Odds & Ends: Torch Song, Hairspray, Kinky Boots Stars to Honor Harvey Fierstein at Second Stage Benefit & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed today and this weekend.

Torch Song, Hairspray, Kinky Boots Stars to Honor Harvey Fierstein at Second Stage Benefit
A slew of stars have signed on to pay tribute to four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein at the 2018 fall benefit of Second Stage. The one-night event will be held at NYC's Terminal 5 on November 12. Stars slated to appear include the entire cast of Fierstein's Torch Song, including Michael Urie, Mercedes Ruehl, Ward Horton, Jack DiFalco, Roxanna Hope Radja and Michael Hsu Rosen, along with Marissa Jaret Winokur and the original Dynamites of Hairspray, plus Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter, Annaleigh Ashford and Wayne Brady of Kinky Boots, in addition to Christopher Sieber (The Prom) and Rosie O'Donnell. The benefit will begin at 6:30pm in advance of dinner and an 8:30pm performance.

Smash Mouth Musical to Receive NYC Reading
All Star: The Musical, a new stage show based on the Smash Mouth song "All Star," is slated to receive a reading at off-Broadway's Davenport Theatre this week. Allison Frasca has crafted the book for the reading, taking place on October 11 at 2:00pm and 6:30pm. Formed in 1994, Smash Mouth hit it big with "All Star" among other songs including "Walkin' on the Sun" and a much-played cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer." The reading of All Star: The Musical is presented in coordination with Smash Mouth.



Listen to Two Tracks from Cursed Child Cast Album
A pair of tracks have been made available from the upcoming album The Music of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, featuring compositions written, performed and recorded by Grammy winner Imogen Heap. The previously announced recording will be released digitally and on CD on November 2. Listen to "Platform 9¾" and "In Trouble (Again)" here and gear up to experience the full album in a few weeks!

Broadway Vet Bret Shuford Named Artist-in-Residence at College of Charleston
Scene-stealing Broadway alum Bret Shuford has joined the faculty of the College of Charleston's Department of Theatre and Dance. The stage vet has been named the Quattlebaum Artist-in-Residence for the 2018-2019 school year. Shuford will teach classes and masterclasses in addition to directing a new staging of the Tony-winning musical Urinetown. Most recently seen on Broadway in Cirque du Soleil Paramour, Shuford's credits also include Amazing Grace, The Little Mermaid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty and the Beast, Dreamgirls and South Pacific.

Classic Stage Company Names Longtime Home the Lynn F. Angelson Theater
Off-Broadway's Classic Stage Company has announced that its singular home in New York City has been named the Lynn F. Angelson Theater, in honor of its long-standing board chair. "Without Lynn’s tenacity and fearless leadership, CSC would not be where it is today," said CSC Artistic Director John Doyle. "I'm proud to have Lynn as a collaborator and thrilled to be artistic director of the company as we acknowledge her in this way." The next production set to appear at CSC is Doyle's new staging of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, starring Raúl Esparza. Previews begin on October 30 with an opening scheduled for November 14.