Jake Gyllenhaal Is Moving On to City Center, Leona Lewis Is Moving Up to the Heaviside Layer & More Lessons of the Week

It’s Friday—and a holiday weekend—so what are you going to do to celebrate? You could start by revisiting some early, wacky and just a touch awkward Broadway.com moments from this year’s Tony nominees, and once you’ve come out of that spiral, brush up on the Lessons of the Week! We’ve had a lot of exciting stories from the Great White Way over the past seven days, so let’s break it down.


Jake Gyllenhaal is Bizarre, Fixed, Cold...
...and we like that in a man! Jake Gyllenhaal will take on the title role in Sunday in the Park with George for one night only. Last year, he did a mere two days of Little Shop of Horrors. Bit by bit, he's putting a musical theater geek resume together, but we think it's time he bit the bullet and do a full-blown Broadway musical. At this point, he's being a tease. A beautiful, talented tease. There are worse things...


Lin-Manuel Miranda Is a Chita Show-Off
Speaking of musical theater geeks, let's talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda at his Sardi's portrait ceremony. The Hamilton genius got his own sketch a few hours before The Color Purple director John Doyle got his. Presumably in honor of this, Lin dressed for the occasion in a T-shirt from The Visit. No need to suck up, Lin. We bet Doyle would LOVE to direct your next show (as long as it involves the color yellow).


Lena Hall's a Sugar Daddy & Sugar Momma
Lena Hall will once again play Yitzhak when Hedwig and the Angry Inch hits the road, but once a week, she’ll trade her "packer" (her word) for a wig in a box. She’ll be the first to have played both Yitzhak and the title internationally ignored song stylist. This is as close as you can get to having two faces peering out of one giant head. Wait. Is Lena Hall the actual origin of love?


Kritzer Is a 1-Woman Forbidden Broadway
Leslie Kritzer’s going from The Robber Bridegroom to Something Rotten!, and if you have something to say, be very, very careful: she might just repeat it (with an uncanny impression) on Broadway.com. While on #LiveatFive, the funny girl unleashed her impersonations of Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone and Harvey Fierstein. Throw in Jennifer Simard’s Bernadette and let's do the weirdest production of Nine!


Leona Lewis Is Gonna Ride a Tire
When Old Deuteronomy closes a door for one X Factor judge, he opens a window for an X Factor winner. Following the news that Nicole Scherzinger will not belt/meow in the Broadway return of Cats, it was announced that Leona Lewis of "Bleeding Love" fame will assume the role of glamour cat Grizabella. If you touch her, you'll understand what happiness is, but if you cut her, you'll get love all over yourself.


AKB Exists in Multiple Universes
Though Tuck Everlasting is taking its final bow on May 29, the Tuck family will live on (duh) through the fans. Thanks to two particular “Tuckies,” there’s now fan fiction of Jack and Louisa (of Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead’s Jack & Louisa). It’s an AKB cross-over! We only hope it also features Crutchie moving on from selling papes to hawking merch.


Teal Wicks Is Beat & Padded for the Gods
Teal Wicks has an uphill battle in Finding Neverland as the character no one wants to root for. You know what makes it harder to climb uphill? Climbing in full drag. Wicks likened the act of getting into character as Mary Barrie to becoming a drag queen—from the lashes to the padded hips. This sounds remarkably similar to Jessica Vosk’s process, and we’d be all for a Marie Barrie/Fruma Sarah drag act.


It's Hard for the Om-Nom-Nominees
It's awards season, and there's already plenty of excitement in the air. On The Tony Beat, we checked out the Drama Desks nominee reception, and we learned two things: the carpets are weird (thanks, Christopher Fitzgerald) and the honorees are hungry. Well, at least The Humans' Arian Moayed is. Drama Desks: Long ceremonies and low blood sugar are not a good mix! How about some Schmackary's next time?


Ali Ewoldt's a Broadway.com Vlog Binger
Ali Ewoldt is stepping into The Phantom of the Opera as Christine. While the young star feels some pressure, she has a specific method to prepare: a good, old-fashioned YouTube spiral. Ewoldt says she can't stop binge-watching Sierra Boggess’ Daaé Days vlogs. So when prepping for a new gig, remember: Broadway.com vlogs are enough; Broadway.com vlogs are so enough; it’s unbelievable how enough Broadway.com vlogs are.


Rory O'Malley Is a Regal Rapper
Rory O'Malley is one of few Hamilton cast members who does not rap. Instead, he gets the British pop melodies as everyone else shows off explosive hip-hop skills. However, O'Malley almost did get to rap on Broadway in the ill-fated Nerds. That's right: Bill Gates nearly spat rhymes on Broadway. Fortunately for us, O'Malley gave us a taste during #LiveatFive. We’ll just say this: Daveed Diggs has some competition.