Every day is opening night.

Ladies and gents,

Two of my favorite stage performances of the past decade have just been resurrected at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Billy Porter and Stark Sands have slipped back into those thigh highs and returned to the “Land of Lola.” It’s certainly not unheard of for the original stars of hit musicals to return to their roles. Matthew and Nathan came back to The Producers, and the box office went predictably nuts. Kinky Boots’ own scribe, Harvey Fierstein, returned to Hairspray six years into its run (and also played the Las Vegas production). So for everyone who missed these two powerhouses the first time around, don’t make the same mistake again! Casts change, of course, but the titular stars of the show have played eight-a-week, every week, since first preview. So let’s give a little credit to those unsung heroes, the brains behind the boots: costume designer Gregg Barnes and the good people at T.O. Dey and La Duca who built them. The characters in the show have to conquer the logistical challenge of building a dainty stiletto that will stand up to the weight of a male dancer. Well, those same challenges were faced in real life too, and it took a hell of a lot of ingenuity and flair to pull it off.

Tidbits from around summer towns…

Spotted a buff-looking Eric Bogosian strutting down Hudson Street in a tight t-shirt.

Overheard Sofia Vergara asking her to publicist if she had any way of scoring tickets to Springsteen on Broadway (the publicist seemed less than optimistic).

Saw Rosie Perez smelling candles at Barney’s Downtown.

As always, a toast of something sparkling to you and yours!

Kisses,

Scoop V.