Tours, tours everywhere

We still don't know what's in store for the new SHN/Best of Broadway season (announcement to be made soon). But news out of New York is that there are all kinds of tours heading out on the road that may or may not be coming San Francisco way.One of those tours is Disney's Mary Poppins. And the news there is that original Broadway stars Ashley Brown (Mary) and Gavin Lee (Bert the chimney sweep -- also from the London cast) will head out on tour with the show. How rare it is to get the original Broadway stars (though these aren't exactly mega-watt stars) to hit the road. There's no San Francisco date, but Mary Poppins does have a date at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles, so at least it will be within shouting distance.Also heading out on tour is Curtains, the final Kander and Ebb musical (with an assist from Rupert Holmes after Ebb died). This is the theater-loving whodunit that earned David Hyde Pierce his best actor Tony Award. The Broadway production closes next month and heads out on tour in the Fall of '09., which begs the question: will anyone remember the show by then?Finally, this isn't really a tour, but it may be coming to a town near you.The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent is finally closing after 12 years on Sept. 7, and now a new business venture from Sony Pictures Releasing called The Hot Ticket, will film the final performance and broadcast it to movie theaters around the country (much like what the Metropolitan Opera is doing, though this sounds like it won't be live, which is a bummer).Screening dates in the U.S. and in Canada have yet to be announced, although Hot Ticket presentations will be shown in strictly limited engagements in 2K and 4K digital theatres.In a statement Sony Pictures Releasing president Roy Bruer said, "Going to your favorite theater doesn't mean just going to the movies anymore. Audiences everywhere enjoy sharing special events with their friends and family in public places – it's just not the same at home. Our mandate will be to identify the one-of-a-kind and sold-out events that people around the country most want to see and we will work to present them to audiences everywhere. With the very best in special event programming and state-of-the-art digital projection and sound in theaters, The Hot Ticket will offer the kind of unparalleled, access that will make these events memorable viewing experiences."You can sign up for updates at http://the-hot-ticket.com.