Are musical movies the new It thing to franchise? Hairspray might kick off the trend (along with High School Musical) now that John Waters has signed on to write a treatment for a sequel to the 2007 movie version of the Broadway hit.

"I never thought of musicals as franchises, but it certainly worked with High School Musical, and the idea of working with that cast again, and creating new material and music, is a dream come true," director-choreographer Adam Shankman told Daily Variety. "John (Waters) has such an original and extraordinary voice; we all can’t wait to see what he has come up with.  read more »

It's a filthy world out there and John Waters has never been afraid to show it to us on film (see: sex scene involving chickens in Pink Flamingos). But Mr. Waters will be bringing us all the crime, fashion lunacy and extremes of the contemporary art world live, on stage, at his one-night-only, one-man show "The Filthy World" on June 26. The "Pope of Trash" will perform his vaudeville act at the Concert Hall at the New York Society of Ethical Culture. Tickets are $37.50 and $100 for FilthyVIP (which includes a meet and greet with Mr. Waters, and an autographed DVD). Get tickets here.  read more »

On March 4, Mary-Louise Parker was sipping up some lobster bisque in a New York cafe when the man sitting in the seat next to her dropped dead. Or, shall we say, slumped dead at his table. His cell phone started to ring. Ms. Parker, playing a shy, retiring museum worker on the opening night of Sarah Ruhl’s oddball comedy at Playwrights Horizons, kicked off the spring theater season by answering that Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Ms.  read more »