Yo, Broadway! Look out: It's almost time for "Rocky" the musical to get into the ring!

A musical interpretation of the Oscar-nominated film from 1976 has been in the works for some time, and in just under a year it's set to premiere in New York City (it opened in Hamburg, Germany, last fall). And for those who've wondered just what it would be like to hear the Italian Stallion (alas, not played by Sylvester Stallone) emote alongside mousy Adrian, a first-look trailer offers a peep into the big pumping heart of the underdog boxer.

"The story of Rocky was very much like my life at the time -- starting out with nothing, having to fight for roles and recognition," says producer Stallone in the short preview. "So I put those feelings into the body of a boxer and I had no idea there were so many millions of people that felt the same way."

Hopefully, at least a fraction of those millions turn out for the show. "Rocky" opens in February, 2014. Check out the clip!

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Truman Capote.

It's always nice to have the author whose work a particular play or musical is based on stop by for opening night. But the producers of Broadway's new "Breakfast at Tiffany's" adaptation had a bit of a problem making that happen: writer Truman Capote, whose 1958 novella was the play's inspiration, has been dead since 1984.

That little detail did not stop them, however, from trying.

According to the New York Post, representatives from the play sought out Capote's ashes (owned by late talk show host Johnny Carson's ex Joanne Carson, in whose home Capote died), in the hopes of having them fly cross-country from Bel Air, Calif., to New York for the show's opening night after party. (They would have flown first-class, of course.)

"We did try to get him here," a "Breakfast" rep confirmed to the paper. "Joanne says he always wanted to (see) Holly Golightly open on Broadway, and we thought it would have been poignant for the entire company."

Alas, the fear was that the ashes would not make it back home safely: Over the years they've been reported stolen multiple times, and in any case they would have only have been "half" of Capote, since the other half of his ashes were scattered along with his late partner's, author Jack Dunphy in 1992. 

"I think ultimately the risk of theft was just too high," added the "Breakfast" rep to the paper, "but he was certainly there in spirit."

As the Post noted, Carson has said that Capote's ashes "were my sanity for ... years. Truman often referred to me as his very own Holly Golightly come to life. He always told me you could be anything you wanted, but whatever happens, never be boring."

In life, as in death, that seems to be true for Capote.

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Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf has cast himself as the lead in a nail-biter of an off-Broadway drama. Somewhat mocking the "creative differences" explanation that was given as the reason for him leaving the upcoming Broadway revival of "Orphans" less than a month before previews are set to begin, the actor took to Twitter today to post emails between him; the play's director, Daniel Sullivan; and erstwhile costars Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge that indicate something more dramatic occurred behind the scenes. 

"Alec, I'm sorry for my part of a dis-agreeable situation," LaBeouf wrote in an email to El Dorado Pictures with a subject line reading, "Apology." In the philosophical missive, the actor also called his dad "a s--t human" and wrote things like "a man owns up," "a man does not know everything" and "a man can tell you he was wrong."

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"I'm too old for disagreeable situations," responded Sullivan. "you're one hell of a great actor. Alec is who he is. you are who you are. you two are incompatible. I should have known it."

"this one will haunt me," the Tony-winning director continued. "you tried to warn me. you said you were a different breed. I didn't get it." Signed, "dan."

Those two emails were attached to a tweet reading, "creative differences."

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Baldwin's camp declined to comment to E! News, while reps for Sturridge and LaBeouf -- who would have been making his Broadway debut in "Orphans" -- have yet to respond to requests for comment.

LaBeouf followed up an hour later with an exchange between him and Baldwin, in which the 30 Rock star assured him, "I've been through this before. It's been awhile. And perhaps some of the particulars are different. But it comes down to the fact that what we all do now is critical. Perhaps especially for you."

"I don't have an unkind word to say about you. You have my word," Baldwin added, signing off as "AB."

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LaBeouf replied with, "same. be well. good luck on the play. you'll be great," attaching the exchange to a tweet quoting David Mamet (who is not affiliated with the revival of Orphans): "Acting has become a profession of the genteel class."

Several hours later, the Transformers star tweeted, "Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance. Tom = good dude - good actor."

Attached was an email from Sturridge, also from today, reading, "I don't really know what to write. I went in this afternoon and they were all there...producers, etc. I said my piece but they didn't really listen. I don't understand what has happened here. Maybe you have had a more enlightening conversation with someone by now.

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"All I can say is that it truly was an honour to work with you even if it was only for a few days," the Brit continued. "I was stunned by the work you were doing, the performance you were giving. I think you lifted the play to a place higher than maybe it even deserved to be...Hope you're ok brother."

Talk about your dramatic twists. We cannot wait to see what happens after intermission!

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Amy Winehouse.

A play about the life of Amy Winehouse has been scrapped after the late singer's father denied permission to use her music and likeness, according to the New York Times. The Royal Theater in Denmark has canceled the production, which was set to open Jan. 30th, after the reaction from Mitch Winehouse. 

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Eleven Danish playwrights collaborated on the script for the play, which focused on the singer's troubles with drugs and alcohol and "the enormous pressure a sensationalist public put on a young superstar when her problems began," as the producers suggested. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in July 2011 at the age of 27.

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Courtney Love.

Courtney Love has shot down rumors of a Nirvana musical, according to The Observer. Addressing murmurs that Love's sometime co-manager Sam Lufti -- who recently had his lawsuit against Britney Spears thrown out due to insufficient evidence -- would be leading the musical with her blessing, Love made clear that won't be happening. "There will be no musical," said the rocker. "Sometimes it's best just to leave things alone."

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Though Love has been talking to director Brett Morgan about a possible film about her life since Kurt Cobain, she's taking a hard stance against the commercial use of Nirvana's work and legacy. "I said yes once -- to Baz Luhrmann to use eight seconds of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' in 'Moulin Rouge,'" said Love. "But he wasn't allowed to use it in the marketing. I didn't get the part in the film. I was so pissed off I made up the term to 'Baz' somebody."

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The singer, who had daughter Frances Bean with Cobain, has vowed to keep as much control as she can over her late husband's work.

"I got so bullied into selling what I sold. I regret it so much. I'm never selling the rest of it," she said.

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A scene from "Surf: The Musical."

Despite a big-name director and an impressive soundtrack featuring the Beach Boys, "Surf:The Musical" is closing in Las Vegas after a disappointing six-week run, reports Las Vegas Weekly. Planet Hollywood pulled the plug on the show, which had a preview opening June 29th and a formal debut July 17th. The musical will close August 15th.

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"Surf: The Musical" had star power behind it, with "Rock of Ages" director Kristin Hanggi steering a production set entirely to the music of the Beach Boys, who never officially endorsed the show. The storyline follows a failed young musician who returns to his beachside hometown only to discover his ex-girlfriend is now with a real rocker.

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The production reportedly never sold more than 200 tickets to any show, with at least one show selling fewer than 50 tickets in a 1,500-seat theater.

In 2005, "Good Vibrations," another musical heavily featuring the Beach Boys' music, left Broadway after 94 performances.

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The iconic songs of Girl Power will be back on stage this Christmas, when "Viva Forever!" takes to the stage at London’s Piccadilly Theater.

This new musical features many of the songs made famous by Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell -- corporately better known as the Spice Girls.

And in a rare show of public unity, the five Spice Girls appeared together, briefly, on Tuesday to launch the show -- which is produced by Judy Cramer, the lady behind the Abba musical "Mamma Mia!"

Geri Halliwell (the original Ginger Spice) said, “Years ago we thought -- wouldn’t it be a great idea to turn all this into musical. And all these years later Girl Power is still going strong -- it’s living proof to follow your dreams.”

The musical has been written by British comedian Jennifer Saunders, who has woven Spice Girls songs into a story of talent, fame and the pressures of celebrity on the relationships that really matter.

Emma Bunton (Baby Spice, in her former life) described the transformation from page to stage as an incredible creative process. “It’s a great story,” Bunton said. “The words and the music work so well together, it’s very moving.”

"Viva Forever!" profiles the life of Viva, a talented girl and her best friends, who get swept up in today’s obsession with celebrity culture and talent shows.

“It’s a story that clearly refers back to the early days of the Spice Girls,” writer Jennifer Saunders said, “But it’s as contemporary as the next series of 'The X Factor.'”

As the latest in a series of so-called Jukebox musicals, everyone behind "Viva Forever!" hopes it will introduce a new generation of audiences to the phenomenon that was Girl Power.

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There's a new show hitting Broadway this summer and it's not the usual song-and-dance routine. Instead, visitors to the Great White Way will have a no-holds-barred look at the life of the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson, in his upcoming one-man show, "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth."

Tyson first brought his biographical act to Las Vegas and shocked crowds with his willingness to talk openly about a past filled with career and personal highs and all-time lows. During a Tuesday visit to TODAY, Tyson, along with show director Spike Lee, promised Broadway-goers would get that same candid experience.

"I'm pretty naked there -- bare," Tyson told TODAY's Ann Curry.

But lest anyone get the wrong idea, Lee insisted "not literally!"

So, he won't be that kind of naked, but that's not to say viewers won't find the on-stage reveals jaw-dropping all the same. In addition to talking about his heyday as the youngest-ever heavyweight champ, Tyson will also address his rape conviction, drug abuse and how he's turned his life around.

Now a much calmer Tyson describes himself as a "wimp" and a clean-living vegan. So what brought on all the changes?

"I just threw up the white flag," he said. "There was too many prison cells, too many jails, too many lawsuits, too many bankruptcies, too many women, too many venereal diseases, too many everything. I got tired. I really got tired of, you know, like every time a prostitute –- I would head back from a trip -- I had to sleep with her. So I just said, 'I'm going to live a different life.'"

Yes, he really said that -- the part before living a different life.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he laughed. "I was a prostitute hunter!"

Expect more of that filter-free talk and what Lee called "the same courage (Tyson) shared in the ring" when "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" makes its Broadway debut July 31.

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Taking his craft too literally for most, a German actor has been banned from the stage after revealing plans to strangle two puppies in the name of art and protest.

The artist, whose name has not yet been revealed, was set to do a performance of a play titled “Death of Metamorphosis” on Friday in a small theatre in the Spandau district of Berlin. Reports The Local, the act would have involved him suffocating two puppies with cable ties. After the dogs’ death, a brief meditation would follow, accompanied by funeral procession music, and a giant gong.

The concept, a take on traditional Thai artistic rituals, was designed to oppose the slaughtering of Alaskan sled dogs and Spanish hunting dogs, both of which suffer similar fates. According to a writer known as sorchajack on Yahoo! Voices, following seasonal interest, Spanish hunting dogs are typically shot, “beaten to death, hanged or even set on fire. There are some that are just abandoned in the campo or countryside.”

The New York Times provided further testimony in a 2011 report investigating the “’execution style’ shooting of as many as 100 dogs that took place after a business slump in the weeks after the Olympics ended,” in British Columbia.

Despite the artist’s supposedly honest attempt to shed light on the controversy, his plans were thwarted when he was brought before an administrative court in Berlin on April 27, and a judge shut down the proposal, citing animal protection laws that forbid the dogs from being harmed during live performance.

In response, the artist countered that Germany’s constitution "unconditionally guarantees artistic freedom."

The argument did not hold up in court, however, nor was it well received by the public.

"Another example of a "modern" taking things to unnecessary extremes in which they themselves become what are supposedly highlighting as hateful," comments reader AClassicRed on The Local. “I can't speak for how dogs are treated in Spain, but I am a North American Indian who taught in the Indian Education system and served as president of an association there for two elected terms. Some of these people, artists or whatever, so-called educated who like to think they are the ultimate in "humanity" and "humanitarian" have behaviors and [thought] processes which are really rather warped and so ignorant on true situations it is absurd."

Bigfoot76 concurs. "Unfortunately 'Art' is being twisted into too many perverse definitions. If things such as this were to be allowed, it opens the floodgates to even worse possibilities. Society generally labels killing/mutilating/torturing animals as juvenile delinquency."

Hard not to agree with the court's ruling. But at what point do you think does art ceases to be art? Tell us on Facebook.

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Daniel Radcliffe: How to succeed in learning how not to be a slob, with a little trying.

You wouldn't want to room with Harry Potter at Hogwarts. "Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe admits he is "a bit of a slob" who will clean up a Diet Coke spill with his sock, and then put the sock back on.

Radcliffe, now starring in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," gave an entertaining video interview to "Side by Side by Susan Blackwell," a talk show about Broadway issues.

Blackwell chats with the actor in her apartment and even gives him tips on how to clean the place up -- from wiping down the windows to sorting her laundry.

Blackwell has a bit of a (bleeped out) foul mouth, which makes the whole conversational-meets-cleaning aspect of their chat that much more intimate and silly. She's also stumbled on a rarely used journalistic technique, in which the subject opens up by doing menial tasks.

Having handed Radcliffe her underwear (which elicits a "double thumbs up" from Blackwell), causing much nervous laughter, the host is asked by the actor "You genuinely didn't think I'd know this little about (sorting laundry), did you?"

At least Radcliffe proves he's a good sport. He even scrubs Blackwell's toilet. What, there's no spell for that?

Can Radcliffe move on from his Harry Potter role and develop a real acting career? Tell us in the comments.

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