominee, who’s about to step into the biggest hit of whatever hyperbolic time frame you choose. He'll join the cast of Hamilton as King George, the singing monarch we love to hate. Because when God closes a Gates, he opens a window. Not a Windows, though. (Too soon?)


Iglehart Is the Loudest Wax Statue
From the literal fireworks James Monroe Iglehart prompts on stage in Aladdin, you’d never expect him to be so clandestine. The Tony-winning genie celebrated April Fools’ Day not by writing fake stories about our favorite would-be astronaut, but by taking on his quietest role yet: a Madame Tussauds wax figure that comes to life. That’s awesome; now can we get this one to come to life? It’s for a friend.


Roger Bart Was Born to Be Bad
Roger Bart plays a baddie in Disaster!, but if you want to see his good side, turn to...well, you're out of luck. On Show People, the Tony winner lamented that his screen work has him getting heckled at airports and people wondering if he's slipped something in their drinks. Surely there are some nice guy roles out there for Bart. Like...a wise-cracking genie who's sometimes a wax figure.


Kerry Butler Sets a Course for Adventure
Come aboard; Kerry Butler’s expecting you! In the penultimate episode of Help!, Jennifer Simard took us behind the scenes of Disaster!’s Easter egg hunt, spearheaded by co-star Butler. She was so organized and energetic that she earned the title the Julie McCoy of Disaster! For our younger readers, that’s a reference to the 1977 series The Love Boat, which is weird, because Simard is only 19.


Christopher Fitzgerald Is Super Handsy
Christopher Fitzgerald and Susan Blackwell fulfilled the fantasy we never knew we had as they jumped into a cuddle puddle with Bongo the bunny. The day turned from adorable to creepy, however, when the Waitress star described Blackwell’s hands in extreme detail. It’s spot on…and slightly terrifying. Be sure to catch him at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and, uh, give him a hand. He’d really really like that.