Broadway Friday

- After three weeks of previews, the all-black revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof officially opens today at the Broadhurst Theater. Stars: Phylicia Rashad, James Earl Jones, Giancarlo Esposito, and Terrence Howard.

- Tony nominee Euan Morton (Taboo) is currently playing a solo show titled Here and Now at the Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room. I saw Morton in both Taboo and in Measure For Pleasure at the Public Theater. Amazing.

- A movie of the musical version of The Color Purple will star American Idol finalist Fantasia, who joined the Broadway cast of the now-closed show late in its run. Will there be a Jennifer Hudson-style repeat come Oscar time?

- Mario Lopez joins the cast of A Chorus Line on April 15th in the non-singing role of Zach, who teaches the cast their dance moves. Dancing With The Stars pays off.

- Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey, whose original 1940 cast included Gene Kelly, will see a Broadway revival this December. The 1957 movie version starred Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, and Kim Novak. Casting for the revival has not been announced. Joe Mantello will direct.

- Sunday's ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit at Town Hall raised $300,000. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has distributed over $110M to PWA's since its inception in 1988.

- The original Broadway cast album of The Little Mermaid will be released on February 28th. How can all that bloat fit on one CD?

- Desperate Housewives, the Broadway musical? Oh, dear.

Broadway Openings Recap:
Mar 6 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Mar 9 In the Heights
Mar 27 Gypsy
Apr 3 South Pacific
Apr 8 Macbeth
Apr 17 A Catered Affair
Apr 24 Cry-Baby
Apr 27 The Country Girl
Apr 30 Thurgood
May 1 Les Liaisons Dangereuses

- There will always be glitches during previews, but usually they don't include a 30-inch steel portion of the ventilation system crashing into the audience, as happened moments before Patti Lupone's big number in Gypsy on Tuesday night. One young woman was injured and treated by EMTs, but the show, of course, went on. Ms. Lupone always brings down the house, yuk yuk.