From Screen to Stage: Priscilla, Mary, Toxie and More

Lots of news on the theater front this week, including the announcements of no less than six new projects making their way From Screen to Stage:

- That half dozen includes musical versions of Ghost (with music by Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, and Bruce Joel Rubin adapting his own Oscar winning screenplay), Heathers (from the creators of the mucalized Reefer Madness and Legally Blonde), My Man Godfrey (by Urinetown Tony winner Mark Hollmann), Sleepless in Seattle (with tunes by Academy Award-winner Leslie Bricusse) and The Thomas Crown Affair (courtesy of Michael Feinstein), as well as a non-musical stage adaptation of The Kite Runner.

- The absolutely fabulous Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical trekked all the way from Down Under to make its London debut this week prior to an official opening on March 24.

- The Catch Me If You Can musical (with a book by Terrence McNally and songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman) is shaping up for its world premiere in Seattle this summer. The cast will include Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit, Tom Wopat and Kerry Butler in the roles created onscreen by (respectively) Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken and Amy Adams.

- Movie Dearest fave Cheyenne Jackson took to the cabaret stage at Feinstein's recently for two sold out shows. Broadway.com has an exclusive video of the event, and you can also catch Cheyenne's recent guest appearances on Life on Mars and Ugly Betty at ABC.com.


- The North American national tour of Disney's Mary Poppins, starring Broadway originals Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee as Mary and Bert, took its first flight in Chicago yesterday.

- The Toxic Avenger will invade Off-Broadway starting March 18. The cast recently took to the recording study for the upcoming cast album,which will include such toxic tunes as "It's a Brand New Day in New Jersey", "Kick Your Ass" and "Bitch Slut Liar Whore".

- Who knew Dr. Bailey could sing? Grey's Anatomy's MVP Chandra Wilson will trade in her scrubs for the glitz and glamour of Broadway's Chicago as Matron "Mama" Morton starting June 8.

- Hollywood's favorite musical go-to-gal will get her own biopic titled Uncredited — The Marni Nixon Story.


- The hit West End production of La Cage aux Folles (recently headlined by Graham Norton) won Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival and Best Actor in a Musical for its original Zaza, Douglas Hodge.

- After running a contest to find a replacement lyric for their "For Now" finale, Avenue Q is sticking with "George Bush" after all. An alternative, "Prop 8", will be heard when the Tony Award-winning show tours (naturally) California.

- Xanadu heads for Asia, while Cubby Bernstein heads to DVD.

- And finally: Among the film projects now rumored for freshly Oscar'ed Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle is the planned remake of My Fair Lady.