Rialto Chatter - Page 16

The Broadway real estate game is in full swing with the news that the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway), current home to 9 to 5: The Musical, will soon be available. The big question now is what might be going into that theatre.

Enormously popular 1980s Latin boy band Menudo might be headed to the Broadway stage. According to reports, Menudo founder Edgardo Diaz is preparing a musical utilizing songs made famous by the group. The context in which the music will be used is not yet known. The production is said to be produced on a grand scale, and casting will take place all over Latin America. The show is scheduled to premiere in Caracas, Venezuela this November.

Pop superstar Justin Timberlake may be headed to the silver screen in Guy Richie's upcoming remake of GUYS AND DOLLS. The performer is said to have agreed to star in one of Richie's new films, and the pair 'shook hands over a whisky at the Punch Bowl pub in Mayfair' to confirm the arrangement, reports Britain's The Sun.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has now confirmed that Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight will star in a Broadway revival of Lend Me a Tenor. The production will be directed by Stanley Tucci and is looking at a February, 2010 Broadway opening.

With Michael Jackson's untimely death yesterday, the fate of a previously announced Broadway musical adaptation of THRILLER seems uncertain.

With Michael Jackson's untimely death yesterday, the fate of a previously announced Broadway musical adaptation of THRILLER seems uncertain.

Amanda Seyfried has found her pursuit of a stage career discouraging; The 'Mamma Mia!' film star has not been able to get past auditions for a Broadway show.

Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young might be eyeing a return to the stage. In a Tony night interview with Young and Frankie Valli, the actor stated that he and Valli have been discussing a return to JERSEY BOYS. Young said that while he recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue other opportunities, he hopes to return to the blockbuster show at some point.

Hollywood Superstars Zac Efron and Jake Gyllenhaal are both vying to star in the film adaptation of ROCK OF AGES, according to New York Magazine. It is thought that the two stars are contending for the role of 'Drew', a character originated onstage by Tony Award Nominee Constantine Maroulis.

When times are tough, the tough sell their Tony Awards. That is Jane Gaynor's plan, anyway. Gaynor, a producer of the 1978 original Broadway production of 'Ain't Misbehavin', is selling the Tony Award, and a slew of other theatrical artifacts, to the highest bidder in an effort to raise funds for those close to her.

Might Jessical Biel be headed to a New York stage? The actress, soon appearing at the Hollywood Bowl in a concert version of 'GUYS AND DOLLS', indicated her interest in a recent interview with People Magazine.

The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye is reporting that The Phantom Of The Opera sequel, Love Never Dies, is re-evaluating schedules for the debut of the stage show at the Adelphi in London and the as of yet undisclosed theatres where the production will 'haunt' in Toronto, New York and the Far East.

Broadway hit GOD OF CARNAGE may be extending its run on the Rialto, according to Variety. The trade paper recently spoke with GOD OF CARNAGE star Marcia Gay Harden, and when asked if the show might extend, Harden replied 'We are trying to figure it out. If we can all go on, we will, happily. We are such a team.'