Dear Diary,

I feel like the crew of Apollo 13 as they are re-entering earth's atmoshphere -- I'm not sure my heat shield is going to hold. Yikes -- it is hot and humid in New York!

Celebrity Sighting!

I had just read this article about Michael Cumpsty on Playbill when I spotted him walking down Broadway between 72nd and 73rd!

Broadway's Michael Cumpsty, of The Constant Wife, Copenhagen and Democracy, will climb one of the Everests of acting in the fall when he'll play the Melancholy Dane in Hamlet for Classic Stage Company.

CSC artistic director Brian Kulick will direct the Shakespeare tragedy, Playbill.com learned. It will be the first production of the 2005-06 season for the not-for-profit devoted to classic works by masters.

The fortysomething Cumpsty will play the Prince of Denmark for the first time in his varied career. His Broadway credits in the last decade include Enchanted April, 42nd Street, Electra, The Heiress, Racing Demom, 1776, La Bete, Translations, Timon of Athens and Artist Descending a Staircase.

The production is expected to play Classic Stage's Off-Broadway home Nov. 2-Dec. 15.

I saw Michael Cumpsty in 42nd Street when the revival first opened, many moons ago and he was great!

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