Hunky actor Hunter Parrish has been hard at work rehearsing for his new gig in Broadway's Spring Awakening, the Duncan Sheik scored adaption of Frank Wedekind 1891 play.

Of course, the Weeds actor hasn't been too busy to embrace his local publications, like New York, with whom Parrish recently chatted about reclaiming his beloved stage, awkward sex scenes and the tribulations of being on a show about drugs:

I was in L.A. like five months ago and someone yelled from across the way, “Hey, where the weed at?!” …The number one question I’m asked is, “So do you guys smoke real weed?” And I’m always like, “Really?!” We live in L.A., but it’s not like we have medical marijuana cards.

Yeah, but you could at least have a drug dealer. And people say celebrities are glamorous. As if!

American Idol loser turned Spamalot actor Clay Aiken appeared on The View this morning. Rather than talking about anything of substance, Aiken and the gals jump straight into the real meat: Aiken's favorite hair style! Grrrrl!

The conversation then turns into whether Aiken is "tired". Short answer? Yes.

It's a sad day to be a theater queen. After twelve years on the great gay way, Rent producers announced the musical will close up shop on June 1st. The adaptation of La Boheme not only inspired a generation of young dramatists, but raked in serious dough: "Rent which cost $240,000 to put up downtown, has gone on to gross more than $280 million on Broadway and another $330 million on the road. Productions have been mounted on six continents."

• This is why we love New York. The Broadway strike comes to an end and the cast of A Chorus Line dances through the streets. And that lead liner looks pretty cute. Maybe we should become theater queens…

• NYU's Stern Business School just got its first gay group. How did they not buy into gay rights sooner?

• Lesbian love quarrel flames: "A lovers' quarrel between two women got out of hand, police said, and one found herself nearly set on fire." Ow!

• John Travolta at notoriously gay spa?

• Anti-Gay marriage radio ad plagues New Jersey.

CONTINUED »

• Armani Exchange model Clint Mauro lets you in on an undie shoot.

• Will writer's strike squash CBS' presidential debate?

• Jossip editors Debbie Newman and Rebecca Aronauer talk turkey.

CONTINUED »

AfterElton's ever-adventurous Two Gay Guys - Michael Jensen and Brent Hartinger - recently took a trip to Broadway's Xanadu. Using their unknown - and unmentionable - powers of persuasion, the unambiguously gay duo nailed an interview with the show's pantheon-worthy star, Cheyenne Jackson.

During the courage of their tete-a-tete, Jackson reveals that Fridays count as the queerest night of his working week. Good to know…

We've included the video after the jump…

PS: Remember when we met Cheyenne Jackson? We're still swooning.

CONTINUED »

In an effort to destroy aspiring actors' dreams, Mike Nichols hired American Idol rejectoid Clay Aiken to play Sir Robin in Broadway's Spamalot.

Saying they're lucky to have Aiken join the cast, Nichols also insists:

Clay Aiken is amazing beyond that glorious voice. Turns out he is an excellent comic actor and a master of character. People will be surprised by his wide ranging talent, since the first impression is of great country charm and a singer to remember. This guy is not only a star, he is a lot more.

Actually, we believe that Aiken's an "excellent comic actor". He's been playing the same knee-slappingly campy role forever, if you know what we mean.

The successful Broadway production of John Waters' hit, Hairspray, spurred Waters and producers to adapt another movie hit, Cry Baby. Writes NYDN's Ben Widdicombe,

Are you ready for a Broadway standard called "Girl, Can I Kiss You With Tongue?"

That's one of the numbers in Cry Baby, the next John Waters -film-turned-musical coming to the Great White Way, in March.

Young James Snyder will play the role made famous by Johnny Depp in 1990. "John Waters is like the quirky uncle you always wanted," he told me Sunday at a birthday for Adam Epstein, who is producing Cry Baby after taking home a Tony for Hairspray.

No crying here, baby.

Reformed porn star Marc Anthony Donais (aka Ryan Idol) will be making waves this fall in Joe Mantello redirection of Terrence McNally's The Ritz. The piece - which centers around a gay bath house and also features some kids named Rosie Perez and Kevin Chamberlin - will be Donais' first Broadway performance. No small feat for a man most of you remember for his inches.

We offer a hearty congratulations to Donais for the career move. Hopefully he can handle playing For his role in The Ritz, Donais will be playing a bath house member. While Donais' made his name in gay entertainment, he tells Andy Cohen he'd rather steer clear of the Kinsey Scale.

Over the years I have chosen to not label myself because there are plenty of others who will. I am happy to not label myself. Even though I come from that business, if one were to look at the plots from the films that I did - I only did 6 - it's art depicting life and life depicting art. My first movie was close to where I was in my own life, and that was being curious about the gay world but having come from a Catholic background.

And now he's transcended labels. His should be a Broadway story. Perhaps McNally needs a follow-up to Deuce?