Blonde Ambitions

For the first item in this week's From Screen to Stage, I'll channel big screen - to stage - to small screen star Elle Woods:

- "Ohmygod, you guys! It's only, like, one week until Legally Blonde - The Musical makes its TV debut on, like, MTV! The totally fab Broadway Blog thinks it's, like, an awesome idea, and check out all the pics and chat, like, live from the pink carpet!"

(Whew, that was exhausting ... how does Laura Bell Bundy do it every night?)

UPDATE: Ohmygod, they've postponed it! According to QueerSighted.com, Legally Blonde - The Musical won't air on MTV until Saturday October 13! A quick check of the MTV website confirms this -- so unfair! So, like, here's a montage of clips from the show to tide you over until then.

- New York movie musical fans take note: the "lost" Porgy and Bess movie (starring Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge) will be screened next week at the Ziegfeld Theatre. And this will be the rare original road show print, with overture, intermission music and exit music ... could a long-in-demand DVD be far behind?

- Speaking of older film favorites not on DVD, the movie version of The Ritz (starring original Broadway cast members Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Jerry Stiller and F. Murray Abraham) will finally be released in January. This comes on the heels of the current revival starring Kevin Chamberlin and Rosie Perez. Meanwhile, Playbill.com's own Seth Rudetsky recounts his opening night trials and tribulations in his latest column.

- As Chicago celebrates its tenth year in London, could Tori Spelling and hubby Dean McDermott be Broadway's next Roxie and Billy?

- There are worse things Rizzo herself, Jenny Powers, could do then give fans a video backstage tour of Grease. In related news, Playbill News wonders "where are the You're the One That I Want stars now?", including Derek Keeling (smoldering up A Tale of Two Cities), Ashley Spencer (Hairspray's current Amber) and Kate Rockwell (Phantom's latest Christine).

- On the gay icons front: Rosie love Billy, Harvey has his Catered Affair and Ian rakes it in as King Lear. Plus: a "lost" Noel Coward play is found.

- Happy Days are here again - live and onstage. By the cast breakdown, it appears as if the new tuner is based on that episode where Fonzie and his newly reunited love Pinky Tuscadero take on the Malachi Brothers. Hey, at least it isn't the shark one.

- As I mentioned last week, West Side Story is turning 50 this year, and yet another album of its legendary score will be released to commemorate the occasion. But, unlike the previously mentioned (and already panned) compilation album, this will be a new recording, featuring opera singers in the lead roles. Uh, didn't they already try thatonce?

You can pre-order the West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Recordingfrom Amazon.com, available September 25, by clicking here.

- Are you itching to see the Cry-Baby musical? Well, here's our first look at the cast. Hey look, Harriet Harris!

- Those Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are going back on tour.

- Speaking of tours, Broadway World TV interviews The Color Purple tour star Jeannette Bayardelle.

- First, he was the King of Siam, now he's the Prince of Darkness. Ladies and gentlemen: Lorenzo Lamas is Dracula.

- "Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?" Donnie Darko hits the stage.

- Sally Ann Howes, who you'll recall was Truly Scrumptious in every way in the classic movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, is now Mrs. Higgins in the acclaimed My Fair Lady tour.

- It will be a White Christmas in Toronto this holiday season.

- Über-producer Cameron Mackintosh will bring several musical theater classics to Chinese audiences, including the French Les Miserables, the Swedish Mamma Mia! and the British Mary Poppins.

- And finally: Mark your calendars for next year's Tony Awards.

Links via BroadwayMouth.blogspot.com, Broadway.com, Playbill.com, QueerSighted.com, YouTube.com, BroadwayWorld.com, MSNBC.msn.com and IHT.com.

Out in Film: Robert Gant

Thanks to his memorable role as everyone's dream husband Ben Bruckner on the landmark Queer as Folk, Robert Gant has become one of the most prominent -- and desirable -- out gay actors in Hollywood. Put it this way: He could have just as easily been profiled in the Cinematic Crush section here at Movie Dearest.

Gant actually started his professional life in Los Angeles as a lawyer, but show biz couldn't keep him away. He started with memorable guest spots on some of the gay friendliest shows on television, including Ellen, My So-Called Life, Melrose Place and Friends. (In the latter, he and fellow future QAF-er Matt Battaglia both vied for a fickle Phoebe's affections.)

A recurring role on Caroline in the City led to a permanent one on Popular as an eccentric school principal; all that law school must lend Gant a scholarly air, as he was next cast as Professor Bruckner in QAF's second season. Gant's Ben was linked romantically with Hal Sparks' Michael, and their characters faced such challenging storylines as Ben's HIV+ status, gay marriage and adoption.

In the "real world", Gant is an advocate for several gay elder groups, and has his own production company (with actor Chad Allen and producer Christopher Racster), which is dedicated to producing positive gay-themed projects in film and television. Their first feature, Save Me, was a hit at OutFest and should be hitting theaters soon.

After QAF ended, Gant has guest starred on such other TV series as The Closer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and he also starred as the title character in the hysterical satirical short, Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer (available to watch in full at Planet Out).

And speaking of videos, it sure is nice to know that I'm not the only one who has a thing for Bobby Gant.

See more pictures of Robert Gant in The Back Room (NSFW).

Naked Boys Filming

What do you get when you combine the lurid thrill of gratuitous onstage nudity with upbeat musical theater song and dance? The answer is Naked Boys Singing, the hit Off-Broadway show that has been wowin' 'em (in more ways then one) since 1999.

And if the bumper crop of movie musicals this year hasn't been enough, the Boys will be hitting the big screen themselves this fall as well (and no, it won't be in 3-D). Naked Boys Singing: The Motion Picture (it isn't really called all that, but don't you wish it was?) will be the opening night feature at Out Takes Dallas, Texas' own gay and lesbian film festival, and it will be appearing at several other festivals as well prior to its limited theatrical release in October.

For a tease of the new movie, visit its official website, filled with cast pictures (sorry, no full frontal -- you'll have to see the movie for that!), video sneak peeks and a pictorial history of the global phenomenon that is Naked Boys Singing.

You can also get a gander at the movie's trailer (for once, that term is tres apropos) over at YouTube, where you can also see Under the Pink Carpet's backstage look at the New York production.

Links via NakedBoysSinging.com, Imdb.com, OutTakesDallas.org, NakedBoysSingingMovie.com, YouTube.com and UnderThePinkCarpet.tv.

Dead Man's Helmet

So yeah, today is "International Talk Like a Pirate" day.

Now, I could go all Captain Jack on you and rattle off a few "Arrrr's" or an "Ahoy, matey" or even a robust "Avast, me hearty", but no. The message I have for you today is far too serious for such swashbuckling shenanigans.

That message is this: there are other kinds of pirates out there, and they are not to be trifled with. So just remember that when you're spouting your little "Shiver me timbers" or "Raise the mizzenmast", you ... landlubber you.

Poster Post: Some Day My Prince Will Come

The next Chronicles of Narnia movie just got a lot more interesting. Future crush object Ben Barnes stars as Prince Caspian, the savior of Narnia or something.

But who cares, that prince is a hottie, as you can see for yourself in this production video. It must be that one-two punch of a British accent and a cleft chin.

Prince Caspian will hit theaters next May. Click on the picture above for access to a huge high-res image of the poster.

Click here to buy Chronicles of Narniaposters from Amazon.com.
Links via Cinematical.com, Imdb.com and YouTube.com.

Where the Boys Are

The Sex and the City movie just got a little hotter: Jason Lewis, along with David Eigenberg and Evan Handler, will join the previously announced Chris Noth as our four fabulous fashionista's significant others.

At least one newcomer to the film (which just got a prime release date) has been added. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson will play Carrie Bradshaw's assistant, which leads me to believe a new job is in store for our favorite sex columnist.

As for the show's two main gay characters, Mario Cantone is rumored to return, but what about Willie Garson? I don't know what Carrie ... or I ... will do without Stanford Blatch.

UPDATE: Is America ready for a woman president? The Daily Show's Samantha Bee channels Carrie Bradshaw to find out.

Links via Imdb.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com, People.com and LATimes.com.

Film Art: Minnelli by Warhol

We all love Liza. We can't help it; it's in our genes. Of course, some of us have more in the genes then others ... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Links via Imdb.com and YouTube.com.

Toronto: 'Eastern' Wins Northern Prize

Eastern Promises, David Cronenberg's crime thriller starring Viggo Mortensen, won the top prize at the just completed Toronto International Film Festival. As conventional wisdom states, that means this unconventional film is now officially a "frontrunner" in this year's awards race. Nevertheless, we'll have to wait and see if its grim subject matter doesn't turn off older Academy members like the duo's last outing, A History of Violence, although that didn't hurt The Departed last year.

Shaping up to be this year's Little Miss Sunshine is Jason Reitman's quirky look at teenage pregnancy Juno, with no less then Roger Ebert predicting an Oscar nod for its 20-year old leading lady, Ellen Page. See for yourself with the official trailer for the comedy, which boasts a fine supporting cast that includes such favorites as Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons and Jennifer Garner, herself receiving some early Oscar buzz.

Cate Blanchett's two diverse biopics continued to receive mixed responses, even if everyone was enthralled by her own performances as the Virgin Queen and the Folkie King in, respectively, Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Todd Haynes' I'm Not There.

However, the most divisive film of the festival, and likely the year, was Alan Ball's Nothing is Private. The bleak drama features a controversial sex scene between Aaron Eckhart's character and a 13-year-old Arab-American girl (played by 19-year-old Summer Bishil) that the ultra-conservative Fox News likens to "kiddie porn". Here's what the trades had to say about it.

Other notables at the fest:

• Breakfast With Scot: In this, the so-called "gay hockey movie", Tom Cavanaugh and Ben Shenkman star as a couple who look after their flamboyant nephew (think Ugly Betty's Justin, only in Canada).
• A Jihad for Love: This documentary, filmed in secret over a six-year period, examines the often dangerous lives of gay Muslims.
• Then She Found Me: Helen Hunt stars in her directorial debut, where she plays a baby-wanting woman who meets her long absent birth mother, played by ... Bette Midler?!
• Trumbo: Blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is the subject of this doc, which, considering its subject, is sure to nab an Oscar nom.
• And continuing their road to glory: Atonement, In the Valley of Elah, Into the Wild, Michael Clayton and No Country for Old Men, another wacky crime caper (à la Fargo) from the Coen Brothers, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Woody Harrelson.
• Or not: Rendition and Cassandra's Dream.

Even with some promising standouts, the general consensus is that ... there is no consensus. Which means it should be an exciting awards season this year.

UPDATE: Here's the official trailer for Atonement. Anyone else reminded just a tad of The Children's Hour?

Links via GoldDerby.LATimes.com, TIFF07.ca, AwardsDaily.com, RogerEbert.SunTimes.com, YouTube.com, EW.com, EdgeBoston.com, Blogs.MercuryNews.com and MoviesBlog.MTV.com.

Who's Cruising Who?

A lot of movies are talked about long after they come out, but those are usually good ones. Cruising, the notorious gay killer thriller written and directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino, is not a good movie by any means. Yet, here we are, 27 years later, still talking about it.

The controversy surrounding the making of the film places it in a unique place in gay history. However, aside from occasional airings on pay cable or dusty VHS tapes, it has mostly stayed buried since its box office failure back in 1980. More people have heard about Cruising then have actually seen it, and the coverage the book and film The Celluloid Closetgave it pretty much damned it in the eyes of most, sight unseen. Friedkin rarely discussed it, and as far as Pacino was concerned, he never made it (for example, it was conspicuously absent from his recent AFI tribute).

Nevertheless, the film did develop a sort of "cult" following through the years, largely due to its scarcity. It was even unofficially "remade" as a comedy, two years after it was first released, as the even more dreadful Partners. (If you really want a laugh though, skip that one and watch Boy Toys, a scene-for-scene "remake" of Cruising ... using Ken dolls. Warning: lots of gratuitous fashion doll nudity and violence.)

So now that Cruising is making its long-delayed DVD debut this Tuesday, a lot of people have been talking about it even more; Friedkin himself is particularly chatty about it. Some say it's worth another look, while others naively wonder what all the fuss was about; this being the internet, there are diverse opinions ranging from the clinical and balanced to the superficial and dismissive.

However, if you read one article about Cruising, make sure it is this superlative piece from Entertainment Weekly contributing writer Mark Harris. Harris covers all the bases regarding the film's infamous makings and deconstructs it with not just a critical eye, but with the eye of a gay man. He also calls to task Friedkin and producer Jerry Weintraub, who (in the DVD extras) try to frame the movie as "a work of art ahead of its time". Yeah, right. If anything, Cruising was a product of its time, not a victim of it.

UPDATE: For his typically laugh-out-loud take on something other then Top Chef, be sure to check out Steven Frank's irreverent look at Cruising over at After.Elton.com.

Click here to pre-order Cruisingon DVD from Amazon.com. Click here to buy Cruisingposters from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, AFI.com, YouTube.com, eBAR.com, Cinematical.com, NYBlade.com, SFBayTimes.com, VillageVoice.com, BrightLightsFilm.com, SFBG.com, NewNowNext.com, AfterElton.com and EW.com.

Awards Watch: God Bless America

Tonight was yet another bizarre year in the bizarre history of the Emmy Awards. (James Spader? Over James Gandolfini? Really???) Questionable wins aside, let me first give a shout out to the four actors from "my shows" that did win:

• America Ferrera, Best Comedy Actress for Ugly Betty: Not only is it fantastic to see somebody win who so very much deserves it, but our gal America was so gracious and humble in her acceptance speech, I confess to tearing up just a tad. You go, Betty, we love you!
• Katherine Heigl, Best Drama Supporting Actress for Grey's Anatomy: What a year our Izzie Stevens is having -- first she's Knocked Up, then she wins what was probably the most competitive race of the night, and on top of all that, she was the best dressed of the evening; seriously, she looked fabulous. (And it's "High-gull", not "High-jull" ... you would think they would prep their announcers on such things.)
• Terry O'Quinn, Best Drama Supporting Actor for Lost: He rightfully should have won two years ago, so it's great to see this incredible character actor finally get the gold. His John Locke is a complicated role, and he pulls it off brilliantly every week.
• Sally Field, Best Drama Actress for Brothers & Sisters: I love this show, and Field's Nora Walker is the heart and soul of it. She gave a great speech too ... until she got flustered ... and then she was cut off in the middle of an anti-war statement. Gee, what a surprise from the Fox Network ...

Rob Marshall also won for his classy Tony Bennett special, as did another Tony ... the awards show, that is. Also, the über-gay friendly Ugly Betty won two other awards (and if you too can't wait for that show's second season to start, here's a hilarious preview to tide you over until September 27).

All right, back to the show. Some random observations:

• The "in-the-round" set: A good idea in theory, but it seemed to throw most everybody who stepped foot on it. Just goes to show how many television actors these days have very little experience in the "thea-tah". (I did love that cool circular video screen though.)
• Ryan Seacrest: Ryan, Ryan, Ryan ... you know, you were doing OK ... until you came out in that costume from The Tudors and said it looked "a lot less gay on the rack". Are you kidding me? At what point did you think that was funny, let alone that it would fly in this day and age? What flabbergasts me about the whole thing is that the whole thing was just that: a lame gay joke. GLAAD better be all over this by tomorrow is all I'm saying.
• I also expect some backlash to be directed at Conan O'Brien and Bill Maher for their little skits showing, respectively, Mexican immigrants piling into a pick up and a toe-tappin' bathroom brigade. Oy, where do I start?
• It always amazes me that these award shows really think they can get it all in during the allotted time, so they have clips of all the early acting nominees but then have to cut them for the bigger categories later in the show. In other words, we get to see a bit of Ed Asner's nominated performance in something called The Christmas Card, yet none from Helen Mirren's winning performance in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act. Go figure.
• Forgetaboutit! The cast of Jersey Boys was awesome! But is it just me to think that it was a big stretch to connect it to The Sopranos (winner of Best Drama Series for its polarizing finale season)? And did we really need to see Silvio whacking Adriana to the tune of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"?
• Ellen and Portia looked great on the red carpet together, but I missed Neil Patrick Harris with beau David Burtka. And T.R. Knight looked very dapper, except when they cut to him after an Isaiah Washington joke; then he looked pissed.
• And finally: What was up with that creepy guy staring at Queen Latifah during the Roots tribute?

Click here for a complete list of this year's Emmy winners.

UPDATE: If you missed them too, here's a pic of Neil and David on the Emmy red carpet.

Links via YouTube.com, TheEnvelope.LATimes.com and AfterElton.com.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bathhouse

Broadway is having a gay ol' time with the return of an old favorite in this week's round up of all things From Screen to Stage:

- The revival of Terrence McNally's door-slamming sex farce The Ritz, set in a New York bathhouse circa the 1970's, starts previews today. Actually, it was supposed to start yesterday, but a last-minute cast change pushed back the opening. (No, don't worry, it wasn't Ryan Idol.)

The new production stars Kevin Chamberlin, Rosie Perez (in the role made famous -- and Tony winning -- by Rita Moreno) and our favorite Playbill columnist, Seth Rudetsky. In his latest column, Seth recounts the horrors of tech week ... and having to pee next to a porn star.

- If you didn't get enough of Cheyenne Jackson in this week's "Out in Film", then get thee to YouTube, where you can see him and a very Aussie-fied Kerry Butler in their performance of "Suddenly" from Xanadu, as seen this week on The View.

- Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 29: That's the day Legally Blonde - The Musical will debut on MTV. To tide you over until then, QueerSighted chats with Elle's nemesis, a former Miss America (seriously), actress Kate Shindle.

- Have you ever dreamed of owning the complete score of Annie, a.k.a. "The Red Album"? How about hearing any of the infamous Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge? Well, your show tune wishes will finally be answered with the upcoming "30th Anniversary Cast Recording" -- and then some. Several Annie alumni returned for the event, including original orphan Andrea McArdle and movie Hannigan Carol Burnett. The sun truly will come out tomorrow.

- In other anniversary news, West Side Story is nearing its 50th. To celebrate the occasion, the Library of Congress will open a new exhibit displaying rare photos, set designs and other items exploring the "Birth of a Classic".

Also in honor of the landmark musical's golden anniversary, a new tribute CD has been released, featuring such stars as Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews and Kristin Chenoweth singing such classics as "Tonight" and "I Feel Pretty". Click here to purchase A Place for Us: A Tribute to 50 Years of West Side Storyfrom Amazon.com.

- In more news on the classics, South Pacific will get its first Broadway revival ever, and they've already found their Nellie and Emile. Meanwhile, don't hold your breath for that starry revival of Guys and Dolls, and Lou Diamond Phillips is the new King Arthur in Camelot on tour. Yes, I said Lou Diamond Phillips.

- Also making its first return to Broadway: Les Liaisons Dangereuses, told and retold many times on film, most famously as Dangerous Liaisons and Cruel Intentions.

- Sweeney Todd: The Movie will spawn Sweeney Todd: The Soundtrack and Sweeney Todd: The Companion Book.(You can pre-order the book from Amazon.com by clicking the link.)

- The Grinch will get some new songs for Christmas this year.

- And finally, in this week's Hairspray news: Jim J. Bullock will replace Jerry Mathers as Wilbur Turnblad. In other words, Monroe Ficus is taking over where Beaver Cleaver left off. And with Paul Vogt as Edna, who knows where Tracy came from ...

Links via Playbill.com, Broadway.com, YouTube.com and QueerSighted.com.

Out in Film: Cheyenne Jackson

Unless you follow the New York theater scene, you may not know Cheyenne Jackson, but you should. As you can see by his picture, the 6'3" actor is incredibly handsome, but he is also incredibly talented. And although his film work has been minimal so far, it is only a matter of time until he is as big a star in Hollywood as he is on Broadway.

Jackson (who was named "Cheyenne" after his father's favorite TV western) made his debut on the Great White Way in 2002 (just six weeks after arriving in the Big Apple) in the Tony Award-winning stage version of the movie musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. He later starred as Radames in Disney's Aida and originated the role of Matthew in Altar Boyz prior to that hit show's Off Broadway premiere. He had to give up that part though when he was cast in the "Elvis" role in All Shook Up, the popular Presley-inspired jukebox musical.

Jackson's film debut was in the short film Curiosity (which can be viewed in its entirety here), while his first feature was the controversial 9/11 drama United 93, where he played real-life gay hero Mark Bingham. He will next appear onscreen in the horror film Hysteria, due next year.

Presently, Jackson is wowing audiences in a pair of roller skates and short shorts in the unexpected Broadway hit Xanadu, and he was just cast in the upcoming Lifetime television series Family Practice.

To learn more about Cheyenne, visit his official website, and if you haven't seen Jackson perform, be sure to check out this duet with Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez, where they deliver an awesome rendition of the "Elephant Love Medley" from Moulin Rouge!

See more pictures of Cheyenne Jackson in The Back Room (NSFW).

Awards Watch: The Host

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that Jon Stewart will return as this year's Oscar host.

He is a good fit this year considering that a couple of the politically-charged films making the festival rounds lately (Redacted, In the Valley of Elah, Rendition) are shaping up to be strong contenders in this year's race.

Stewart was funny (for the most part) the last time he took the gig in 2005, although I could have done without the by-then redundant Brokeback Mountain parody, which never should have been included (none of the other Best Picture nominees were made fun of in such a way, so why single out the "gay cowboy" movie? Come on Academy, you should have known better).

In other award news:

• Gil Cates will return as producer of the Oscar telecast for the record-setting 14th time (his last time at the helm was also 2005).
• The Academy's music branch has banned the "for your consideration" soundtrack CDs studios sent out for Original Song and Original Score contenders.
• More banning: the Directors Guild of America won't allow DVD screeners to be sent to their members.
• And speaking of DVD screeners, Fox Searchlight gets a jump on the competition by sending out the very fist batch of the year for the movies Waitress, Once and The Namesake.

Links via Oscars.org, YouTube.com, AwardsDaily.com and TheEnvelope.LATimes.com.

Metal Head

"Stop, in the name of love ..."
Robert Downey Jr. in a natty designer business suit? Check.

A redheaded Gwyneth Paltrow as "Pepper" Potts? Check.

Two incredibly awesome exoskeleton super suits? Double check.

Cue up the Black Sabbath, the Iron Man trailer is here.

Links via Imbd.com and Apple.com.

Mighty Mormon Power Rangers

For those of you who are still carrying a torch for Latter Days' Elder Davis (and, after seeing these modeling shots of Steve Sandvoss, who wouldn't be?), you may be interested in a little project that has all the gay and Mormon websites out there atwitter. (I know, who knew that such a thing could ever happen.)

A group calling themselves Mormons Exposed has released a 2008 beefcake calendar entitled "Men on a Mission", filled with a dozen buff and beautiful "former Mormon missionaries" displaying their abs and pecs for all of god's children to see.

These marketing geniuses, who certainly know their prime customers (namely, gay men and randy Mormon women), even offer an eyebrow-raising promotional video (more Dieux du Stade then LDS) that will have you salivating over Elders Matthew, Casey, the two Brandons and the rest, in and out of their white shirt/black tie ensembles.

The creators claim (on their MySpace page, no less) that the calendar is "NOT affiliated with or endorsed by the Mormon church" (duh), although some interesting t-shirt designs for sale in their online store may make you question their insistence that they do not intend to shed a "negative light on the Mormon faith".

Yeah, OK, and while your at it, I'll take the "I'm My Own Uncle" tee in "Brigham blue", XL.

UPDATE: The completely irony-free Contessa Brewer interviews Chad Hardy, co-founder of Mormons Exposed, on MSNBC.

Click here to purchase Latter Dayson DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, OhLaLaParis.com, MormonsExposed.com, YouTube.com, 3Couleurs.Blogspot.com, MySpace.com and MSN.com.

Horse Play With Daniel Radcliffe

The weekly look at all that's in the works from Broadway to Hollywood and back again:

- For you muggles out there who couldn't make it to London for his au naturale performance in Equus, Daniel Radcliffe promises that he will soon be blinding horses stateside by the end of next year, if all goes well. Radcliffe's Harry Potter uncle Richard Griffiths (Tony winner for The History Boys) will co-star.

- Like, ohmygod! Taking their cue from Hairspray and Grease (both of which have been benefiting nicely from exposure in other mediums), Legally Blonde will soon be filmed live for a future broadcast on MTV. And if you so desire (and are willing to wear a pink shirt), you can even be in the audience.

- Speaking of Grease (and really, when are we not?), meet the revival's scene-stealing Rizzo, Jenny Powers, and check out the track list for the newest cast recording, on sale October 2 (Click here to pre-order the new albumfrom Amazon.com).

Meanwhile, Grease: You're the One That I Want hostess Denise Van Outen has (get this) been cast as the militant Maureen in London's Rent. Not to be catty, but isn't she a teensy bit past her prime mooing years?

- In more music news, original Maureen Idina Menzel has released a club mix of her big Wicked showstopper, the divalicious "Defying Gravity". Click here to purchase the CDfrom Amazon.com.

- As playwright Terrence McNally and stars Rosie Perez and Kevin Chamberlin chat up The Ritz, Seth Rudetsky dishes on his co-star/fellow "bathhouse patron" Ryan Idol. Seth also recounts his recent one-on-one with Xanadu hunk Cheyenne Jackson.

- Get ready to return to La Cage aux Folles, via a West End revival; no word yet if the star of the recent New York run, Gary Beach, will "strap on his fake boobs again" for it though.

Elsewhere, this is what the Episcopalians think about a high school musical about drag queens. Who woulda thunk it?

- Director Rob Marshall has revealed his star-studded, international cast for his big screen adaptation of Nine, although only one (Sophia Loren) is actually Italian.

- "They're the Dreamgirls ..." The originals, that is: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holliday will reunite in LA for a "one night only" benefit performance. And I'm telling you, I'm going ... (OK, I'll stop now.)

- Tours from around the world: 42nd Street in China, Little Shop of Horrors in the UK and 12 Angry Men in the US of A.

- Billy Elliot, soon to be grande jeté-ing his way to Broadway, celebrates his 1,000th performance in London.

- Angela Arden has found her son. Charles Busch will be joined in Die Mommie Die! with current gay soap sensation Van Hansis (a.k.a. As the World Turns' Luke Snyder).

- In an unusual move, the producers of Young Frankenstein will reportedly not release the show's weekly grosses. Hmmm ...

- The 39 Steps is stepping closer to Broadway.

- In our Hairspray news of the week, the title of this Playbill article says it all: "Love Finds Beaver Cleaver".

- Do video games and show tunes mix? We'll find out when The Last Starfighter takes to the stage.

- Remember the opening number of the movie Hair, with all the hippies dancing about, all Twyla Tharp-y like, in the middle of Central Park? Well, now you'll be able to see that in person.

- While Claire Danes (who, having never seen My Fair Lady, must have had a really sad childhood) prepares for George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, John Lithgow mulls a return to Broadway with Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

- I don't know why but I don't care: the San Francisco Jersey Boys will perform on next Sunday's Emmy Award telecast. For a taste of the original Broadway Four Seasons, here's their electrifying performance at last year's Tony Awards.

Links via MoviesBlog.MTV.com, Playbill.com, Broadway.com, AfterEllen.com, AfterElton.com and YouTube.com.

Potent Quotables: What's Up? Edition

Question: what do you get when you combine the images above with the following quote:

Scientist: "Beware! Beware of the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep. He eats little boys ... puppy dog tails, and BIG FAT SNAILS! Beware ... take care ... beware!"

And then divide it with this:

Garth: "Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and played a girl bunny?"

The answer?

This.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, YouTube has removed this video due to copyright issues with Warners. It was a funny and highly creative mash-up of Bugs Bunny cartoons with the Ed Wood camp classic Glen or Glenda.

Links via Imdb.com and YouTube.com.

Potent Quotables: Sarah Silverman on Homoeroticism

“That movie 300? Turns out how they got that title was they measured how gay it was on a scale of one to ten.”

-- Sarah Silverman at this year's MTV Movie Awards.

And for further proof, click here.

Click here to purchase 300on DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via Imbd.com and YouTube.com.

Nothin' But a Hound Dog

It's a lazy Labor Day, but I had to share this adorable video clip that will surely be making the rounds like the 'Dramatic Prairie Dog' and the "Thriller" dancing prisoners.

Although it has nothing to do with movies, it did remind me of Copper ("I'm a hound dog!") from Disney's The Fox and the Hound. And it' just so darn cute. Enjoy!

Link via YouTube.com and Imdb.com.

Just Like Jesse James

After nearly a year delay, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford will finally hit theaters next month. Starring Brad Pitt (pictured) and Casey Affleck, respectively, as the title characters, the western drama appears to be taking a similar path as another film on the subject, Samuel Fuller's 1949 I Shot Jesse James.

While watching the trailer for the new film, notice Affleck's Ford displays a disturbing fascination with the notorious outlaw. Pitt's James even asks Ford if he wants to "be like me, or you wanna be me?", which gets further homoerotically charged by the fact that he is sitting in a bathtub when he says it (shades of The Talented Mr. Ripley).

In Fuller's film, the director hints that Ford's eventual murder of James stemmed from the "twisted love/hate relationship" between the two. I Shot Jesse James also includes a scene with James (Reed Hadley) in a bathtub with Ford (John Ireland) looking on.

We will just have to wait and see how blatant this gay subtext will be in the latest retelling of the legend of Jesse James, which will hit theaters September 21.

Click here to purchase I Shot Jesse Jameson DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, Movies.AOL.com and MovieMorlocks.com.