Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, porn star?
The Fonz — who in real life goes by the name Henry Winkler — is in negotiations to star on Broadway next season in “The Performers,” a new comedy by David West Read about the porn industry.
Winkler will play an aging porn star, loosely modeled on Ron Jeremy, one of pornography’s best-known “performers,” as they’re called.
Cheyenne Jackson, musical theater’s reigning hunk, will star opposite Winkler as an up-and-coming porn star. That should guarantee rave reviews from certain critics who go all wobbly at the knees every time Jackson struts across a stage in a tight pair of pants.
Another character in “The Performers” is a reporter for the New York Post. The role has yet to be cast, but I want producer Robyn Goodman (“Avenue Q”) to know that I’m available. I’ll send over my “Smash” reel today, Robyn.
(The Post will be all over Broadway next season. In addition to “The Performers,” there will be a new play by Nora Ephron called “Lucky Guy” about the late Post columnist Mike McAlary.)
The reporter and the young porn star have been friends since high school, and the reporter envies the porn star’s life.
The director will be Evan Cabnet, who staged Read’s acclaimed play “Dream of the Burning Boy” at the Roundabout Theatre Company last year.
The producers are in negotiations for a theater, most likely a Shubert house, for a fall opening.
I can think of only one other play set in the porn industry.
That was Elaine May’s hilarious “Adult Entertainment,” which was staged by her longtime partner, the great movie director Stanley Donen (“Singing in the Rain,” “Charade”).
“Adult Entertainment,” which ran off-Broadway in 2002, told the story of a group of porn-industry veterans who decide to produce a serious, art-house movie, albeit X-rated. They hire a Yale Drama School graduate to polish the script. He gives them a master class in dramatic literature, leading them through discussions of “Death of a Salesman,” “Our Town” and “The Jew of Malta.”
Those scenes were some of the funniest May ever wrote, and the actors — Danny Aiello, Jeannie Berlin, Rick Elice (who went on to write “Jersey Boys”) — played them with comic gusto.
If you don’t know “Adult Entertainment,” head straight to the Drama Book Shop, pick up a copy and laugh yourself silly.
The play is ripe for a revival.
In the meantime, if “The Performers” is even half as funny as “Adult Entertainment,” it should do just fine.
Scott Wittman, co-writer of “Hairspray” and an executive producer of “Smash,” is getting into experimental theater.
He’s headed downtown to LaMaMa, which was cutting edge in 1973, to direct his new show, “Jukebox Jackie,” about glam rocker and Andy Warhol pal Jackie Curtis.
Curtis, who was in fact John Curtis, performed a popular drag act around the city, and wrote plays in the ’70s that were staged at LaMama. He died in 1985, at 38, of a heroin overdose.
Subtitled “Snatches of Jackie Curtis,” the show, which Wittman conceived, is a collection of poems, scenes, music and dances — all based on Curtis’ own material.
The cast includes Justin Vivian Bond (“Kiki and Herb”), Steel Burkhardt (“Hairspray”) and Penny Arcade, who performed in Curtis’ plays at LaMama back in the day.
Performances begin May 24.
“I know LaMama is not your sandbox,” Wittman wrote to me. “But any buzz you stir up will be most appreciated. I can smell your ‘Smash’ Emmy from all the way downtown!”
Oh, really? Then why, Scott, did you cut my cameo from this week’s season finale?
I had a “Smash” viewing party at my apartment, and everybody was crushed when I didn’t appear. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times was particularly devastated.
“I came all the way over here for this?” he said.
Well, as you can see from my generous plug today, all is forgiven.
But I wouldn’t revive that musical of yours, “Catch Me If You Can,” anytime soon.
Carly Sakolove does brilliantly funny impersonations of Broadway divas — Elaine Stritch, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, Idina Menzel. A YouTube video in which she imitates all those ladies singing “Send in the Clowns” has over 100,000 hits.
I still laugh every time I watch it.
Now you can catch Carly live at the Duplex in a show called “I Hear Voices” that she’s written with Bill Russell (“Side Show”).
It plays June 4, 8 and 12 — and will be one very hot ticket.