WAKE UP with BroadwayWorld - Friday, April 4, 2014 - KINKY BOOTS' One-Year, Shakespeare with Julie Taymor, REALISTIC JONESES Opening and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? For your most important theatre meal of the day, we've rounded up the big news you missed yesterday, what's on the agenda today, and a few extras to start your day off right.

Happy Friday, everyone!

The Bacon: See what's on the griddle this weekend...

• Everybody say yeah! KINKY BOOTS celebrates its one-year anniversary today!
• Why Shakespeare? Why Now? Find out at today's Drama Desk panel at Sardi's, featuring Michael Pennington, Scott Shepherd, Daniel Sullivan, Julie Taymor and John Glover.
• Rebecca Naomi Jones performs tonight as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series!
• The Denzel Washington-led A RAISIN IN THE SUN revival opened last night on Broadway. Read BWW's Review Roundup here, and be sure to check back later for curtain call photos and opening night interviews...
• Prep for a busy Sunday: THE REALISTIC JONESES opens on Broadway, Encores! THE MOST HAPPY FELLA plays its final performance, and Roslyn Kind performs in concert at 54 Below!

Cup of Joe: Perk up and revisit yesterday's big stories...

• BROADWAY BARES is set for a sexy, solo strip-a-thon to support BC/EFA this May!
• Lots of news from the West End last night: Killian Donnelly will join Beverley Knight in MEMPHIS this fall (read more here). HOBBIT and SHERLOCK star Martin Freeman will take on the Bard in RICHARD III this summer. And we got a first look at FINIAN'S RAINBOW, which opened last night!
• LES MIZ lead Ramin Karimloo released the music video for the track "Losing" from his upcoming EP THE ROAD TO FIND OUT: EAST.
• A stage musical based on the anime series SAILOR MOON will debut later this year in Tokyo!
• Connecticut's Trumbull High School had to fight tooth and nail this winter for its production of RENT, and the show finally went on! Check out photos of the cast here.
• And finally, some surprising entertainment news! LATE SHOW host David Letterman announced he will be retiring in 2015...

Broadway Weather Forecast: Overcast with a 60 percent chance of rain. High of 43. But don't let a little bit of bad weather ruin your Friday! Let the stormy clouds chase/Everyone from the place/Come on with the rain/I've a smile on my face...

Quote of the Day: Well said.

"Theatre is immediate gratification."
-- Chita Rivera