Times Square Gossip

Micky Dolenz According to our exclusive sources, Monkee-Micky Dolenz, fresh from his stint in Donnie Kehr’s Rockers On Broadway, has been signed to essay the role of ‘Wilbur’ in the London production of Hairspray, currently running at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End. Dolenz, who was in Aida; Pippin; Grease; and A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum, was actively looking for another theatrical production and according to him, when this offer came in, it was too good to pass up. Dolenz, who is the Philadelphia area this weekend for another show with his Teen Idols 3 co-stars Peter Noone and Mark Lindsay, just wrapped recording of his Carole King-tribute album, to be entitled King For A Day, and will end with several more live shows with his band. The West End run starts on February 2, 2010.

Sexy and gay Lance Bass Broadway's HAIRSPRAY celebrates their 5th anniversary this week playing to packed houses and welcome new cast member Lance Bass and who could forget a recent addition to the cast 'Leave It To Beaver' star Jerry Mathers (right). The John Walters classic continues to bring audiences from all over the world. Hairspray is based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Hairspray is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. In Hairspray it's 1962 - the '50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion--to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendse...

Michelle Pfeiffer has revealed her racist 'Hairspray' character upsets her children.The 'Batman Returns' actress - who has an adopted mixed-race daughter Claudia Rose, 14, and a biological son, 13-year-old John Henry, with her 'Ally McBeal' creator husband David E. Kelley - says her kids could not understand why she was playing "vile racist" Velma Von Tussle. Pfeiffer said: "It was a shock for them because they saw me out of context and they said, 'Mom, what are you doing?' They really didn't know what to think because they don't have a frame of reference for a movie set in the 60s. I don't think they thought it was all that cool."The film focuses on a group of teenagers on a 60s televised dance show in Baltimore, which discriminates against black contestants.The 49-year-old actress admits it wasn't just her kids who were shocked by the character - she even upset herself. She said: "There were some lines I honest...

Tuesday night, as the snow gently fell on New York City, the NEW cast members for Broadway's award-winning HAIRSPRAY were formally introduced to the media, at the PALM WEST, and GM CHRIS GILMAN, restaurant on West 50th Street. Outgoing AMERICAN IDOL-DIANA DEGARMO was bid farewell by the cast, as she introduced her replacement ALEXA VEGA (SPY KIDS) and ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL (from O-TOWN and star of MTV's reality show THERE AND BACK). Additional cast members introduced, included, JERE BURNS (TV's DEAR JOHN and HELP ME HELP YOU with TED DANSON); PAUL C. VOGT (TV's MAD TV); and, NATURI NAUGHTON (music's #LW aggregation). Also on hand, were, new Toronto-based singer ANNE MORRONE, who's debut CD will be released in April, and Jokeman-JACKIE MARTLING (SIRIUS RADIO).