Playbill Presents
Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor's "It Could Be Worse": Episode 15
In the series finale, Jacob (series co-creator Wesley Taylor) — still reeling from his ex (Gideon Glick) being cast in The Ice Queen — breaks the news to his boyfriend Philip (Adam Chanler-Berat). Jacob later returns home to find his apartment-squatting agent Sam (series co-creator Mitchell Jarvis) has brought him a surprise guest with a career-changing offer he can't refuse. Watch the series from Episode 1.

*Includes adult situations and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Playbill and the Players
Lindsay Mendez Prepares to Fly Into Wicked as Elphaba
Lindsay Mendez will follow in the footsteps of such performers as Idina Menzel, Eden Espinosa, Mandy Gonzalez, Shoshana Bean and Ana Gasteyer when she joins the cast of Stephen Schwartz’s long-running musical Wicked as the green-skinned Elphaba, a wicked witch in the making. Mendez met up with Playbill during a break from rehearsal and chatted about her experiences preparing for such a large — and beloved — Broadway show. For more, read the Playbill story.

Playbill and the Players
“Best Featured” Nominees Judith Light, Shalita Grant and Richard Kind Get Into Character
Representing The Assembled Parties, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and The Big Knife respectively, 2013 Tony nominees Judith Light (Best Featured Actress in a Play), Shalita Grant (Best Featured Actress in a Play), and Richard Kind (Best Featured Actor in a Play) chatted with Playbill about their roles and how they developed their characters. Vote in this week’s Tony Awards poll.

Playbill Presents
Kinky Boots Star Billy Porter Journeys to The Land of Lola
Tony nominated Kinky Boots star Billy Porter arrives at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre long before each performance to begin his transformation into fabulous drag queen Lola. Porter invited Playbill to his dressing room before a recent performance for an exclusive look at the process. To find out more about Kinky Boots, visit PlaybillVault.com.

Playbill Presents
Rory O’Malley, Wesley Taylor and B.D. Wong Ready for The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me 20th Anniversary
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, a one-person show written as a series of monologues, will have a special 20th anniversary performance May 20 at John Jay College’s Gerald W. Lynch Theater. Reimagined with an ensemble cast, the production will feature Rory O’Malley, Wesley Taylor, B.D. Wong, Chad Ryan, Donald C. Shorter, Jr., Aaron Tone, Brandon Cordeiro, Robin De Jesús, and André De Shields. Here, O’Malley, Taylor and Wong join author David Drake to chat about the special performance, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Sero Project. Robert La Fosse directs. For more read the Playbill story.

Playbill Presents
OBSESSED!: Frances Ruffelle Recreates Eponine’s Iconic Pose Using Her “Monkey Arms”
Frances Ruffelle, Les Miz's original Eponine, joins Seth in studio to chat about her Tony-winning role as well as her experiences in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express — basically, friends should NOT let friends roller-skate after a few drinks! Ruffelle then gives a sample of her signature tune "On My Own" with some slightly altered lyrics and another sample which illustrates exactly why Eponine’s classic pose looks like it does. Read Seth’s weekly column. Visit his online home at SethTV.com.

Playbill Presents
Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor's "It Could Be Worse": Episode 14
The fact that Jacob (series co-creator Wesley Taylor) is allowing Sam (series co-creator Mitchell Jarvis) to crash at his new apartment has Ben (Adam Chanler-Berat) up in arms. And as usual, Veronica Bailey (Alison Fraser) is up to something — her plot to insert Philip (Gideon Glick) into The Ice Queen is coming to fruition. Watch the series from Episode 1.

*Includes adult situations and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Playbill and the Players
Laura Benanti's 54 Below Gigs Will Entertain You and Your Grandmother
Television and Broadway star Laura Benanti is doing what she describes as her "favorite thing" — singing on stage in an environment that allows for audience interaction. The set list for her upcoming 54 Below gigs (May 20-25) is a virtual "mix-tape" of songs that promises to entertain audiences of all ages. Expect tunes from shows like The Boy Friend and from artists like Harry Chapin, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding, as well as original tunes penned by Benanti and her pianist-arranger-musical director Todd Almond. The 54 Below engagement will be recorded for an upcoming CD release. For tickets and info visit 54Below.com.

Playbill and the Players
Nick Adams, Jessica Grové and Liz McCartney Preview Paper Mill's The Little Mermaid
Paper Mill Playhouse's new production of Disney's The Little Mermaid offered a sampling of musical numbers as they opened rehearsal-room doors to the press. Jessica Grové stars as Ariel in the titular role alongside Nick Adams as Prince Eric. Liz McCartney plays Ursula and Alan Mingo, Jr. plays Sebastian. Directed by Glenn Casale, the production will feature original choreography by John MacInnis and flying sequence choreography by Paul Rubin. Performances begin May 29. For more, read the Playbill story.

Playbill and the Players
Pasek and Paul (and Mendez) Ready to Bite Into Dogfight Original Cast Recording
Based on the film starring River Phoenix, Dogfight (with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) has racked up multiple nominations this awards season, coinciding with the release of the show's original cast recording and a special CD release concert featuring most of the cast and musicians from the Second Stage Theatre production. In this exclusive in-studio video, Pasek, Paul and leading lady Lindsay Mendez run through Dogfight tunes in preparation for the May 15 event. For more on the concert and CD release, read the Playbill story.

---

---