i'm not really someone who believes in spreading rumors. especially when i don't have good proof. but tuesday night i went to see godspell on broadway, and heard a juicy bit of gossip from a reliable source that i just can't keep to myself. apparently, hunter parrish will leave the production by the end of april!

i was seeing godspell with a bundle of friends from high school - all reuniting 10+ years after we starred in our high school production of the show. it was a pretty cool occasion, especially considering that i hadn't seen half of these people in over 10 years (ah the joys of not having facebook). and since there was a group of us, we were able to get a good deal and great seats through one of the producers of the show. 

but not only did that producer hook us up with great seats at a great price, he/she also hooked me up with this outstanding scoop. "hunter's leaving soon, you know?" he/she told me tuesday night. "so you guys are getting to see him at the right time!" of course, i acted completely calm, while basically shitting my pants at the scoop he/she had just dropped in the hands of a (semi)theater blogger and super-active tweeter.

now like basically every rumor, i report this information with a bit of skepticism. this producer was not one of the ordinary people of godspell. he/she is much more involved in the production. but i have to wonder how much he/she really knows? that's why it's taken me a few days to write about this. i'm not necessarily sure i believe it myself! but i was also totally in denial about the brad/angelina relationship for like, years after the divorce (#teamaniston). my gut probably shouldn't be trusted. 

i also have, like, a hundred follow-up questions. like:

• why are godspell producers waiting so long to announce hunter's departure? they could use the ticket sales right now.
• have they found a replacement for hunter yet? maybe that's the hold-up?
• does this mean hunter's essentially out of the running for a tony nomination? was he ever in the running?
• how much of this has to do with weeds? the show was just picked up for an eight season. i'm guessing filming is pulling him away?

anyway, that's all i have right now. but what are you guys thinking? do you believe it?

Video postcard 2011 from Pictionary Productions on Vimeo.

is anyone as jealous as i am?

in my 15 things newsies needs to change before moving to broadway post, i demanded politely asked the producers to change up the industrial set design. as i put it: 

11. change up that set 

tobin ost's set design is inspired, but distracting. the metal scaffolding certainly makes for a lot of variety. but it couldn't look less like the time period the show is set in. make it (and the projections) a bit closer to the overall tone of the production. 

well bad news, friends. because based on the official images of the set released a few weeks back, it looks like the broadway production of newsies is sticking with their original design. i still think it's a mistake. just like ost's bonnie & clyde set design, the newsies set overpowered most of the action. i want less running around between scaffolding and more dancing, dammit! 

but alas, there's still 14 other things newsies can change before broadway. and according to their cast list, they've listened to one of my demands suggestions (#6) and cast at least one black guy (what's up, ephraim m. sykes!). don't fuck it the rest, kids! 

"you and me. boys room. now."

lay. it. on. me. honest. abe.

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america's least favorite couple are spreading their lameness to yet another reality show.

reichen lehmkuhl and rodiney santiago, whom we first met as a couple on the awful(ly addictive) logo reality show, the a-list: new york, will star in a new vh1 reality show called couples therapy. set to premiere in the spring of 2012, couples therapy examines the "complicated and often misunderstood world of high-profile relationships." the show will follow five celebrity couples as they undergo 21 days of intensive group relationship therapy. "nationally renowned relationship therapist" dr. jenn berman will moderate.

in addition to reichen and rodiney, the other participating couples include rapper dmx and his wife tashera simmons, hulk hogan's ex-wife linda hogan and her boyfriend charlie hill, next food network star contestant chris nirschel and his girlfriend angelina pivarnick, and bachelor pad couple kasey kahl and vienna girardi.

now, couples therapy makes no claim that you actually have to currently be a couple to be on the show. the press release in fact says that the goal of the show is for couples to "see if they can rekindle the love they used to have for one another — or if it’s simply time for them to move on." but what irritates me most about reichen and rodiney's participation on the show is that there's no chance in hell that these two are getting back together. i mean, if you watched a-list: new york, it's pretty clear that these two boys were about as compatible as courtney love and rehab. they're just doing it for the fame. to keep their name out there. and although i never look for reality in reality tv, this just pisses me off more. probably because i find these boys so goddamn annoying. 

but what do i know. it's reichen's third reality show. obviously people like him enough to keep casting him. what do you think?

awkward hug alert!

fuck man do i love me some destiny's child. 

back in the late 90s/early 2000s, i was all about those independent women. what can i say - i just love me some girl groups (evidenced by the fact that i sitll to this day listen to en vogue). 

now well into their respective solo careers, both beyoncé and kelly rowland have performed medlies of their destiny's child hits in concert. but who does it best? let's watch!

beyoncé:

kelly:

so who do you think did it best? 

obviously the answer is beyoncé, who knows how to put on a show. the whole "and then they were two. and then there were four. and then there were three" sequence makes me super happy. and i mean, did kelly rowland even try to sing half of these songs? there was a whole lot of pointin' the mic at the audience. 

p to the s, i have searched high and low for michelle williams performing a destiny's child medley to no avail. if you find one, send it my way! 

fourfour's rich juzwaik has completely outdone himself. and can we all agree that whitney's "what do i think of her? i don't think of her" is the best insult of them all?

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when i was a ra in college, i can tell you, without certain, that i NEVER had to write a note like this.