In true holiday spirit, we’re dashing through the news (sadly, without a one horse sleigh) in a week-ending theater round-up:
-
Hugh Jackman. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Earlier in the week, the 2011 Gypsy of the Year competition broke records with its $4,895,253 raised for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS but one figure jumped out of the stats. Hugh Jackman, currently appearing in a night of song and dance on Broadway, received a special citation for raising $857,740 in just three weeks (much of it by auctioning off his sweaty shirts worn in the show). Keep in mind that the nearest tally was the $325,935 raised by Daniel Radcliffe and the How to Succeed crew. Guess we know who really has the magic powers.
- Two of the biggest Broadway musicals of the year are going bi (coastal, that is). The Book of Mormon announced it will be playing a 12 week engagement at the Pantages theater in Los Angeles next fall and, sliding in to save the day after Funny Girl fell apart, the acclaimed current revival of Follies will transfer to the Ahmanson Theatre May 3 through June 9. No word yet on how much of the cast will transfer with it to the West Coast.
-
Jackie Hoffman. Image via Google.
Had enough of Christmas cheer? Leave it to the delightfully outrageous Jackie Hoffman (The Addams Family) to provide an antidote. For only three performances starting this Sunday, December 11th, the silly putty-faced comedian and musical star will present her new holiday show A Chanukah Charol, inspired by Patrick Stewart’s one man A Christmas Carol. This one is sure to be worth kvelling about.
- I knew Mandy Patinkin was enjoying himself with Patti LuPone during their concert show currently on Broadway but I guess I didn’t realize how much. My theater companions dubbed him “Handsy” Patinkin and now the man himself confirms that doing the show with his old friend is “better than sex”. Watch the interview for yourself (he’s actually quite charming and sentimental about reuniting on the Great White Way with his Evita co-star) at people.com.
