Scarlett and Rainn on Stage
Stars of stage and screen will be rearing their boldface names on April 9th to blow out 443 candles for the boldest face of all: Billy Shakespeare. Broadway’s Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Debra Messing (Will & Grace), the esteemed Philip Bosco (Copenhagen) and other notables will perform scenes from the Bard’s plays at The Shakespeare Birthday Marathon at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse. But perhaps the most anticipated star at this free event is TV’s Rainn Wilson – who embodies the obsessive Dwight Schrute in The Office – as he unleashes of his Shakespearean side. (Safety goggles recommended.) Details.
Other curious casting news is swirling around The Sexiest Woman Alive, Scarlett Johansson. According to Michael Riedel, Scar Jo – who is a huge musical theater fan – is in the running to star in next year’s production of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. (Riedel hints that Reese Witherspoon was also vying for the role, but withdrew her name when she heard that Scar Jo was Lincoln Center’s first choice.) The Playgoer thinks the rumored casting amounts to a crass marketing ploy, but let’s not forget that the Horse Whisperer star is no stranger to theater: at age 8 Scar Jo had a speaking role alongside Ethan Hawke in Jonathan Marc Sherman’s play Sophistry.
