Broadway Friday

-The cast of Spring Awakening has been added to the performing lineup of Broadway Backwards 3, to be held at the American Airlines Theatre on Monday, February 4. Seth Rudetsky will host this gender-bending concert, which will feature a diverse cast of male singers performing songs traditionally performed by female singers, and vice versa, with all proceeds benefiting the LGBT Community Center.

- The Color Purple will close on February 24th after a 26-month run. While the show has always garnered mixed reviews, stunt casting (Fantasia, Chaka Khan) has kept attendance relatively high. The show will close having given 30 previews and 910 regular performances.

- Starring Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell, the revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Sunday In The Park With George begins previews today at Studio 54. The venue last hosted Terrence McNally's The Ritz.

- S. Epatha Merkerson is winning rave reviews in the revival of Come Back, Little Sheba at the Biltmore Theater. "Merkerson, best known for her role as Lt. Anita Van Buren on television's "Law & Order," radiates genuine warmth and generosity. Lola is a nice yet needy woman, and nice isn't easy to pull off if neediness turns to whining. Merkerson's performance is subtle, just about perfect in finding the right balance between sweet and syrupy."

- The Laurie Beechman Theatre has announced preliminary plans for A Concert for Hillary - Broadway and Cabaret in Support of the Clinton Campaign to take place on Monday, February 18th. Scheduled to appear thus far: Lisa Asher, Brandon Cutrell, Lina Koutrakos, Steven Lutvak, Liz McCartney, Jana Robbins, Seth Rudetsky, Stephen Schwartz, Gabrielle Stravelli, Alysha Umphress, Lennie Watts. Ray Fellman will serve as Musical Director, and the event is produced and directed by Phil Geoffrey Bond.