There is a game I like to play with my two nieces (shout out to Madison and McKenna); I like to call it "Would You Rather."  It is simple; you say "would you rather..." and then pick two things for the person to chose between.  It is best if it is really really hard to choose between the two things.  With my nieces it usually goes like this.  "Would you rather kiss a frog or a dog?"  "Would you rather eat brussel sprouts or used gum?"  "Would you rather lick a tree or the pavement?"  Note: my nieces are somewhat oddly fixated on licking roads, sidewalks and the pavement - I am not sure what that is all about. 

Today at Yahoo! Broadway we are going to play our own version.  Please feel free to leave your answers in the comment section below.

1.  Would you rather see a musical about Scarlet O'Hara OR Princess Di?

2.  Would you rather watch reruns of an unfunny tv show that was cancelled 10 years ago OR an updated version of the same unfunny cancelled show only 10 years later?

3.  Would you rather see Chita Rivera in a new musical OR give the Pulitzer Prize to August: Osage County?

4.  Would you rather read my blog OR kiss the dirty sidewalk?

How did you do?  Still deciding?  Well, let me give you some more info to help you out.  Oh, you can ignore number 4, I was just kidding about that one; besides I don't want to know your answers!

And The Tony Goes To...Princess Di

Tina Brown, publisher, author and British ex-pat, wants to turn her best selling book about Princess Diana into a musical.  What?  Brown has indicated that should this project come to fruition she would want Stephen Daldry (director of Billy Elliot) to helm the project.  Some are hypothesizing that Elton John would be the perfect person to write the music.  I just don't know about this.  It seems so...I am just going to say it...it seems, tacky.  I can't see a world in which this doesn't go horribly wrong.  I am getting goose bumps thinking about it - not the good ones - the creepy ones.  I have to move on.

Frankly I Don't Give A Damn!

Trevor Nunn's production of Gone with the Wind started previews on the 5th in London and opens later this month.  I have yet to hear any buzz on the show (it takes time for the gossip to cross the Atlantic).  However, I did see some interesting photos from the show.  You have to check them out.  There isn't a direct link, but it is worth it to see the pix of the recreation of the original poster with the new actors in the show.  Click HERE and then click on SIGHTS and it is the third picture.  Now, which would you rather...?

Chita "Visits" DC

I adore the play The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt.  I read it many years ago and fell in LOVE wth the script.  Essentially, the play is about a woman who is driven from her hometown as a young girl.  Many many years later she returns home an extremely wealthy woman (the richest woman in the world).  The town has fallen on very hard times and suddenly they all need her to save the town.  She offers to help but at a very high price (to tell you would spoil the play). 

A few years ago John Kander and Fred Ebb (along with Terrence McNally) turned this wonderful play into a musical.  It was originally intended as a star vehicle for Angela Lansbury, but that didn't work out.  Then a production starring Chita Rivera opened in Chicago with expectations of moving to Broadway, but that didn't work out.  It seemed that the musical was dead.  Now, Signature Theater in DC is reviving the show with the amazing Chita Rivera (oh, and George Hearn - not bad, right).  The production will be directed by Frank Galati and Ann Reinking will choreograph (wowza).  The show runs May 13th - June 22nd at Signature.  I am really hoping that they wow them in DC and the show takes the train up to NYC for a run on The Broadway.  Fingers crossed. Click HERE for more info on the show.

Thank Goodness I Don't Actually Have To Choose

We all know how much I go crazy for the hit show August: Osage County.  I don't think I need to repeat myself, but if you haven't seen it - GO GET TICKETS NOW!  I am certain that August will win many prizes during  this upcoming awards season; and they just collected their first.  The finicky Pulitzer Prize committee has awarded Tracy Letts' sprawling family drama with this year's Pulitzer for Drama.  It isn't too much of a shock (most had predicted this), but it must be such a wonderful award from Mr. Letts who has not previously had this type of recognition.  The finalists for the prize were Yellow Face by Yellow Face (recently produced at The Public) by David Henry Hwang and Dying City (recently produced by Lincoln Center) by Christopher Shinn.  Congrats to all!

Um, This Doesn't Make Sense

Do you remember the 1998 television show called Cupid?  It starred Jeremy Piven (Ari on Entourage now) as "cupid".  No?  Can't place the show.  Most people couldn't, because it didn't last very long and wasn't really well received.  So it makes a lot of sense to bring it back, right?  I don't think so.  Is this going to be the new trend in television?  Take old tv shows that got cancelled after 4 or 5 episodes and then tweak them and bring them back.  OY!  I am not sure I am ready for that.  The only good thing about this (and the reason it pertains to the Broadway blog) is that they have cast B'way vet Bobby Cannavale in the title role.  Cannavale was last seen on the Rialto in Maritius by Theresa Rebeck and before that in Hurlyburly at The New Group.  Even if the show is silly, I will tune in to see Cannavale - I am that sort of guy.

That is it for our Wednesday morning round of "Would You Rather".  I hope you have enjoyed yourself.  Now I am trying to decide...would I rather eat some cereal or eat some used gum??? Hmmmm.  That is a tough one.  I'll let you know what I decided, tomorrow.  Until then, I will...

~ See You On The Aisle