Mary-Louise Parker: "Streeetch .. and kick!"
(all photos: Getty)

Last night the unsinkable Liza Minnelli opened her new show in New York City, and from the looks of the photo coverage the event was every bit as cuckoobananas as we'd expect.

First, the photo service that we use has the title of the show — Liza's at the Palace — listed as "Liza's at the Palace?!", suggesting a sort of abject amazement at the fact they'd let the old bird in the joint in the first place.

But that's just the beginning: even the pics of the celebrity arrivals are unusually bizarre. Check out more pics of stars talking on their phones, doing calf-stretches, and making stink-faces after the jump!

Following this assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Out Broadway hottie Nick Adams is this month's Instinct coverboy. Check out this behind-the-scenes video of his cover shoot.

• The 2009 Spirit Award nominations were announced today, and Milk is up in three categories: Best First Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black), Best Male Lead (Sean Penn), and Best Supported Supporting Male (James Franco). 

• And by the way, the above are the former Independent Spirit Awards, not just random trophies handed out by a superhot guy in a mask and a red tie:

• I may joke that what some gay men pay to see Madonna is downright criminal, but this story of a gay man who was arrested at her concert after a homophobia-spurred incident is no laughing matter.

• And just in case anyone is still paying attention to the slowest-moving gay pop scandal in history, Boy George says that yes, he did handcuff the guy to the bed, but no, he wasn't going to kill him, adding, "that's hardly going to do my career any good, is it?" If only he applied that same logic to his business decisions...

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

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...

In this week's installment of the bicoastal bitchfest, hosts Kyle and Brian discuss the glorious production still from Rob Marshall's film production of the Broadway classic, Nine. They also discuss the meaning of "gay face" and wonder whether it's learned or genetic.

Also mentioned this week: The power of the Bond movie pop theme, and why Fergie costs one bottle of Xanax.

Enjoy it all after the break!

Out Broadway leading man Matthew Risch

Following this assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Out actor Matthew Risch has step-ball-changed into the title role of Roundabout's Broadway revival of Pal Joey after the lead actor injured himself during previews. Wait, didn't they already do this show, only it was called Xanadu?

• Hugh Jackman isn't the least bit bothered by gay rumors. In fact, he used to play the old danceclub "gay-and-switch" back in his prowling days.

• In the wake of considerable publicity surrounding his donation to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, L.A. Film Festival Director Richard Raddon has resigned. A devout Mormon, Raddon issued the following statement: "I have always held the belief that all people, no matter race, religion, or sexual orientation are entitled to equal rights. I prefer to keep the details around my contribution through my church a private matter. But I am profoundly sorry for the negative attention that my actions have drawn to Film Independent and for the hurt and pain that is being experienced in the GLBT community."

• Above, the two actors who play Harvey Milk's lovers in Milk (Diego Luna and James Franco) talk about the process and the importance of telling Harvey's story. And as of this posting the film (which I reviewed over here) has a 97% freshness rating on RottenTomatoes.

• A new documentary titled A Non-Issue? will look at "the rebirth of the gay rights movement and the battle over legalizing same-sex marriage."

And today's Briefs are brought to you by... (may be NSFW)

Haley Joel Osment and John Leguizamo in American Buffalo (Photo: Carol Rosegg)

In this week's Blogging Broadway we review the starry revival of American Buffalo, The Public Theater production of the new/old Stephen Sondheim musical Road Show, and a terrifically sexy and violent interpretation of Macbeth.

Read on, Macduff!

Lance and Lacey on Dancing With the Stars

Following this assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• In case you haven't been keeping up, last night Lance Bass and his partner Lacey wiped the floor with the competition on Dancing With the Stars. I've been watching every week because I have to, but last night their mambo was seriously amazing ... and he did most of the jitterbug with only one shoe! I would say he's a "shoe-in" for the finals but that would be too lame even for me.

• Did Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Bruno crash the set of Medium? Like that poor woman doesn't have enough to deal with as it is!

• Until I saw them, I didn't even realize just how badly we actually needed to see the Top 2 Hugh Jackman Faces of All Time.

• Above, check out an interview with Robert Pattinson (Twilight's mumbly and unkempt dreamy leading man) in which he discusses the upcoming film Little Ashes, where he plays half of the Dali/Lorca hobromance.

• Die Serial Mommy Die! As though news of a new Charles Busch play weren't exciting enough, it's just been announced that Kathleen Turner will be starring opposite Busch in The Third Story Off-Broadway. Performances start in February and I will SO BE THERE. And wait, MMC Theater's other big production next year is a musical version of Coraline with music by out Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt?!

• And here's some fun behind-the-scenes video of Neil Patrick Harris during his EW Entertainers of the Year shoot. Awwww!

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

 
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!

Working on As the World Turns hasn't stopped Van Hansis from doing double duty in theatre before. He previously was part of an off-Broadway production of Charles Busch's Die Mommie Die! and now he'll be working on a stage adaptation of the camp-tastic video game Dance Dance Revolution.

If you're not familiar with DDR, it's a game where players are expected to step on footpads in time to music. The game features plenty of dance music including gay fave performers like Kylie Minogue along with hilarious dance covers of classic songs like "Have You Ever Been Mellow" and "Smoke on the Water" (and then there's one song that features the "Boy on Boy Mix").

The stage adaptation will keep up the game's campy sensibility. It's set in an Orwellian society where a dance prophet named Moonbeam Funk helps dancing youth gangs rebel against a fascist goverment. The company working on the show describes it as "like Footloose set in the future -- but kind of scarier, and with 40 really attractive, barely-clothed young actors and buckets of free beer."

I haven't wanted to see a show so badly since I heard the words "Xandadu On Broadway".