Recently in Out on Stage Category

Rosie O'Donnell has returned to Broadway for a run in "No No Nanette" and her reviews have been terrific - better than those for the overall show,

New York Times: Ms. O'Donnell, of whom you may have heard, scores a personal triumph as the Smiths' grumpy, bossy maid. With only minimal changes in vocal and facial expressions, she projects more comic authority than anyone around her (and more, I might add, than she ever has before in her various outings on Broadway).

Newsday:: ...Most fun involves Rosie O'Donnell, as the second-banana wisecracking maid, doing a few minutes of sweetly capable tap at the end,

TheaterMania.com: Then there's O'Donnell, who has the script's drollest lines and knows precisely how to land them. For much of the time she's pushing a recalcitrant Hoover around, and it becomes a metaphor for her ability to hoover up the yuks. Plus, she taps like a demon. (Eat your heart, Barbara Walters!)

Washington Post: And then there is Rosie O'Donnell as a wisecracking maid. O'Donnell may not be much of a singer, but she's a game tapper and wins most of her laughs playing off a recalcitrant vacuum cleaner, not the easiest of tasks.

Variety: And while she could stand to loosen up a little more, Rosie O'Donnell deadpans enjoyably as the Smiths' put-upon maid Pauline, even muscling in on the dance action with a brief but capable tap solo.

I'm so sorry I wasn't on this story sooner because it is just too delicious!

You obviously recognize Mario Lopez in the photo on the right. The photo above is of Nick Adams, Mario's co-star in the Broadway production of "A Chorus Line." It seems that Mario wanted Nick's biceps covered up to avoid detracting attention from his! I love it!

New York Post Broadway columnist Michael Riedel writes: DOES Mario Lopez suffer from biceps envy?

This Disease of the Vain usually strikes hunky guys who come into close contact with even hunkier guys. They see a set of biceps larger then theirs, and they go bananas.

Lopez, who just took over the role of Zach, the exacting director of "A Chorus Line," is mighty proud of his biceps. So proud, in fact, that he refused to wear Zach's costume, a tan sweater with long sleeves.

It's an iconic outfit, based on that worn in real life by "A Chorus Line" creator Michael Bennett, and it's been worn by countless Zachs in productions of "A Chorus Line" all over the world for the past 30 years.

But "Flex" Lopez wanted to wear a brown shirt with short sleeves so that he could show off his biceps. (The audience, I gather, isn't complaining.)

The only trouble is, Flex is sharing the stage with a pair of biceps larger than his. They belong to Nick Adams, who plays Larry, the assistant choreographer.

Larry's iconic costume is a navy blue tank top with the number 17 on it. For "A Chorus Line" nerds, that number is significant - there are 17 performers auditioning for the eight spots in the chorus.

Flex, sources say, was concerned that Adams' biceps would upstage his, so he requested that Adams wear a hoodie over his tank top, which Adams does whenever he's next to Flex.

Click HERE to read the column in its entirety...

Jennifer Holliday created something so special and so classic with her performance of Effie in the original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls" in the early 80s. Her performance of "I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" at the Tonys is still a wonder to watch.

Enjoy!

I've appreciated the comments on my "Who Was best in Gypsy?" poll with several readers bringing up the great Ethel Merman as their favorite even though, sadly, we have no video. We just have that terrific soundtrack which, in my opinion, is the best of them all. Her "Rose's Turn" is just ferocious.

By the way, I was reading in The Hollywood Reporter earlier today a column by Robert Osborne who wrote in discussing Patti LuPone's Tony chances: Interesting about the "Gypsy" history with Tony. The role of Mama Rose won a 1975 best actress Tony for Angela Lansbury in the first revival of the show; it also won Tyne Daly a 1990 Tony for her redo. However, there was no Tony for Ethel Merman, the woman who created the role, despite the fact that it is considered the role and the performance of her legendary legit career. The Merm lost the prize that year (1960) to Mary Martin in "The Sound of Music."

Anyway, ;posted above is a clip from the 1972 Tony Awards where Merman did a three-song medley that ends with "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and I'm not sure how old she is here but it is amazing how powerful her voice remained. She still had her full range. If anyone has a clip of Merman singing "Rose's Turn" please share!

Be sure to see "Out In Hollywood POLL: Who is best in "Gypsy" ???" and cast your vote in the comments section!

It's always so great to see an actual gay person on the cover of The Advocate instead of just a gay-friendly one or someone who plays gay. That's what makes the cover story on Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (in "Xanadu" through July) all the more exciting.

Here are some excerpts:

"The first time that I knew I was gay -- I think I was, like, 7 -- I was watching this Valentine's Day Popeye cartoon episode that would play every year. There was this scene where Popeye was captured by Brutus, tied up with no shoes or socks on, and Brutus starts tickling his feet. I remember getting a little boner, and I didn't know what it was about that scene that was creating that, but I knew that it was something naughty that I couldn't tell anybody, and I definitely knew it was something that made me different. But every year, I couldn't wait for that episode."

On coming out publicly: "It wasn't something I planned on doing," he recalls, "but I've been out to my family since I'm 19. The interviewer kind of said, 'And you're gay, right?' I didn't even think about it and said, 'Yeah.' I could've, in a frenzy, had people call him to retract it, but I thought, Let's see what happens. People worry about someone who's an up-and-comer and so open about it, but I feel like if I don't make it an issue, it's not going to be an issue. ... To be frank," he says, "I think I've missed out on big parts because I'm open. I've screen-tested on some really big projects, and you can't tell me that behind closed doors big execs aren't like, 'We have Dean Cain or this gay guy who played Elvis on Broadway.' I'm not that naive to think that that doesn't play into it."

On his relationship with the gay media: "Look, I'm not somebody that marches in the front of a gay pride parade, but if I wanted to, I would. I'm not a self-loathing gay; I just feel like being gay is the least interesting thing about me. But I also understand that people want to be represented, and I'm happy to be that for them--to a point."

On coming out to his family: "We called a family meeting," he recalls, "and I said, 'Well, I think families should be close and know everything about each other, so it's time that you knew I was gay.' " Met with both shocked silence and sobbing, his brother began reading a letter Jackson had written detailing his journey and first memories -- "but not the Popeye memory," he adds. After his bomb's fallout dissipated, he and his family didn't discuss the topic for about two years. "I just separated myself from them. I realized that they had to mourn their ideas of what they thought my life would be. I wasn't going to be the first to have kids, which they'd always thought, because I was a Sunday School teacher and the only guy on the block that babysat. So I had to give them time."

On his brother, a regular preacher on The 700 Club: "He thinks that being gay is something that can be prayed away, or that maybe you didn't have strong male influences growing up -- which couldn't be further from the truth for me, because my father is a Native American Vietnam vet, and we were very close. I love my brother dearly, but it's come to a point where we just don't talk about religion or politics. It's the only way that our relationship can work."

To read the entire article, gfo to Advocate.com

Patti Lupone is wowing 'em on Broaday in "Gypsy" and her final big number, "Rose's Turn," is said to be astonishing. I decided to surf around Youtube for some of the previous versions to share with you. Take a look then vote for who you think is best through the comments section. I'll post the results if enough people participate!

Bette Midler in the 1993 television production of "Gypsy" which aired on CBS as a three-hour special. Bette was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance and later admitted to being "pissed off" that she didn't win since she had showed up at the ceremonies and even sang!

Bernadette Peters performed the number at the 57th Tony Awards and, I think, silenced the critics who thought she was miscast. She is absolutely fantastic. She didn't win the Tony that year but already had two at home.

Here is Tyne Daly who won a well-deserved Tony in 1989 for her Rose. Wow! I had only heard her on the soundtrack and she was kinda hoarse when they recorded that. In this clip, filmed by an audience member, she is in full voice and really is stunning. She's the best actress of all the Rose's, I think, and it really sells this number even if she doesn't have the singing voice of some of the others.

Angela Lansbury won one of her four Tony Awards for her version of Rose in "Gypsy." For anyone who knows her only from TV's "Murder She Wrote," these clips show that her greatest triumphs have been on the Broadway stage.

Ethel Merman may have triumphed on Broadway as the original Rose but when the show was made into a film, Merman was passed over in favor of Rosalind Russell who certainly has the acting chops but not Merman's singing range. She sort of yells her way through the final number.

And finally, here is the reigning Rose herself, Patti LuPone, singing "Rose's Turn." I'm not sure when the video was taken but it has to be recently. I think it gives you a good indication of why Patti is born to play the role.

Cast your VOTES!!!

Monday was just one of the great nights.

I was invited to attend the Actors Fund Musical Mondays, a series of Cabaret events held several times a year in the lobby of the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. This week was special because instead of just featuring one performer, it was the music of Ron Abel that was sung by a parade of his friends and muses including Lucie Arnaz, Loretta Devine, Valarie Pettiford, Linda Purl, Joely Fisher and others.

The results were awesome with Tony winner Devine really knocking it out of the park on two songs from the forthcoming musical "Bricktop" called "A Place of My Own" and "Queen of the Night." I wish you could have all been there to see what Loretta can do on stage. I was blown away and can't wait to see this show which, it was announced Monday night, has Whoopi Goldberg on board as a producer. I think Loretta outa make room on her shelf for another Tony based on what I heard at the Pantages. Wow!

Also excellent, and someone I'm so glad to be aware of now, was the amazing Valarie Pettiford, a major talent and Tony nominee for "Fosse." She performed more numbers than anyone else and nailed every single one of them with power and conviction including "Let 'Em Talk," "Where Do I Find Love?" "Same Old Moon," Bye Bye Blackbird" and, in a duet with Joey Gian, "The Way You Look Tonight/Everybody Loves My Baby." She is fantastic! (Ron Abel is pictured below with Devine and Pettiford)

Lucie Arnaz is Abel's close friend and sometimes professional partner of more than 20 years and she came in straight from Hong Kong to dazzle the audience with a pair of numbers. Lucie hopped onto the piano and sang "Until Now" and sounded and looked sensational. Hard to believe that the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is in her mid 50s. Lucie dueted with Ron on "Forever's All We Know" and, I swear, I thought she was singing these songs right to me. But actually, she was singing them to her husband, actor Laurence Luckenbill and their very tall son who were sitting just a few feet away.
"Larry was sitting down there and it's an anniversary-type song so I wanted to make sure he knew I was singing it to him!" Lucie told me after the show.

Lucie told the audience that the first time she heard the song was one night in Vegas when her brother, Desi Arnaz Jr., sang it with his then-wife Linda Purl (pictured above with Joely Fisher and Ron Abel) who was wonderful singing "Just to Be Near You" at the event. She is also ageless, looking much like she did in all those TV movies and on "Matlock" with Andy Griffith. I also give major kudos to Joely was a real hoot. She walks onto the stage and says: "f@*#! I have to follow Valarie Pettiford." Then she did a highly entertaining "All the Good Men Are Gay."

Ain't it the truth!!!

After the show, I gabbed with Ron, Lucie and Linda. I gushed that I was just about speechless after watching the show. "I'm happy that you had such a good time tonight and that the music pleased you because I think he's just a remarkable, gifted artist," Lucie said. "Ron Abel, there isn't anybody else like him....I love standards but I also like to have a new way of doing stuff and Ron's take on songs has just always been unique and classic and fresh. I love singing the stuff he writes but I also love the arrangements that he does. He's fun to be with on stage. He's always listening."

Lucie said she and Linda are "the best of friends. I adore this woman." Her former sister-in-law was standing nearby and I told Miss Purl what a thrill it was to see another side of someone you know from television when they hit the stage. She said: "I felt the same way the first time I saw Jason Alexander. It was like, 'Oh my gosh! Who knew?' Or Hal Linden or Lucie. It's fun. It's a joy and also as a parent - I know for Lucie it's the same thing - you can do your concerts, go out for two or three days then you can come home and get back to doing soccer runs. It's a good balance."

Got an email a few hours ago from Steve Callahan, the hunky and talented star of recent gay indie faves "East Side Story" and "Nines Lives" who I profiled back in the fall on this blog. Steve had some terrific news to share about "Corpus Christi," the Terrence McNally play that he's been a part of since 2006. It is a modern telling of Jesus and the 12 apostles, where Jesus is a gay man in 1950's Texas. Steve (he's the actor on the right in the photo above with star and producer James Brandon) plays Judas.

When the play opened ten years ago, it was protested and opened with bomb threats. The current production has played for two years without incident.

"We have been embraced by critics and audiences alike," says Steve who thought he was just joining the show for a four-week run in North Hollywood. "I am traveling around the world with the show. The play has become a huge part of my life and the cast has become family to me. The success that we have encountered with this show is mind boggling."

Here is the latest news about the show:

- The company just returned from its third run in San Francisco and played at Grace Cathedral. This marked the first time Steve played the role of Judas.

- During its successful month-long run in Scotland at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, it was seen by scouts for the Dublin Theatre Festival and invited to be their premiere show! It will be performed in Dublin this May, the first time that "Corpus Christi" has ever been performed in Ireland.

- Before leaving for Ireland, the cast will perform on Easter Sunday in Los Angeles. The Sunday, March 23 performance will be held at WeHo Church at 6 p.m. A limited number of half price tickets available at www.goldstarevents.com.

- In October, the company will go to New York City to do a 10th anniversary production. Since the occasion also marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepherd, the event will be in connected with the Matthew Shepherd Foundation.

More info about "Corpus Christi" can be found on the following website: www.108productions.org.

We know that Mario Lopez's body is a singular sensation. But how will television's former A.C. Slater and "Dancing With the Stars" runner up fare on the Broadway stage?

We'll find out on April 15 when he joins the cast of "A Chorus Line" as the show's demanding director. The current revival of the show has been running since October 2006 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

"Every actor dreams about appearing on a Broadway stage," Lopez told the Associated Press. "I have as well and have been searching for the right time and opportunity."

I love anyone who cusses this much in an interview because that means she's being herself. I'm talking about Rosie Perez and her interview in the new issue of Out Magazine.
A few excerpts:
The star of such films as "Do the Right Thing" and "Fearless" is returning to the Broadway stage for the revival of Terrence McNally’s "The Ritz." Perez plays the role of Googie Gomez, originated by Rita Moreno. Googie is a talentless chanteuse who wants to be thought of as a rising star à la Bette Midler.
OUT: Hi, Rosie. So how are you approaching Googie’s very bad singing?
PEREZ: It’s just so difficult for me! [Laughs] I’m really channeling three people -- Ethel Merman, one of my cousins (I can’t say her name because she’ll kill me and she’s so clueless she’ll never guess it’s her when she sees it), and Boy Shakira.
OUT: Have you talked to the original Googie, Rita Moreno?
PEREZ: I called her and said, “I’m asking for your blessing. I’ve got big shoes to fill.” She said, “Bullsh*t. You can do this. Just remember that Googie is a real person and you’ll win...and change your f***ing cell phone message. It’s f***ing rude.” And she hung up on me! I don’t think it’s rude at all. It says, “This is R.P. Please don’t leave a long, irritating message, and I’ll get back to you when I feel like it. Have a blessed day and God bless you.” Don’t you hate when people ramble on and on?
OUT: I read that you choreographed "In Living Color." Did you work with the immortal J. Lo?
PEREZ: I’m the one that hired her, even though she tells everyone Keenan [Ivory Wayans] was. He didn’t want her because she was overweight and didn’t dance that well, but I said, “She has star quality.” He said, “Your job depends on it.” And I thought, Oh, sh*t.

My pal Trevor Daley (far left) and me pose with some of the cast members of the LA production of "Avenue Q" backstage on opening night last weekend. It was one of the funnest evenings at the theater that I have ever had! The show is at the Ahmanson...get your tickets now!

Earlier post:
GREG'S NIGHT ON AVENUE Q

I don't think there's such a thing as an average night out with my friend Trevor Daley.
On Friday, he invited me to opening night of the musical "Avenue Q" at the Ahmanson Theatre and despite my getting stuck in traffic, I managed to get there about 10 minutes before curtain time. We had terrific seats for what is a sensational, must-see show with that wonderful opening night buzz all around.
[The photo above was taken on Friday, hours before the cast took the stage...]
I've never seen anything like "Avenue Q" with real-life actors and puppets interacting like they are in some kind of naughty episode of "The Muppets." Such great songs, terrific writing, wonderful performances by an immensely talented cast and best of all, just one laugh after another. The Tony Award-winning show is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account.
There are good times with Princeton, Rod, Kate Monster, Lucy the Slut, Brian, Trekkie Monster and all the rest. The character that just killed me the most was Gary Coleman, played by Carla Renata. She sounds JUST LIKE the "Different Strokes" star who is manager of the apartment building. It's a brilliant parody. At the end, the character laments: "Everyone's dreams are coming true...but WHAT ABOUT GARY COLEMAN?"
It's a riot.
Then there is the hilarious Angela Al who nails her role as Christmas Eve and the multi-talented Robert McClure who was superb in duel roles, including one as a closeted gay man (or puppet) in deep denial. (No, the character is not based on Larry Craig!)
But the night wasn't just about seeing the show. Trevor knows EVERYONE so I got to meet Martin Massman, board president of the Center Theatre Group (Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre), Artistic Director Michael Ritchie and the show's writer Robert Lopez. Then, we got to go backstage to meet the cast! There was champagne flowing and a real electricity in the air.
The cast had every reason to feel ecstatic. We got some photos taken with some them with the puppets etc. [I should have those e-mailed to me this week sometime]. Chatted with "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry briefly and at length with LA newscaster Kent Schockneck who is much taller than I thought, very nice to talk to, and someone I have watched for years.
We were all over the moon about the show, I am just nuts about it. And I'm so glad to have a friend like Trevor. Not just because he takes me to cool events every now and then, but because when we are there, we always have so much fun working the room and meeting the people involved.
This is a night I'll never forget...

I'm sure the producers of "Hairspray" are just loving this.
Lance Bass, who they brought in to play Corny Collins in the Broadway production throughout the fall, talked to New York Magazine and does not seem very fond of The Big Apple.
It took three weeks, and three brokers, to find an apartment: “There’s a lot of pieces of crap here for a lot of money. And I don’t think anyone here has any style. I was looking at fully furnished places and it was like, you can either have a bunch of floral prints or some dusty couch from the 1960s.”
Poor Lance. Sounds terrible!
He's also apparently misunderstood and maligned by those mean New Yorkers: “My walking pace has picked up a lot...and apparently I’m ruder. I read that someone met me at a club and told me I looked great and I was like, ‘Don’t even think about taking a picture.’ Which really sounds like me. And then they printed a picture they’d taken of me, which makes even less sense.”
I don't know how he can endure all of these indignities. The man has been through HELL.

This, I gotta see!
Before heading to New York for an Off-Broadway run this fall, "The Sensuous Woman," a burlesque-style variety show written by and starring Margaret Cho, debuted last night at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre.
Cho says the show celebrates women’s bodies of all colors, shapes and sizes: “I have suffered from eating disorders and a horrendously distorted body image for my entire life, and I think the biggest reason is a lack of images of real women’s bodies. We are presenting a new ideal—not one that is about dieting ourselves down to a smaller size, but expanding our notion of what is beautiful and to allow ourselves to be included there, too.”
The Sensuous Woman will also be performed August 23, 24, 30 and 31; and September 6, 7, 13 and 15. All shows are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. All proceeds benefit the Center.
For tickets or call the Center Box Office at 323-860-7300.

Lance Bass will transform himself into the perky dance show host Corny Collins in the Broadway production of "Hairspray" starting Tuesday night and the intimacy of a theater vs, a stadium has him a bit concerned: "I'd much rather play to 50,000 people than 1,000," Bass tells the NY Daily News. "In a theater, you can see everyone! It is like doing a live TV show."
Bass tells the paper that his fears of losing female fans after coming out last year have proven to be off-base: "When I came out, my female fan base exploded."
Good luck tomorrow Lance. If ya get nervous, just imagine every one of those 1,000 people without any clothes on!

I dunno where I've been. There's this gorgeous young actor named Cheyenne Jackson who starred on Broadway in "All Shook Up" and appeared in the film "United 93." Now he's starring on the Great White Way once again in the new musical "Xanadu" which opens tomorrow. Until reading an Q&A with him on AfterElton.com just now, I had no idea this talented dreamboat was an out gay man.
Hooray!!
Here are some pics of him both in his "Xanadu" role and out of it and some of the questions from the interview which you can read in its entiretly at AfterElton.com.

AE: I hear that you wear this already legendary pair of short-shorts in the show. How are they working for you?
CJ: They're literally these little, '80s style, satin skating shorts. I have huge legs, and I never show them -- not because of false modesty, I'm just not comfortable. So I had to work up to wearing the shorts. Last weekend was the first time I put them on, and I rocked 'em. I figure if I'm doing this, I'd better go for it all the way, so I invited all my friends to come the first night I wore the shorts. They gave me some catcalls, and I felt okay.

AE: Do you think that being openly gay has been a detriment to your acting career, or has it helped, or has it had no net effect at all?
CJ: [Pauses] I think it's been a detriment, probably just a little bit. Had I not been out and open, I think I might have gotten some movies that I screen-tested for. People may have said, “The dude's gay; how are we going to market this?” But it's not an issue for me, because being out is very freeing.

AE: On the plus side, you might perhaps not have been cast as gay hero Mark Bingham in United 93 if you weren't out.
CJ: Possibly – although the director didn't know anything about me. I think one of the main reasons I got the part was that I was the biggest guy who auditioned; Mark Bingham was 6'5” and I'm almost 6'4”.

AE: If Hollywood gives us another big, gay love story like Brokeback Mountain and you were cast in one of the leads, who would you want to play opposite?
CJ: Hmm, that's a tough one. [Starts to say someone's name, then stops:] I won't say him, because I don't want it to be weird the next time I see him. [Pauses, then comes up with another name:] Ewan McGregor. I'd do a love scene with him any day. Or Hugh Jackman. I've never met him, but he said some lovely things about me in the press when I was in All Shook Up – and we have the same agent. He's an idol of mine, for sure.

AE: I'm guessing that, in terms of theater work, your being out has been a non-issue.
CJ: That's right. Here, your reputation is everything. People know if you've got the goods, if you're easy to work with, and if you can get the job done. Besides, it's New York theater. Everybody's gay!

AE: Are you in a relationship?
CJ: Yeah, for almost eight years. He's a very private person. I don't think anyone could find any pictures of him. He says he's like the Amish; he doesn't like to have his picture taken, because he feels like it's giving away part of his soul. He's a medical physicist, really brilliant and funny. He's the brains behind the operation.

AE: Do you ever feel like you're a sort of poster boy for gay actors?
CJ: Chris Sieber and I were talking about this. Every time they mention either of us in the press, it's always “openly gay Christopher Sieber” and “openly gay Cheyenne Jackson.” It's a little reductive and, after a while, it's like, “Yawn.”

AE: Yet it's understandable that people focus on it, given that so few actors are out -- especially leading man types.
CJ: Sure. I liken it to the experience of a black friend of mine. When he was growing up, there were almost no black people on television; but occasionally, there would be a black family in a commercial or something, and when that happened, his whole family would run in and gather around the TV. To me, that's lovely and precious and sad at the same time. When I was a little kid, who were the gay people on TV? Charles Nelson Reilly, Paul Lynde, maybe Liberace. So I understand why the gay community wants to embrace actors who are out. People want to be represented.

Would the soundtrack of a gay man's life be what it is if not for the gifts of Stephen Sondheim? Absolutely not! "Send in the Clowns," "Some People," 'Rose's Turn," "Ladies Who Lunch," "I Feel Pretty" and on and on. This openly gay musical theater legend turns 77 today and I want to wish him a very happy birthday and thank him for contributing so much to the culture.
In addition to my beloved "Gypsy," Sondheim is the man behind such classic shows as "West Side Story," "Into the Woods," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," "Assassins," "Follies," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and the amazing "A Little Night Music."
What. A. Talent.

I'm hoping to get down to Orange County this week to catch "Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life" which had been slated to play in LA but has inexplicably been cancelled. I thought about Chita Rivera during all of the "Dreamgirls" noise Jennifer Holliday was making about not being invited to the premiere or to be in the movie. If Holliday felt overlooked, she has suffered nothing in this regard compared to Chita Rivera. It was this stage legend, nominated for nine Tonys, who originated the Rita Moreno role in "West Side Story," the Catherine-Zeta Jones role in "Chicago" (each woman won an Oscar), the Janet Leigh role in "Bye Bye Birdie" and on and on. But instead of complaining, Rivera kept on working and ended up winning Tonys for "Kiss of the Spider woman" and "The Rink." She was nominated again last year for the autobiographical "A Dancer's Life."
Chita was interviewed for the current issue of Frontiers Magazine and I wanted to share what she had to say about, of all people, Rosie O'Donnell: "Rosie is one of my favorite people in all the world. I admore her honesty, her truth; she's a giver. she's just absolutely honest. If you want to know the truth, just ask her. She'll tell you. What you see is what you get and I don't think you could find a better friend than Rosie. She's got a lot of guts and my God, she's talented too."

We know David Hasselhoff can sing and I understand he can dance OK too. He's doing both in the current Las Vegas production of "The Producers" at Bally's Paris Hotel. But one thing, I think, that David cannot do, is be an attractive woman! He makes Bea Arthur look positively girlish!
Anyway, I've decided that I much prefer Hasselhoff as a boy, especially all those years he ran around saving lives on "Baywatch." To remind us of those days and to try and mitigate the mental trauma of seeing him in drag, I offer you this vintage shot of David when he was the reigning king of the beach:

Just read this terrific Q&A with two-time Tony winner Cherry Jones on the AfterEllen.com site. Jones, an out actress, has long been one of Broadway's most-lauded performers, but she has also long been a celebrity lesbian to be proud of. When she accepted her first Tony Award in 1995 for Best Actress (she played the role of Catherine Sloper in "The Heiress"), she publicly thanked her female partner in her acceptance speech.

In June 2005, Jones took home a second Tony for her leading role in Doubt, which is now touring nationally. The night she received her Tony for "Doubt," Jones was accompanied by her current girlfriend, Sarah Paulson ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), and the two have often been seen together at industry events.

Click HERE to read the full interview. As an appetizer, here are a few of the questions and answers.
AE: Finally, as an out actress, how do you see your role in the LGBT community?
CJ: Just to live my life openly and freely and with joy and thanksgiving, I reckon. [Laughs.] Just be.

AfterEllen.com: You are touring in the play Doubt, for which you received much acclaim and a Tony Award. You must feel very strongly about the play and the role to continue performing it.
Cherry Jones: I'm right at about 555 performances already of this play. [Laughs.] We started at the Manhattan Theater Club, and then Broadway, and the tour began in September in Los Angeles. We're not even halfway through with it yet. And the extraordinary thing about this play and this role is that I never get tired of it. Maybe there's something wrong with me [and] I'm just incredibly obsessive/compulsive. I think most stage actors are, or have to be a little bit. I was just talking to my fellow cast members about this the other night. Because of what we get back from the audience, it is the most rewarding experience any actor will almost ever have in the theater.

I know David Hasselhoff can sing. I remember him sitting on the Berlin Wall giving some kind of concert way back in '89. I was in my first-grade class and we had just got back from recess. O.K., I'll stop lying now. Let's just say I was old enough to drive by then and leave it at that! But I usually think of Hasselhoff as wearing a pair of red trunks running down the beach to save someone in "Baywatch." I never really watched the talking car show he was on ("Knight Rider"). But Hasselhoff has landed one of the leads in the Las Vegas production of "The Producers" at the Paris Hotel and it seems to already be a hot ticket with the hotel announcing yesterday that its first preview performance was sold out!
"When 'The Producers' opened on Broadway they performed to sold out audiences in New York ," says Michael Weaver, vice-president of marketing for Paris Las Vegas. "We are thrilled the Las Vegas production is following the same pattern."
Well, it IS just one preview perf that has sold out but Weaver has reason to be optimistic. Hasselhoff plays flamboyant director Roger DeBris in the show that tells the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer, Max Bialystock (Brad Oscar) and Leo Bloom (Larry Raben), a mousy accountant. Together they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than you need for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference.

The show has its official opening Feb. 9 If ticket sales slow down, they can always add a scene that has Hasselhoff running across the stage in red trunks. Hmmmmm. That might not work anymore. OK, I got it, they can have Michael Bergin running across the stage in red trunks. I'd buy a ticket to that.
Sheesh. I should be a Broadway producer myself. Just full of ideas.