Photo: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Last night, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, who may or may not have left their spouses for each other, made their paparazzi-walk debut in a People-magazine exclusive that makes reproduction of the photo punishable by law (only kind of joking). The two were in Santa Monica, where they had a dinner date. Him: leather jacket, white pants, salt-and-pepper beard. Her: tasteful green dress, camel-colored coat, all-teeth smile. Can’t you just hear the swell of violins? Everything with these two veterans of stage has a bit of a sheen to it, as if, perhaps, one or both of them might be a showman, so to speak. Jury’s out on the extent to which this marquee-headlining couple are as head over heels as they want us to believe they are. But if they’re going for it, then they should really commit to public appearances as only people who do musical theater are capable of. Here, a couple ideas for them as they plan their next moves.
Everyone here needs some good PR: Lively, who is mid-lawsuit with her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni; Reynolds, who said that being a comedian was harder than whatever Andrew Garfield does; and, of course, Jackman and Foster, who left their spouses. The Deadpool & Wolverine stars might have a nice night out on the town with their gals, hamming it up and talking about how fun it is to work with Shawn Levy. If Jackman and Foster really want to go for broke, maybe they’ll rope in Lively BFF Taylor Swift. Swift should invite Foster to the next Chiefs game. They can talk about songs!
Obviously, the coolest place for them to pop up would be backstage at Oh, Mary! with Cole Escola, but (1) the titular Mary performer is leaving January 19, and (2) Jackman’s already done that. Okay, well, what else is “cool” and on Broadway right now? Gypsy, maybe, if they can show up on a night when Audra McDonald is there. But the celeb-dense Broadway phenomenon du jour is Mulaney and Simon Rich’s All In with its boastful list of guest stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Fred Armisen. If you want to be a Broadway “It” couple, you have to show up on Broadway even if you’re not singing and dancing.
There’s no chance in hell that either Jackman or Foster understands what it means that Harrison Ford is the Red Hulk, but that doesn’t matter. It’ll be a high-profile, splashy event, at which Foster can support the Marvel gigs that fund Jackman’s stage career, and he probably needs someone to gossip with during the movie.
This is a showy couple with a penchant for theatrics. While a mid-autumn walk with tasteful coats and cups of coffee would be ideal, that season is too far off, and we’re impatient for more coordinated pap walks. There’s no reason for them to show up at Sundance clad in furs and earmuffs, so we might all have to wait until springtime in the Big Apple, when the two might be able to put on their dancing shoes and take a promenade down Central Park West. The city is the stage, and its inhabitants are their audience!!!
Wait, that would be crazy. Maybe … imagine Jackman being like, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Emilia Pérez,” and then they cut to Foster clapping in the audience …
No, never mind — they should play it safe and just sit next to each other at the Tony Awards.
Over the course of the year, Jackman will perform eight weekend shows at Radio City Music Hall. In May, Foster will take the stage at David Geffen Hall for “an intimate evening with the endlessly talented Broadway star!” Jackman and Foster, who maybe fell in love while doing The Music Man together on Broadway, could choose to honor their burgeoning love with a cameo appearance and little duet at each other’s shows. Theater tickets are expensive in this town, and a bonus double act might help offset those costs.
Jackman seems pretty settled here in NYC, but one has to admit that “Sutton Foster holding with a koala bear” has an undeniable appeal to it.
Wouldn’t it be awesome to see one of his classic “Yesss”
