Shrek sings! He never really seemed like the singing type. I always imagined him as the kind of guy that watched football on the weekends and shunned the limelight. But the light will be shining on the big green ogre on December 14th when he debuts on Broadway. And he’ll have to kick up his heals, drink some lemon-juice, and hope he comes out in tune.

Needless to say, singing green men all over America are likely to be traveling to the Big Apple this summer for tryouts. And if getting to New York is too much of a challenge, they can also catch an out-of-town tryout in Seattle in August and September.

Although the parts for Shrek and the talking (now singing) Donkey are up for grabs, the part of Fiona has been cast. She will be played by the talented Sutton Foster, to be seen currently playing Inga in “Young Frankenstein.” She’s also starred in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Little Women” and “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

“Shrek” will be directed by Jason Moore. Book and Lyrics are by David Lindsay-Abaire, and music will be Jeanine Tesori. The movie and now play are based on the children’s book by William Steig.

To see other plays based on children’s books or movies, look for Broadway tickets online.

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Can you believe that Billy Joel has sold over 100 thousand records? That amazes me. And apparently, he’s set to amaze Met fans as he performs the final concert at Shea Stadium. The concert will be called, “The Last Play at Shea,” and will feature “the piano man” paying tribute to this legendary venue.

The Mets website quotes Joel as saying:

“Shea Stadium is one of the most hallowed venues in rock ‘n’ roll history and it’s an honor to help throw Shea the ultimate concert farewell party.”

The world famous rock star has had 33 top 40 hits. It’s hard to imagine, but with all of those hit records, he hasn’t released a new album since 1993. But during that time, he’s done a lot of touring and performing, and seems to be continuing that trend, with no word of new material.

Shea Stadium has been functioning since 1964. It has always been the home of the Mets. It was home for the New York Jets and the New York Giants. It has also held many historic concerts, including the famous concert by the Beatles in 1965.

The new stadium will be built in what is now part of the parking lot of the old stadium. It will open Spring of 2009. Shea is scheduled to be demolished. To catch tickets for the final season of this classic venue be sure to buy Mets tickets online.

February 14th, Valentines Day, the Yankees start their Spring Training. Many of their stars are returning, with one major new edition. Mr. Joe Girardi takes up uniform No. 27, replacing Joe Torre as the new manager. What’s in store for this team with 26 World Series Titles and new leadership?

For Giraldi’s part, he’s trying to keep a flexible attitude about the challenges instore. He’s quoted saying:

“I think every managing job is different, because of players and all the parts,” Girardi said. “Everyone changes. It’s different people and different situations, with different expectations.”

One thing that Giraldi is inheriting is a franchise with little turnover, with its major stars still in on the roster. They spent more than $400 million to keep it that way. I think this was important, given the new manager. And it’s not as if the team stunk last year either.

I think all in all, it’s a good strategy. Keep the same basic elements in place. Give the franchise a new leader, and see how it plays. At the end of the day, it seems that they’ve got what it takes to be a great team. They just need a chance to do that.

To see how the team does this year, feel free to check online for NY Yankee tickets.

Mel Brooks seems to be spending his finals years on Broadway. After the unbelievable success of “The Producers,” winning 12 Tony’s, including Best Musical, it seems only natural that Brooks would look to his enormous filmography to see if another one of his classic comedies could translate to the big stage.

This time he’s turned his attention to one of his most beloved classics, “Young Frankenstein.” The 1974 film stars Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Terry Garr, and the unforgettable Madeline Kahn.  It is one of the most beloved film comedies of all time.

The story revolves around a young neurosurgeon, the grandson of the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein, who lives in embarrassment over his families famous reputation. He inherits the castle, and upon visiting it, becomes caught up in his grandfather’s obsession of bringing dead flesh back to life.

Of course, this synopsis doesn’t explain just how funny this movie really is. And I could quote all of the classic lines, but it wouldn’t be the same as seeing it.

The new Broadway play is follows the same general story line, and contains a lot of the original famous lines, while probably adding some new ones. And like “The Producers” before it, he’s converted his movie into a musical.

The musical play opened on Broadway on November 8th of last year. Make sure you purchase your Broadway tickets online.

I was fascinated to read on SI.com about Santana’s hard won contract battle. Apparently, earlier in the day he had made his views clear through his agent that he wanted $140 million. The Mets were holding to $135 million.

Santana then flew from Florida to New York to make his stance firm. He arrived, with five minutes left in negotiations, and told them that he wanted $140 million and if they couldn’t offer that, he’d have to pass.

Mets COO, Jeff Wilpon, replied:

“I’ve been in business a long time. That’s a lot of money to walk away from.”

Santana’s response was confident:

“No disrespect to you. But I deserve it. I’ll just go back and pitch and I’ll get it later.

Santana then made reference to Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in the game. He then asserted that he’s the best pitcher and he’s not asking for that much.

In the end, Mr. Santana got his wish. The Mets asked for a two hour extension on the negotiation to reach an agreement. Two hours later, while splitting the difference, they agreed to $137.5 million.

Hopefully, for Mets fans, he’ll be just as competitive on the field as he was at the negotiation table. For Mets tickets, feel free to buy online.

Tino Martinez, the former first baseman for the New York Yankees is coming back to the team, this time as an instructor. He reported to the press that he felt excited to be back on the field with the players.

When asked if he’d pursue opportunities to manage or coach a team in the future ESPN reports that he said:

“Probably, eventually, down the line. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy coaching in college last year, and I really enjoyed it. Right now, I’m just very content with the role I have.”

In other news, the team is likely to finalize a contract with Robinson Cano. They’re looking at a contract worth $57 million over six seasons. If he gets the contract, he will get “$3 million this season, $6 million next year, $9 million in 2010 and $10 million in 2011.”

And finally, as the team gets ready for Spring Training next week, with the steroids controversy looming, team captain Derek Jeter assures the fans that it will not be a distraction. His attitude seems to suggest that he’s seen lots of controversy over his years in the league and figures that the game will go on regardless.

Let’s hope he’s right. To get NY Yankee tickets feel free to click on the link.

The new 2008 Broadway revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” has a surprising element. It will feature an all black cast. This is a particularly interesting choice, given the fact that the play is about a wealthy plantation owning family in the south.

The play will feature stars from the small and big screen. Terrence Howard, best known for his Oscar nominated role in “Hustle and Flow,” will be playing Brick. James Earl Jones, also known as the voice of Darth Vader, will be playing big Daddy. And Phylicia Rashad, from “The Cosby Show,” will be playing Big Mama. The play will be directed by Debbie Allen, the sister of Rashad.

The decision to choose an all black cast raises many interesting issues. The play is written specifically for white actors. The theater world has traditionally done color-blind or multi-racial casts. But this would not be classified as color-blind since color clearly was a factor in the casting choices. Race in this case is being used to make a statement. Without having seen the play, it’s hard for me to know what the statement would be.

If you’re interested in finding out for yourself, feel free to buy Broadway tickets online.

The Mets have what Ben Shpigel of the New York Times calls, “the best pitcher in baseball.” The agreement process sounds a bit grueling. It took 72 hours and 90 minutes. The final cost: $137.5 million over 6 years. That is some big cash. But they feel it is worth the price for the former left handed pitcher from the Minnesota Twins.

The Mets first had to aquire the rights to negotiate with him. They made a deal with the Twins, giving them four prospects. The Twins gave them 72 hours to make the deal with Santana. When it appeared that they needed a little more time, they petitioned the Twins for another 2 hours, which they were given.

The haggling that went on to secure this deal was obviously two sided. The Mets wanted to give Santana a five-year deal, but he was demanding six. In the end, he got his way, and he got his extremely generous contract.

The Mets had a strong team this last year that ended prematurely. The hope is that this will put an extra positive spin on a potentially great 2008 season.

Mets tickets should sell well without him. But with a genuine star pitcher, his presence will hopefully pay for itself.

Last night I asked my girlfriend, someone who knows nothing about professional sports, which team was going to win the Super Bowl. She asked me which teams were playing. I told her that it was the Giants and the Patriots. Out of the sky she chose the Giants. So I said, “I’ll bet you ten bucks the Patriots win.” She accepted the bet, not knowing that she had taken the unlikely odds. Now it appears that I owe her ten bucks.

Few would have bet against a Patriots win. After an undefeated season, it seemed as if they were destined to make history. The only other team to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl was the 1972 Dolphins. But it appeared that destiny was a dream in the sky for the Patriots.

The Associated Press described it as, “One of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.” Bill Belichick was bitter and unsportsmanlike in his response to the Giant’s win: “I don’t rank them. It’s disappointing.”

But history will rank the Giants based on that ending score, and the Super Bowl trophy. No theorizing about history and ranking can take that away from them. The fact of the matter is that they won fair and square.

New York fans are likely to revel over the next few months before changing their focus to baseball. When you’re ready to start thinking about a new sport, and If you’re a New York sports fan, feel free to purchase NY Yankee tickets online through the link.