Two actors almost better known for their bodies than their body of work are coming to the Great White Way.
The New York Times‘ ArtsBeat blog reports that Kirstie Alley might star in ex-boybander Lance Bass’ production of The Fabulous Lies of Hollywood Whores come spring 2012. Alley would play a demanding diva who uses a L.A. department store as front for an escort service. Hey, if she can drop ten dress sizes in ten weeks, she can handle Broadway!
One celebrity who’s already on the stage—or rather back on it—is Hugh Jackman, in his one-man show, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. Officially opening November 10, the show includes numbers from his Tony-winning vehicle, The Boy From Oz (about gay entertainer Peter Allen), as well as song-and-dance standards and rock favorites.
Hey, it’s already grossed more than $1.2 million, so he must be doing something right.
Jackman seems to be able to deftly dance between action flicks (though the less said about Real Steel the better) and musical theater: In addition to Back on Broadway, which runs through New Year’s Day, he’s in talks to star in several other film and stage musicals, including Carousel (as Billy Bigelow), Sunset Boulevard (as Joe Gillis), The Greatest American Showman (as P.T Barnum) and a big-screen version of Les Misérables (as Jean Valjean).
Sheesh, next they’ll put him in tights and string him up for a revival of Peter Pan.
BreckRoy
Honestly, I really enjoyed REAL STEEL, as did the kids in my family and both my partner and parents. I absolutely credit Hugh Jackman for making it both watchable, but also really enjoyable. He is so obviously graceful and sexy, and can play both a dillhole and vulnerability. It was a great family film, and about the o.ly way you will ever get me to watch a boxing movie. I don’t know if I will be able to, but I totally hope to see him on Broadway this winter. Hopefully, the stars will align. Good to see any action star who has no problem also being a song and dance star or happily talking about gay issues while also being heavily rumored to be gay by some. He doesnt run from it, which I love and think it is great for young guys everywhere.
tookietookie
@BreckRoy: well said, hugh. well said. lol.
BreckRoy
@TookieTookie, I know you’re joking, but seriously, he’s my favorite actor. I’m so tired of lusting after action stars who then drop all kinds of hints and statements to “assure” the world they’re NOT GAY at every opportunity. For example, my incredible attraction = massive fandom for Tom Cruise in the late 80s and early 90s and I can tell you I felt both stupid and betrayed when I realized he clearly saw gay rumors about him as the WORST THING that could ever happen to him. The lawsuits, the threats, etc. all made me feel like he thought gay people were “less than” and made me feel dumb as hell for putting my entertainmnet dollars (and comments/reviews/etc, like the above–apparently PR flack quality, lol!) behind a guy like him. So many others are like Cruise, or feel they have to go extra “straight” after playing gay. Hugh Jackman was kind of a revelation when I read about him in THE ADVOCATE. I know a lot of people think he’s a closet case (and, hell, what do I know? My Matthew Bomer wish came true 😉 but Hugh is married) but I just think it meant a lot to me, as a fan from and member of the LGBT community, to not only be appreciated by an action star (since I love action and superhero movies as much as I love musicals) but to be celebrated. Hugh Jackman has always been really gay positive (which I assumed anyone coming out of a theater background would be, but alas I’ve been surprsied before) and as a (then-)LGBT youth, it meant the world to get that kind of affirmation without it seeming like calculated “safe” statements. So yeah, I’m kind of a huge fan ;-).
Rational
….who has he been studying singing diction with Patti LuPnone? …well at least he isn’t yodeling as she does.
Lefty
I think Hugh Jackman’s forging quite an interesting career. Good luck to him. 🙂