On the Town may have closed, but that musical's star, Lea DeLaria, is having no trouble finding work. The belting lesbian comic has been approached about taking over the role of the bellicose Jane in Paul Rudnick's comedy The Most Fabulous Story Every Told, DeLaria's manager Terry Danuser told Playbill On-Line. Nothing has been decided, said Danuser, but the job is being seriously considered.
A press spokesperson for Fabulous, starting up performances at the Minetta Lane Theatre Jan. 29, had no comment.
Another rumor floating around has DeLaria becoming Cabaret 's new emcee following Alan Cumming's departure. Danuser confirmed that interesting parties connected to Cabaret had taken in DeLaria's performance in On the Town, but that no further talks had taken place.
Fabulous Story officially reopens at the Minetta Lane Theatre on Feb. 1 following a successful run at the New York Theatre Workshop. Juan Hernandez and Amy Sedaris have left the cast of Rudnick's retelling of the Judeo-Christian creation story. Replacing them will be, respectively, Jay Goede (Sex and Longing) and Peg Healey.
The rest of the original New York Theatre Workshop cast will remain, including Obie Award winner Joanna Adler (Benita Canova ), Katherine Meisle, the current Jane, Becky Ann Baker (Titanic); Peter Bartlett, Lisa Kron (101 Humiliating Stories ), Orlando Pabotoy and Alan Tudyk (Bunny Bunny ). Healey and Kron are cronies of the Five Lesbian Brothers and appeared together in such Bros. works as The Secretaries and Brides of the Moon. In the play, Rudnick ponders what it would be like had God started out by making Adam and Steve, rather than Adam and Eve. Adam and Steve (along with Jane and Mabel) take us on a journey from Mesopotamia to a K Mart on Christmas Eve as they struggle for faith and search for God.
Rudnick's comedy made its debut this summer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. As he did at Williamstown, frequent Rudnick collaborator Christopher Ashley will direct. Rudnick's comedies include Jeffrey, The Naked Eye, Mr. Charles and I Hate Hamlet, as well as scripts for the films "In & Out" and "Addams Family Values."
Call (212) 420-8000 or (212) 307-4100 for more information.
-- By Robert Simonson
