DVR alert!

Getting the attention of tourists is obviously a big challenge for a Broadway show. According to the latest statistics from the Broadway League, 65 percent of the 12.3 million tickets sold in the 2006-2007 season were purchased by out-of-towners.

My first introduction to Spring Awakening was watching the cast perform "The Bitch of Living" on The Late Show in 2007, and that performance definitely got me interested in seeing the show. I've still got it on my DVR, along with plenty of other Broadway guest appearances and performances from musicals over the past year.

Since Rosie O'Donnell left The View, I was afraid the theatre quotient would drop. It turns out that my fears were unfounded. According to this article from Playbill, there's a good lineup over the next month.

The highlights include Patti LuPone on June 5, and performances from the casts of Passing Strange (May 12) and In the Heights (May 29). I have to admit, I did laugh at this pairing: Spamalot's Clay Aiken and Macbeth's Patrick Stewart, both on Thursday. I'm hoping that Passing Strange especially will get a bit of a bounce from the appearance. It's currently playing at 44.8 percent capacity, and it deserves to be better known. Ok, granted, The View may not be its target demographic, but hey, it can't hurt. Hopefully, both of these musicals will get Late Show appearances.

With all of these appearances, and the Tony nominations scheduled to be announced May 13, can Broadway Week on Live with Regis and Kelly be far behind? To get you in the mood, here's a link to last year's shows.