Broadway Friday

Defying Inequality, Broadway's all-star benefit for marriage equality, plays the Gershwin Theater on Monday, February 23th. Appearing: Nathan Lane, Harvey Fierstein, Matt Alber, David Hyde Pierce, Cyndi Lauper, Judy Gold, Mary Testa, the NYC Gay Men's Chorus, Alison Janney, Douglas Carter Beane, Lynda Carter (!!!), Gavin Creel, Kerry Butler, and many many more. Among the numbers to be performed will be Hairspray author Marc Shaiman's Prop 8 - The Musical. Tickets: $250-$1000. The show benefits the Family Equality Council, Garden State Equality, Empire State Pride Agenda, Equality California, and the Vermont Freedom To Marry Task Force.

- Minsky's, a musical-comedy set in the Great Depression (!!!) and currently playing Los Angeles may move to Broadway for the '09-'10 season. The budget for a Broadway version is estimated to be $10M-$12M.

- Big name stars set to appear in new shows this spring: Jane Fonda. Jeremy Irons. Joan Allen. James Gandolfini. Geoffrey Rush. Susan Sarandon. Angela Lansbury. Rupert Everett. Nathan Lane. Bill Irwin. Matthew Broderick. David Hyde Pierce.

- The Tony Awards committee has ruled that all three boys that appear as the titular star of Billy Elliot are will be considered jointly for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. The show airs on June 7th.

- This Sunday's edition of Broadway Jukebox at the Birdland, in which audience members select the songs, will star Tony Yazbeck, Lisa Howard, and Jack Noseworthy. Showtime 6:30PM. Tickets $25-$35.

- Laura Osnes replaces Kelly O'Hara in Lincoln Center's South Pacific on March 10th. O'Hara is scheduled to return to her role as Ensign Nellie Forbrush on October 6th, following the birth of her baby.

- Rupert Everett makes his Broadway debut next month in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit at the Shubert Theater.