So the word behind the word is not that Lawrence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman and Boris Kodjoe are coming to Broadway in the next four weeks.  The word behind the word is Spike Lee will make his debut as well.  He'll be directing the revival of Stalag 17, the 1951 comedy-drama about American prisoners of war.  There's no surprise there.  The word behind the word behind the word is besides the Knicks; Mister Lee loves theater, particularly musical theater.  He originally wanted the gig of directing the movie version of Rent.

I attached my boxcar to the Spike Lee train with She's Gotta Have It.  I kept chugging along with School Daze and Do The Right Thing [which I saw five times. i think mostly for the opening number with Rosie Perez on stage in boxing gear and Public Enemy as backdrop].  I detached my car somewhere around Mo' Better Blues, but jumped back on for a thrilling excursion through Malcolm X and Crooklyn.  But the one thing I've always said to myself was:  Spike should make musicals.  It appeared great detail was put into the song-and-dance numbers in School Daze, Bamboozled and Malcolm X.  The brother was not experimenting.  He appeared as serious about the Lindy Hop as he was about blacks participating in their own blaxploitation.  And trust, I shared my sentiment with many:  I dig the male camaraderie and angst he explores in his films, and the social-political unearthing he does is a no-doubt must, but there's something special happening with those grand song-and-dance numbers.  Something real special.

Now the word behind the double word is professor Lee was at NYU Film School recently sharing his love of musical theater.  My friend Reg, a third year grad, informed me that instead of the expected discussion on cinema verite or the French auteurs, Lee showed his favorite musicals.  You know, Bye-Bye Birdie, West Side Story.  Reg, who grew up on the rage in School Daze and Jungle Fever [which also had a small kitchen dance number with Samuel Jackson], was shocked by Lee's love of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.  He said his jaw literally dropped.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I rally for any artist who returns full circle to their first love.  Who decides to place the weight of being the race's unofficial spokesperson on a back-burner and taps into what makes them dream.  Stalag 17 is certainly worth shouting about.  And the January death of its producer Michael Abbott hasn't put a stop on the production either.  It's full steam ahead for Spike.  But I get the feeling that besides the war-themed comedy-drama in his near-future, Mister Lee is inching closer to a gig with show tunes.  And I couldn't be any happier for him.