Broadway Friday

The new musical Passing Strange begins previews tonight at the Belasco Theatre. The show made its New York premiere at The Public Theater last summer and opens with its original cast.

- Cutting the nude scene from The Little Dog Laughed nearly cost Chicago's gay About Face Theatre their production of the show, but playwright Douglas Carter Beane relented with the stipulation that the director send a letter of explanation to the press. Beane told Playbill.com that the nude scene is important to the play and that there are later dialogue references to it. "It's the shock of two characters who have been denying that they're gay undeniably in a moment of homosexuality," Beane said. The show played on Broadway in 2006.

- Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention will close March 2nd after 34 previews and 102 performances.

- Altar Boyz becomes the first Off Broadway book musical to recoup its investment in many years.

- The Alexander Doll Company will release two Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) dolls, one of which includes a doll Bruiser attached by a pink leash. Last year the company released Elphaba and Glinda dolls from Wicked.

- The London production of Hairspray leads this year's Olivier Awards with 11 nominations.

- The Public Theater's summer Shakespeare in the Park productions will be Hair starring Jonathan Groff and Hamlet starring Michael Stuhlbarg. Hamlet plays May 27-June 29, Hair plays July 22-Aug. 17. Tickets are free and only available on the day of the performance. Getting a ticket is a madhouse, people line up in the middle of the night sometimes.

- Actor Randy Quaid has been banned for life from the Actors Union for his behavior during the Chicago production of the Broadway-bound musical Lone Star Love. Quaid is said to have struck another actor on four occasions while on stage, and told another actor not to make eye-contact with him or he'd be fired. Quaid and wife also got into bizarre battles at the Equity office, with his wife accused of kicking their 76-year old receptionist in the shins. And you thought he was nervy for suing the producers of Brokeback Mountain for more salary when the movie made more money than expected.

- Fight Club, the Broadway musical is looking like a reality. Music by Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor.