Theater News

Fresh Air! Times Square!

Martin Short hosts this year’s Broadway on Broadway concert, starring Christine Ebersole, Donny Osmond, Haylie Duff, Constantine Maroulis, Diana DeGarmo, et al.

New York City


The fabulous star of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me was the perfect choice to host this year’s edition of Broadway on Broadway, the annual Times Square concert that offers numbers from established favorite shows as well as glimpses of musicals that will open later this season. Asked about the tremendous audience response to his show, Short quipped: “I get that every night. I pay them, but I get that every night. We’ve had some great guest stars: Rosie O’Donnell, Jerry Seinfeld. Last night, we had Larry King, and this week we have Regis Philbin and Steve Martin. It’s always interesting!”

Among the folks who wowed the crowd at yesterday’s event were three American Idol alumni who are now appearing on Broadway: Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer), Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray), and Frenchie Davis (Rent). Says Maroulis: “I’ve never been put into a Broadway show before. You’ve got about 10 days to observe and rehearse, and then you just get thrown in there. It’s pretty awesome and quite a challenge.”

Will Chase and Jenn Colella are the stars of the new musical High Fidelity, soon to open in Boston for its pre-Broadway run and set to begin previews in New York on November 20 at the Imperial Theatre. Says Colella, “It’s a blast. We walk out of rehearsal every day humming the songs. We’re digging it!” Notes Chase: “We have to head right back to rehearsal after Broadway on Broadway. We leave for Boston on Thursday, and we’re really psyched.”

Here’s Christine Ebersole, star of Grey Gardens, which is soon to transfer to Broadway after a hit run at Playwrights Horizons. The musical is based on the Maysles brothers’ documentary film of the same title, about Edith Bouvier Beale and her adult daughter Edie, cousins of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who were nearly evicted from their run-down East Hampton mansion in 1973. “I fell in love with the movie when I saw it” says Ebersole. “Parts of it are sad, but I think, ultimately, Edie and her mother triumph. They enjoyed their lives in spite of the difficulties they had to face. They had music and dancing and love; they were fulfilled in that sense.”

Donny Osmond, soon to take over the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, is seen here with Sarah Uriarte Berry, the production’s new Belle. Says former teen idol Osmond, “What really interests me about the show is that there’s such an arc to it. Gaston starts out as a guy you can’t stop laughing at, but he eventually becomes the beast — figuratively speaking. I think it’s going to be interesting for people to see Donny Osmond playing that kind of character.”

Eden Espinosa (left) and Kate Reinders are currently starring in Wicked as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. How do they explain the show’s tremendous popularity, especially among a certain demographic group? Says Espinosa, “I think young girls love the story of the friendship between the two characters, and they can identify with the school experience.” Adds Reinders, “They all know about feeling like an outcast, trying to fit in and have friends.”

LaChanze, who won a Tony Award for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple, was an audience favorite at the concert.

Another crowd pleaser was Haylie Duff, now appearing as Amber in Hairspray.

Thom Sesma, Caren Lyn Manuel, and Michael Arden are among the stars of The Times They Are A-Changin’, the new Twyla Tharp musical showcasing the songs of Bob Dylan. According to Sesma, “It’s about a young man coming of age within a circus setting. The show is told in a series of dream sequences. It’s a fantastical, surrealistic journey through a lot of very familiar experiences.”

Here’s Bob Martin, co-author and star of The Drowsy Chaperone, with Beth Leavel, who won a Tony Award for her hilarious turn as the consistently drunk title character. How’s Leavel’s liver holding up? “Amazingly well; thanks for asking. All the research one must do as an actor! My character has a line, ‘Why in the world would anyone put olives in a Gibson,’ so I had to find out what a Gibson was. I still haven’t actually had one, but I will eventually. I figure whatever money I spend on alcohol is research, so it’s tax deductible!”

Avenue Q co-author Jeff Marx brought his dog Princeton to the festivities, and both seemed to be having a great time.

Here are Jenn Gambatese and Josh Strickland, the stars of Tarzan. Says Strickland: “Last year, I was in the audience for Broadway on Broadway. I was way in the back on my tip-toes, trying to get a good look. So it’s quite thrilling for me to be on stage today.”

Among the other notable performers on hand for yesterday’s event: Judy McLane, who’s now submerged in the world of ABBA as one of the stars of Mamma Mia!…

…Norm Lewis (right), who will play the relentless inspector Javert in the upcoming revival of Les Misérables, with NYPD Officer Skrzypek…

…and the star of Jay Johnson: The Two and Only, with his close friend Darwin.