Barry Bostwick

Film, TV, and stage star Barry Bostwick was recently in New York to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the musical Grease, which officially opened on Broadway in February 1972. Bostwick, who originated the part of Danny Zuko, reunited with several other original cast members for an anniversary tribute during the opening number of the 23rd Annual “Gypsy of the Year.” Also well known for his role in the movie Rocky Horror and his TV show Spin City, Bostwick is actively looking for a one-man show to bring him back to the stage. He was last on Broadway in 1991 in the musical Nick & Nora, which also starred Christine Baranski. That show opened and closed in seven days.

Speaking of Grease, Greg Natale will be directing the show for UB’s Department of Theatre & Dance next spring, with musical direction by Nancy Townsend and choreography by Tracy Navarro. When David Shire and his wife Didi Conn were visiting UB last month, they had a talk-back session and Conn (who starred in the movie version of Grease) shared auditioning tips with students.

Loraine O’Donnell returns to the stage to portray the East German transgender singer Hedwig in the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which opens at ALT on January 6. Directed by Michael Walline, the production will also star Kerrykate Abel and Billy Horn’s band Billy Draws Two. The show will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, with late-night Saturday shows at 10:30pm. Hedwig and Friends, an open-mic music concert, will take place at 10:30pm on the last three Fridays of the run, featuring special guests.

Gerry Maher will be making his Theater of Youth debut in their upcoming production of Ben Franklin’s Apprentice, in which Bobby Cooke will portray Benjamin Franklin. The show opens on February 3 and will also star Cassie Gorniewicz, Beth Donohue, Patrick Cameron, Roger Keicher, and Adam Rath. By the way, TOY’s current production of Junie B. Jones is sold out this weekend, its last, so one performance has been added on Sunday at 5:30pm.

Guy Tomassi, Dudney Joseph, Josh Snyder, Joey Bucheker, and Nicholas Lama will be the Little Sisters of Hoboken in Dan Goggin’s Nunsense A-Men!, the musical comedy, which opens January 19 at O’Connell & Company, directed by Mary Kate O’Connell. Goggin conceived this version, which is actually just the original Nunsense with all the parts played by men (seriously). And the company has postponed the previously announced Painting Churches, which was set to run March 8-April 1. In its place, O’Connell is planning to reprise her Artie Award winning performance as Florence Foster Jenkins in the comedy Glorious!

Jeffry Denman and Mark Kudisch

David Granville is putting together A Spontaneous Solstice Celebration, a benefit for BUA, on Thursday, December 22 at 7pm. The event will feature music, dance, and poetry. Scheduled to appear, among others: Chuck Basil, Kerrykate Abel, Beth Donohue, Stephanie Bax, Matthew Crehan Higgins, and Mark Reilly. Admission is $10.

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company in Toronto will present Theodore Bikel in Visiting Mr. Green beginning January 28, and Marion Ross in Lost in Yonkers beginning May 12. The company will also present Mandy Patinkin in his theater concert Mamaloshen on June 16.

Jeffry Denman and Mark Kudisch bring their comedy, song, and dance show The Holiday Guys to Musicalfare for two performances only, December 21 and 22 at 7pm.