Hey, remember Johnny Depp in the '90s, sporting a leather jacket and a greasy pompadour for his first musical, John Waters' Cry-Baby? Well a stage adaptation based on the 1990 cult classic is coming to Broadway starting March 15. The musical has been playing at the La Jolla Playhouse in California since November, but now James Snyder, who plays a blonde version of Mr. Depp, and Tony award-winner Harriet Harris, will reprise their roles on the Marquis Theatre stage, according to Playbill.  read more »

For the seventh year in a row, hundreds of strangers will drop trow on the subway this Saturday, and The Observer will be there to watch (and participate, as per the organizer's instructions). Last year Improv Everywhere, a 70-person performance troupe whose stated mission is to “cause chaos and joy in public places," assembled over 300 people for “No Pants 2k7," and founder Charlie Todd is looking forward to another big turnout this year--600 Facebook members have already signed up.

We chatted with Mr. Todd on the eve of “No Pants 2k8” about what motivates a bunch of strangers to ride the subway in their skivvies.  read more »

New York's city council announced that "Live Theatre Week," in which Off Broadway shows will offer a buy-one-get-one-ticket-for-free deal, will be held Jan. 21-27. In a statement, League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers president George Forbes said, "We are honored that the City Council is recognizing the importance of Live Theatre in New York City, and we are pleased to be able to give back to our audiences, in the form of this special promotion. We hope New Yorkers and tourists will take advantage of this offer which enables them to purchase half-price tickets in advance."

Look for participating shows and theaters after the jump.  read more »

Chaka Khan is, indeed, every woman, including Sofia in the Broadway Theatre's production of The Color Purple. Gospel singer Bebe Winans, who had a small role in The Manchurian Candidate, will also join the cast tonight. Check here for tickets.  read more »

Words and Music by Jerry Herman, a documentary about the Broadway composer and writer of Milk and Honey, Hello Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles will air tonight on PBS at 9:30 p.m. Mr. Herman wrote the words and music for some of the greatest Broadway musicals ever mounted and is the winner of two Tony awards, including best composer and lyricist for Hello, Dolly! According to press notes, with his ebullient, optimistic and hummable songs that exemplify the "show tune," Jerry Herman extended the Golden Age of Broadway almost single-handedly, as new generations keep discovering his tuneful, optimistic and deceivingly simple songs. Yet, as Michael Feinstein says, "Jerry has succeeded so well in his mission that people don't give him credit ... because to be simple without being cliche is nearly impossible."  read more »

On Dec. 8, 2007, a single performance of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Richard Rogers Theater smashed the record for the highest gross of a play or musical in one night, totalling $153,880. Just a month later, on Jan. 6, Edmond Rostand's 1897 timeless romance will close its curtains. The star-studded production, including Kevin Kline, as the big-schnozed Cyrano and Jennifer Garner as hard-to-get Roxane, began previews on Oct. 11 and opened on Nov. 1.  read more »

Jack O'Brien, the acclaimed director of the stage production of Hairspray and Coast of Utopia, is working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on his sequel to Phantom of the Opera in London. He has met with the composer a few times last week and both are struggling to finish the storyline that was originally penned by novelist Frederick Forsyth and then Lloyd Webber's close collaborator Ben Elton.  read more »

After five Tony Awards, 674 performances and 32 previews, the musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone will close Dec. 30 at the Marquis Theatre. The show played to capacity audiences for a long time and moved into the profit column, but for the past six months the crowds had stopped coming. According to the Toronto Star, gimmick casting like placing Full House dad Bob Saget in the pivotal role of “Man In Chair” failed to catch on and its last week’s attendance was 39.3 percent.  read more »

Get out your anti-war paint. The Godlight Theatre Company is bringing the staged adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five or: The Children's Crusade is coming to Off-Broadway. Previews will start on Jan. 11 at 59E59 Theaters and run until Feb. 17.

Playbill reports:  read more »

Usher might return to Broadway! Um, as his rapper sidekick Lil Jon would say on their hit single, "Yeah! Okay?" Usher is in talks to star in a revival the 1964 musical Golden Boy, based on the Clifford Odets play about Joe Wellington, a pianist who becomes a star boxer. The late Sammy Davis Jr. originated the role.

The New York Post reports:  read more »