Weekend Agenda: Singular Sensation Edition

I think this week has taught us that Laura Benanti and Julie White are hilarious in their new show, The Book of Mormon’s first national tour company is delightful, and everybody loves Matthew Saldivar. On to things that actually are news…

• To start on a somber note: RIP to the wonderful Marvin Hamlisch, EGOT and Pulitzer Prize-winner and composer of A Chorus Line. He also wrote “Nobody Does It Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me and scored The Way We Were and Sophie’s Choice. If anyone deserved to have the lights dimmed on Broadway…
• Elf is returning to Broadway for a limited run this November. No news on casting yet. Happy holidays, Charles Isherwood.
• Smash update — because you clearly needed one: Tony-winner and generally handsome dude Daniel Sunjata will play Debra Messing’s new squeeze next season. Points to the creative team for knowing how to (nearly) placate us after getting rid of Will Chase and Brian d’Arcy James — but not the stupid son.
• Speaking of handsome men and good casting ideas: Jason Danieley will play Georges in Sunday In The Park With George in Chicago this September.
• Sweeney Todd is closing in London soon but Imedla Staunton may have her next gig lined up as Mama Rose in a West End revival of Gypsy. There are so many good things about this. Unlike Broadway, the last West End revival was… never. The last time London had Gypsy was the original production in 1973 with Angela Lansbury. It’s time.
• I’m unironically excited about this: A new UK tour of Cats — everybody’s favorite non-existent-book musical about domestic animals — launches in February. A UK tour basically means Andrew Lloyd Webber has “plans” for it again, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up back on Broadway. Is it weird that I want Ryan Steele to be involved, if it does?
• Sheryl Crow’s new musical Diner will skip an announced pre-Broadway run in San Francisco in favor of a downsized warmup in NYC. The Broadway opening is slated for April 10, and anything that gets it to New York quicker is good by us.
• In news that’s been floating about for a while, but is now confirmed: Jon Favreau will direct the Jersey Boys movie. Don’t you sometimes just get the urge to yell “This is never going to work!” at all of Hollywood?
• Hairspray! In concert! Again! Beth Leavel! Nick Adams! John Waters! Micky Dolenz! It really takes something to earn the title of “campest production of Hairspray ever,” but this might just be it. Indianapolis and Baltimore will be getting this concert version in January, 2013.