‘Clybourne Park’ headed to Broadway

After its highly anticipated run at the Mark Taper Forum set to start Jan. 25, “Clybourne Park,” Bruce Norris’ 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, will open on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theater on April 12, according to a spokesperson for the show.

It has been a circuitous path to New York’s famed theater district, but at least it has carried many of the original crew along for the ride. Pam MacKinnon will direct at both the Taper and the Walter Kerr; she directed the show’s original incarnation at off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons in February 2010. The move to Broadway is expected to include that entire cast, including Tony Award-winner Frank Wood (“Side Man”), Annie Parisse (“Becky Shaw”), Crystal A. Dickinson, Brendan Griffin, Damon Gupton, Christina Kirk and Jeremy Shamos.

The show’s strong reviews at Playwrights Horizon seemed to merit a Broadway run, but Norris’ satire closed in New York. It eventually was embraced by London’s Royal Court Theatre and the West End’s Wyndhams Theatre.

The play’s international path turned out to be the recipe for success; in 2011, “Clybourne Park” snagged both the Pulitzer and Britain’s Olivier Award for best new play.

—Margaret Wappler

The ‘last word’ from Ramone

Eight years after he died of prostate cancer, Johnny Ramone’s autobiography is finally being published.

“Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone” is set for release April 2 by Abrams Image. In an interview this week, his widow, Linda, described the book as “kind of his last word that he knew would be out.”

“It is a really powerful book because his whole life has gone before him and he knows it’s going to come to an end, and he really needs to tell everybody what he’s feeling inside, so that’s what makes it so amazing,” she added later.

Johnny Ramone, whose real name was John Cummings, was one of the founding members of the legendary New York City-based punk band the Ramones, members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Considered one of the most influential guitarists in rock, he died in 2004 at age 55

after battling cancer for five years.

—Associated Press

Huff Post names French editor

American news and opinion website the Huffington Post has named the wife of former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn to edit its new French language site, Le Huffington Post.

Anne Sinclair, a former news anchor and wealthy heiress, will be the website’s “editorial director,” according to an invitation to a news conference to announce the launch of the website.

The 63-year-old Sinclair was a French A-list celebrity in the 1980s and ‘90s as host of one of France’s most popular television programs, “7/7.” She staunchly supported Strauss-Kahn after his May 2011 arrest on alleged sexual assault charges at a New York hotel that forced him to leave his IMF post.

—Associated Press

Yellow Wiggle marks return

The Yellow Wiggle is back. The original lead singer of the world-famous preschool entertainment band the Wiggles has made a surprise return, five years after he left the group because of illness.

Greg Page announced Wednesday that he is immediately rejoining founding members Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle), Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) and Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle) to produce new CDs and DVDs before touring Australia, United States and Britain beginning in March.

“I’m feeling great and looking forward to doing what I love,” the 40-year-old said in a statement.

A rare nervous system disorder, dysautonomia, forced Page to retire in 2006. He handed over his yellow shirt to longtime understudy Sam Moran and became a spokesman for the Dysautonomia Youth Network of America.

—Associated Press

Finally

Concerts off: Country music legend Merle Haggard is being treated for pneumonia in a Georgia hospital and has had to cancel the rest of his January concert dates. He had at least four more dates scheduled for the rest of this month, from Kentucky to Oklahoma.