Broadway Friday

- The revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo begins previews tonight at the Belasco Theater. Leads: John Leguizamo and Cedric The Entertainer.

-It's her party. Leslie Gore performs tonight at Metropolitan Museum in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. Tickets $50.

-Addams Family: The Musical will stage its world premier in Chicago in the fall of 2009 before its Broadway debut. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

-Full casting for the revival of West Side Story has been announced: "The cast of 37 will star Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as "Tony," Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as "Anita," Cody Green (Movin' Out) as "Riff" and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as "Bernardo." The role of "Maria" will be played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione." Previews begin March 24th at the Palace Theater.

-Yet another revival: "A Broadway revival of Ketti Frings' 1957 play Look Homeward, Angel, featuring a new adaptation by Pulitzer Prize winner David Auburn, will bow on Broadway in Fall 2009, according to Variety. Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan will direct the production. No casting has been announced. The play, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is based on the autobiographical, coming-of-age 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe. Auburn is best known for Proof, which Sullivan directed."

-TIME's Richard Zoglin on the revival glut: "Theater critics love to complain about the glut of revivals on Broadway, but what would we do without them? For one thing, they keep the theaters filled — something that a handful of new musicals (and an even smaller handful of straight plays) each season could never do on their own. For another, they let critics show off their taste and theatrical erudition: doling out ritual praise to the classics of the canon, comparing and contrasting the new production with the Definitive 1975 Version That I Saw But You Didn't. And they give stars a chance to demonstrate their acting chops, stretch their talents — and, of course, keep working."

-Rosie O'Donnell's live variety show for NBC will take place on Broadway at the Shubert Theater.