Odds & Ends: Christian Borle on How Playing an Elf Prepared Him for Willy Wonka, Kristin Chenoweth 'Twinkles' as Britney & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Christian Borle on How Playing an Elf Prepared Him to Take on Willy Wonka
Christian Borle is back on Broadway in the new musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, set to open at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 23. The two-time Tony winner paid a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on April 17 to talk about his new musical gig based on a classic property. Most surprisingly Borle recalled an early gig as a holiday-time elf, which informed character development for his newest Broadway role.


Hello, Dolly! & Waitress Cast Members Join Broadway Sings Lady Gaga
The upcoming Broadway Sings Lady Gaga concert has added Hayley Podschun (Hello, Dolly!), Matt DeAngelis (Waitress), Lilli Cooper (Sundown, Yellow Moon) and Jackie Burns (If/Then) to the list of performers. As previously announced, Claybourne Elder and Lesli Margherita are among the other Broadway stars set to headline the event set for May 8 at 8:00pm at the Highline Ballroom. The one-night concert will feature completely new arrangements of the hits of the eccentric singer, accompanied by a 14-piece orchestra playing original orchestrations.

In Transit’s Nicholas Ward Joins Jesus Christ Superstar at the Muny
Nicholas Ward will appear as Caiaphas in the the summer production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Muny in St. Louis, running June 12-18. Ward, a cast member of Broadway’s recent musical In Transit, will be joined by previously announced stars Constantine Maroulis as Judas, Bryce Ryness as Jesus of Nazareth, Christopher Sieber as King Herod, Ciara Renée as Mary Magdalene and Ben Davis as Pontius Pilate. Gordon Greenberg directs with Jon Rua serving as choreographer.

David Bowie & Enda Walsh’s Musical Lazarus Will Be Published
The stage musical adaptation of the late David Bowie’s Lazarus will be preserved in print. Theatre Communications Group will publish the script by Bowie and Enda Walsh. The musical, which featured a star-making performance by Sophia Ann Caruso alongside a fiery Michael C. Hall (with Broadway supertalents Cristin Milioti and Michael Esper), played off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop in 2015 before transferring to London’s Kings Cross Theatre in October 2016. Check out a song from the musical's London production below, then get ready to perform it in your living room.


Kristin Chenoweth Plays “Impression Session” on Live with Kelly
Kristin Chenoweth stopped by TV’s Live with Kelly on April 28. Given the chance to play “Impression Session” with Kelly Ripa and guest co-host Jussie Smollett, the Tony-winning Broadway favorite offered up a pair of expert impersonations. In fact, after hearing the golden-voiced stage darling take on the sounds of a legendary duo on opposite sides of the music spectrum, we’d most certainly love to see how her impressions could find their way to the Broadway stage.