On September 21^st, the Broadway production of Cabaret will prematurely close due to the illness of Billy Porter, who is/was playing the Emcee, and doesn’t look like the picture of health on his best day.  “Due to a serious case of sepsis, Billy Porter must also withdraw from the production.  His doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery but have advised him to maintain a restful schedule.”  Talk about your mixed messages – “serious case of sepsis”, “will make a full recovery”, and a closing date two weeks away.  Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark.

The timing of Billy Porter’s illness is intriguing in light of this next story.  Porter and Boy George will appear in a big-screen retelling of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – talk about strange bedfellows.  The star of Christmas Karma will be Kunal Nayyar as Sood (aka Scrooge) with Billy as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Boy as the Ghost of Christmas Future.  They will be joined by Eva Longoria as the Ghost of Christmas Past.  The film opens in cinemas on November 14^th, but I don’t think you need to rush.  Something tells me you’ll be able to watch it from the comfort of your own home in time for Christmas (if not Thanksgiving).

Greg Louganis has made a huge change in his life.  As I’m sure you know, he was adopted when he was an infant and raised by Greek-American parents.  Later in life, he discovered his biological parents were Swedish and Samoan – and trust me, that’s not a combo platter you come across every day.  Last week, our favorite Olympian added another thread to the tapestry that makes up his life – he became Panamanian!  Due to his precarious financial situation and other personal factors, he sold his beloved California home, as well as three Olympic medals to finance a move to South America.  “While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for.”  But, fear not – he’s not completely turning his back on the US of A.  He recently signed with Innovative Artists Entertainment for representation in all television and speaking engagements.