It’s a baby boy for Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs!

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It’s a boy!

A better-late-than-never congratulations to Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, who welcomed a baby boy on Wednesday, September 2. After he arrived, they promptly named him Walker Nathaniel Diggs.

This child is bound to have an amazing set of vocal pipes, considering both his parents have amazing voices. And he’s got good-looking genes on both sides! What a kid!

According to People.com, Diggs recently stated, “We have a couple [names] in the running. But part of us wants to see what he hits us with when we see him. We’ll see what he looks like.”

The couple, who are both 38, met when they were both starring on Broadway in Rent in 1996, and married in 2003. This is their first child.

“Mother, father and son are all doing well,” their representative, Jessica Kolstad, said in a statement Thursday.

After her Broadway debut in Rent, Idina Menzel went on to win a Tony Award for her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, in Wicked.

Taye Diggs has been seen on Broadway in Carousel, Rent, Chicago, and Wicked. He currently stars on “Private Practice.”

Congratulations, you two!

Closings on Broadway: 9 to 5

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9 to 5, the musical based on the 1980 movie comedy that starred Dolly Parton, closed at the Marquis Theatre on September 6, after 24 previews and 148 performances.

The show, which starred Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, and Stephanie J. Block in the roles originally played in the film by Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda, followed the story of secretaries working in an oppressive office.

In case you missed it, you can still hear these lovely ladies singing the songs from the show on the 9 to 5 original Broadway cast recording, which was released July 28.

A national tour is currently being planned, to launch in September 2010, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville.

In a press statement, Dolly Parton shared her thoughts:

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on my first Broadway show. I’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people who have become like family to me. I can’t wait for this show to hit the road so people across the country can see why I’m so proud of everyone involved. And I’m so pleased that we’ll be opening the tour in Nashville. Great things happen in Nashville.

For more information visit 9to5themusical.com.

Closings on Broadway: Little Mermaid

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Disney’s Broadway musical The Little Mermaid played its last performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on August 30.

Since it began previews November 3, 2007, and opened on January 10, 2008 at the Lunt-Fontanne, it played 50 previews and 685 regular performances.

You can still hear the cast as their voices were preserved on The Little Mermaid original Broadway cast recording.

Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions, said this about the show’s close:

We are tremendously proud of the show and are confident we’ll have an excellent summer but it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months. We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title, beginning with next year’s national tour and upcoming international productions.

Lyric changes to West Side Story

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So, this news is a bit late, but it’s still interesting from a cultural perspective.

Producers of the revival of West Side Story decided to change the lyrics of two songs which were performed in Spanish.

According to a press statement,”‘A Boy Like That’ is now predominately sung in English to the original lyrics and selected dialogue and lyrics in ‘I Feel Pretty’ have reverted to English.” However, the Spanish lyrics in “Tonight,” sung by the Sharks, still remain.

Writer-director Arthur Laurents said this in a statement: “From the outset, the Spanish in West Side Story was an experiment. It’s been an ongoing process of finding what worked and what didn’t, and it still continues.”

According to the show’s producers:

West Side Story transports the achingly beautiful tale of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the turbulent streets of the Upper West Side in 1950’s New York City. Two star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught between the rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the ‘Jets’ and the ‘Sharks.’ Their struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice is one of the most heart-breaking, relevant and innovative musical masterpieces of our time.

I wonder what caused this change? Perhaps the Spanish lyrics didn’t g over too well with audiences? For long-time fans of the musical, I could imagine it might be a bit confusing, such a large change. What do you think?

The Little Mermaid final performances sold out

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Disney’s The Little Mermaid is closing on August 30, and, according to an official press statement, all tickets were sold out as of August 18.

The Little Mermaid, which began previews November 3, 2007, and opened on January 10, 2008, had a 20-month run, though it never quite achieved the popularity of its predecessors, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

If you want to see the show before it closes on August 30, you have two options:

• wait in line at the Lunt-Fontanne box office for cancellations
• wait in line for day-of standing room tickets for $26.50. (The Lunt-Fontanne box office is located at 205 West 46th Street.)

But don’t fret if you can’t make it — a national tour of The Little Mermaid is slated to begin in fall 2010.

Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions, said this about the show’s close:

We are tremendously proud of the show and are confident we’ll have an excellent summer but it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months. We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title, beginning with next year’s national tour and upcoming international productions.

The cast currently includes Chelsea Morgan Stock (Ariel), Faith Prince (Ursula), Drew Seeley (Prince Eric), Norm Lewis (King Triton), Rogelio Douglas Jr. (Sebastian), Eddie Korbich (Scuttle), Jonathan Freeman (Grimsby), Tyler Maynard (Flotsam), Eric LaJuan Summers (Jetsam), Robert Creighton (Chef Louis) and Major Curda, and Brian D’Addario (alternating as Flounder).

For more information visit the official Little Mermaid website, or the official Walt Disney Theatricals website.

Mamma Mia! celebrates Broadway milestone

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Say it with me… Mamma Mia!

Yesterday, August 19, the hit Broadway musical Mamma Mia! celebrated a milestone: it became the 13th longest-running show in Broadway history!

Congratulations, Mamma Mia!

Last night it played its 3,243rd performance, knocking Fiddler on the Roof out of the 13th spot.

The official website describes the musical:

Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.

The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!

For more information visit the official Mamma Mia! website.

Michelle Federer returns to Broadway’s Wicked

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Michelle Federer, who created the role of Nessarose in the original Broadway production of Wicked, returned to the Broadway role on August 18. She is succeeding Cristy Candler in the role.

Federer made her Broadway debut in Wicked.

The cast currently includes Dee Roscioli as Elphaba, Erin Mackey as Glinda, Tony Award winner Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Kevin Kern as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq, and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond.

Press notes describe the musical:

Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, which turned every Oz myth inside out, Wicked explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each other. Their life paths continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different paths.

For more information visit the official Wicked website.

Jerry Springer joins Broadway cast of Chicago

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Talk-show host Jerry Springer joined the Broadway cast of Chicago on August 18, playing the role of lawyer Billy Flynn. Springer recently played a limited run in the London company, as well.

You don’t have to go to New York to see Springer in Chicago, either. He will also be performing the role in limited engagements elsewhere: Sept. 8-13 at Atlanta’s Fabulous Fox Theatre and Sept. 15-20 at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center’s Academy of Music.

The rest of the cast currently includes Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly, Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Art, Roz Ryan as Matron “Mama” Morton, and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

For more information visit the official Chicago website.

Robb Sapp joins Broadway cast of Shrek

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Robb Sapp joined the Broadway cast of Shrek the Musical on August 18. He will portray the role of Pinocchio, the long-nosed-fibber who longs to be a real boy, while John Tartaglia, the role’s creator, takes a leave of absence until December 15.

Sapp was previously seen as Boq in the Broadway cast of Wicked.

Shrek the Musical also stars Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Brian d’Arcy James as Shrek, Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad, and Daniel Breaker as Donkey. Ben Crawford, the current standby for the role of the green ogre, will take over the role of Shrek on November 10.

According to press notes, Shrek the Musical “is an entirely new musical based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book ‘Shrek!,’ as well as the DreamWorks Animation film.”

For more information visit the official Shrek the Musical website.

Don Stephenson joins Broadway cast of Rock of Ages

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Don Stephenson joined the cast of Broadway’s Rock of Ages on August 17. He is filling in for Paul Schoeffler in the role of Hertz. Schoeffler is taking a leave of absence to play Lawrence in the Walnut Street Theatre’s production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; he will return to Rock of Ages on October 26.

Stephenson was last seen as Leo Bloom in the Broadway’s The Producers, in addition to By Jeeves, Dracula, Private Lives, Parade, Pardon My English, Titanic, and Wonderful Town.

The Rock of Ages production notes describe the show:

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in L.A.’s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ’80s. . . . [The musical is] an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more.

The cast of Rock of Ages also features Constantine Maroulis (American Idol) as Drew, James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1’s “So NoTORIous”) as Stacee Jaxx, Savannah Wise (Les Miserables) as Sherrie, Mitch Jarvis (Fiddler on the Roof) as Lonny, and Wesley Taylor (Addams Family) as Franz, as well as the onstage band, ARSENAL.

For more information visit the official Rock of Ages website.