Idina Menzel's Still Letting It Go, Tituss Burgess Wants a Spider Visit & More Lessons of the Week

Listen, we don’t blame you if you’ve been doing nothing but watching and rewatching The Color Purple’s tribute to Prince. But if you need a break from all those emotions, look no further: it’s time for Lessons of the Week. From a high-flying Lin-Manuel Miranda to a violent fantasy involving Cheyenne Jackson’s hands, it’s been a madcap seven days on the Great White Way. Read all about them below.


Lin's on the Broadway Justice League
Not all heroes wear capes; some freestyle about rainbows and pancakes. The Hamilton mastermind had a high-profile week, from winning a Pulitzer, to making Time's 100 Most Influential People to keeping a certain bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scottsman a bonafide 10-dollar Founding Father. What did YOU do this year, Batman/Superman? Be in a movie? Cool, so did Lin. And he's writing songs for another.


We're Hooked on Benjamin Walker's Past
Benjamin Walker’s making a blood-soaked splash as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, but this isn’t his first time killing prostitutes (in performance). This week, we reminded the star of a fake infomercial he made seven years ago for a service called Hooker-B-Gone. That is some in-depth preparation, Walker. No wonder you’re so good at mergers and acquisitions murders and executions.


Betsy Wolfe Is the New Ice Queen
Walker's not the only one with elaborate training. Betsy Wolfe is on track to headline Frozen as Elsa, and it wouldn't be the first time she's let it go. Wolfe sang the power anthem at Carnegie Hall (and, another time, in her skivvies). She also collaborated with Alex Timbers and the Lopezes in the musical Up There, so it goes to show: to be the ice queen, you have to know the right people...and be able to screlt.


Elsa Still Haunts Idina Menzel
Speaking of letting it go, Idina Menzel can’t stop doing just that. At a TriBeCa Film Festival panel, the blazing supernova confessed that the simple three-word phrase is now ruined for her. Whenever she inadvertently mutters it, whoever's around her goes wild. Come on, everyone, what do you expect: Idina to burst into song every time? That’s what YouTube shame spirals are for.


Lola Knows Something You Don't
The Land of Lola is a mysterious place, with red stiletto boots, sequins…and apparently, calls to Dionne Warwick at only $3.99 per minute. New Kinky Boots headliner Alan Mingo Jr. confessed that prior to the glamour of Broadway, he was a telephone psychic on the ‘90s sensation Psychic Friends Network. So let him raise you up with some heels, spirit, and mystical wisdom of the unknown.


Alice Is a One-Woman Revolution
Alice Ripley's taking on multiple roles in American Psycho, which is something she's already mastered from all those times she sang through the Les Miz album. The former Fantine admitted to still having those melodies—orchestrations included—in her head. Good to know if anything happens to anyone at Les Miz(including the pit), she can cross the street. It's like Cher with West Side Story.


Tuck Everlasting's Games Go On (and On)
Andrew Keenan-Bolger captured some backstage rituals from his Tuck Everlasting castmates, including a game that involves shapes, clapping and physical labor. If someone forms a circle and another person claps through it (see above), the circle-maker does push-ups. Remind us not to put our hands on our waist at the Broadhurst; we’d rather just eat Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in AKB’s Froot Loop-scented dressing room.


Silber Wants to Get Handsy with Cheyenne
This Maria feels pretty...and like death. Fiddler's Alexandra Silber isn't ready to leave this earth yet, but when the time comes, she knows exactly how she wants it to go down: strangulation by Cheyenne Jackson as he gazes at her with those piercing eyes. Don't leave us, Silbs; besides, there's always AHS to play out your macabre fantasies. Cheyenne, can you give your pal Ryan Murphy a call?


Krakowski's Kiss Is Deadly
Pinot noir, he’s a star. And wants to do a show by John Kand-ar. We hope you’ve finished binge-watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in time to catch Tituss Burgess answering your questions. Tituss revealed he wants to do Kander and Ebb’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. We’d love to see this, as well as the little-known sequel, Kiss of the Spider Woman Too: 2 Many Spider Women.


Jay Armstrong Johnson's Fabulous, Baby
Jay Armstrong Johnson will soon take a break from being a rocket scientist on Quantico to sing it out on the Feinstein’s/54 Below stage, and he has some divine inspiration for his set list. The Broadway fave credited Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and her speech about the word “eclectic” as the impetus for his song selections. We hope this means a stirring rendition of “Oh Happy Day."