Odds and Ends: Beetlejuice Director Alex Timbers Takes on the Muppets, JoJo Levesque Suits Up for Working Girl Musical

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

Alex Timbers Directs Muppet Comeback

Get ready for the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppet-ational comeback. The Muppets are planning a 50th anniversary party on Disney+ in 2026. The variety special could pave the way for a brand-new series, with Tony winner Alex Timbers (Beetlejuice, Moulin Rouge!) directing. Pop star Sabrina Carpenter will be the guest star, and Broadway fans may remember her blink and you missed it debut in Mean Girls before COVID shut theaters down. The special follows Rob Lake: Magic! with Special Guests the Muppets on Broadway and promises a fresh round of Muppet mayhem.

Cyndi Lauper’s Working Girl Musical Finds Its Team

Girls just wanna have corner offices. La Jolla Playhouse has unveiled the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Working Girl, the new musical from Tony and Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper, who provides an original score, and playwright Theresa Rebeck, who wrote the book. Performances run October 28 through November 30, directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley in his final Playhouse outing. The cast features Ashley Blanchet as Cyn, Anoop Desai as Jack, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Katharine, former Broadway.com vlogger Joanna “JoJo” Levesque as Tess and Joey Taranto as Mick. Sarah O’Gleby choreographs, with scenic design by AMP featuring Erica Jiaying Zhang, costumes by Linda Cho, lighting by Amanda Zieve, sound by Gareth Owen and music supervision by Stephen Oremus. Inspired by the beloved 1988 film, Working Girl follows secretary Tess McGill (memorably portrayed by Melanie Griffith in the movie) as she climbs the corporate ladder in true Cinderella-meets-Wall Street style.

Marc Shaiman’s Next Act: A Memoir

Marc Shaiman, the Tony-winning composer and co-lyricist (with Scott Wittman) of Broadway’s Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can, Some Like It Hot and most recently Smash, will publish his memoir Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories From a Sore Winner on January 27, 2026 from Regalo Press, according to Variety. The title borrows a favorite saying of his mother, who urged him to downplay joy even as he built a career spanning Broadway and Hollywood. Shaiman also scored the films When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers and A Few Good Men and wrote songs for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. He calls himself a “seven-time Academy Award loser.”

Jesse Eisenberg Brings The Ziegfeld Files Off-Broadway

Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg will perform his play The Ziegfeld Files off-Broadway at Studio Seaview for seven Monday-night performances. Helmed by director/playwright Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Eisenberg will read from a script in the intimate production. Built from therapy recordings, the play follows a new father struggling to connect with his baby while digressing on topics from breastfeeding classes to Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture. The creative team includes scenic designer David Zinn, lighting designer Isabella Byrd and sound designer Lee Kinney. Performances run October 6 through December 1, with proceeds benefiting Haitian relief efforts.

Patti LuPone Returns for Les Miz’s 40th

Patti LuPone is heading back to the barricades. The three-time Tony winner, who created Fantine in the original London production, will join a starry lineup at the 40th anniversary gala of Les Misérables on October 8 at London’s Sondheim Theatre. She’ll appear in a finale with alumni from the show’s first four decades, including Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Samantha Barks, Matt Lucas, Frances Ruffelle, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Gerónimo Rauch, Jeremy Secomb and Bonnie Langford. Cameron Mackintosh is producing the gala, which will also feature the current anniversary cast led by Killian Donnelly as Valjean. Proceeds from the one-night-only performance will support The Felix Project and UKHarvest.

John Oliver Hosts Starry Only Make Believe Gala

Matthew Broderick, Darren Criss, Josh Groban, Lena Hall and Christopher Jackson will perform at Only Make Believe’s 25th Anniversary Gala on October 13, at the Shubert Theatre. Hosted by John Oliver, the evening will honor Anna Wintour with the James Hammerstein Award and Adam Meshel with the Founder’s Award. The nonprofit, which brings interactive theater to children in hospitals and care facilities, will mark its milestone year with a show conceived and directed by Brad Oscar, with music direction by Steven Jamail. Proceeds support Only Make Believe’s programming. Learn more here.

Punchdrunk's Viola's Room Extends at The Shed

The North American premiere of Viola's Room, an audio-driven immersive experience narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, has extended. The production, conceived and directed by Punchdrunk founder Felix Barrett and marking Punchdrunk's return to New York City following the long-running Sleep No More, will now run through November 16. Meanwhile, Punchdrunk's latest project, the "live-action video game" Lander 23, begins performances in London in November.