Courtesy of FunnyOrDie, gay songsmith Marc Shaiman (South Park, Hairspray) and out director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) have created a musical about Proposition 8, Jesus, and how gay marriage could save the country. Seriously. Watch closely and you might notice Maya Rudolph, Andy Richter, Sarah Chalke, Jenifer Lewis, Kathy Najimy, Allison Janney, and more in the number. These people are awesome.

John Lavelle and Christina Pumariega in Catch-22 (Photo: Richard Termine) 

Full-frontal nudity in the theater is more prevalent than ever, and it's clear that having naked or near-naked actors in your show can really help sell tickets, as I pointed out in a recent feature. But there has been so much nudity in so many shows over the past few decades that some producers and directors apparently feel more is required to get a rise out of the audience.

To wit, graphically simulated sex acts have been seen in productions ranging from low-profile fare to last year's Tony Award winner for Best Musical. Within the space of a few days recently, I saw three Off-Broadway shows in which sex between men and women -- and, and in one case, between two men -- was so realistically simulated that I might as well have been watching a soft-core porno flick. For all the juicy details, read on...

 
David Alvarez in Billy Elliot (Photo by David Scheinmann)

In this week's Blogging Broadway, we review two new productions that you won't want to miss: the highly-anticipated Billy Elliot musical and the gripping Off-Broadway revival of the groundbreaking gays-in-the-military drama Streamers. Read about both after the break!

Harvey Fierstein in Hairspray (Photo: Paul Kolnik)

In this week's Blogging Broadway, we take a look at the upside of Hairspray's January closing. (Yes, there is one!) Plus: Notes on Musicals Tonight! and the song stylings of openly gay singer Todd Murray. Check it out after the break!

Jeremy Piven and Raul Esparza in Speed-The-Plow (Photo Credit: Brigitte Lacombe)

Plus: Charles Busch returns to the stage, The Big Gay Musical begins filming, and hot-hot-hot Adam Pascal does a two-night stand at Feinstein’s.

See it all after the break!