Sure Nick Jonas is prepping for a 2012 leading role in the hit Broadway musical "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," but does that mean we really won't see any new music from the Jo Bro any time soon?

The answer, in short, is yes. With a bustling career on the stage and behind-the-scenes working with artists like Charice and Greyson Chance, right now, Nick confirms to MTV News, he's more focused on writing for others than writing for himself.

"You know, I don’t really have any plans right now to release any of those [songs] on my own, but what I think is really interesting about this year is my focus really has been on other people," he told us earlier this summer. "[I'll be] using all that I've learned over the years and hopefully creating some great music for other people."

Jonas certainly knows a thing or two about creating catchy pop, so those artists are in good hands. He released several albums with his brothers, Nick and Joe, as well as a John Mayer-esque solo album under the moniker Nick Jonas and the Administration. So we can't blame him for wanting to share the wealth with other artists. He added, "It's all about just continuing to create and hopefully having those songs find good homes, so that people can hear them."

Hey, Nick, we're listening!

By Zachary Swickey

The 1994 film “Backbeat” – a British drama depicting the early days of The Beatles – is getting the musical treatment at London’s Duke of York Theatre this coming October.

The film starred Stephen Dorff and included several rebellious musicians (Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Thurston Moore) playing other “punk acts” since that’s how the Beatles were perceived at the time. It traced the bands formative years and focused on the relationship between John Lennon and original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Classic vintage rock songs to appear in the musical include “Twist & Shout,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Money” and “Rock & Roll Music.”

The Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre premiered the stage version, which was co-written by the film’s director Iain Softley, last year, and five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux will direct the West End production, which will open October 10.

How does “Backbeat” compare to the many other rock and roll musicals that have recently swept through London and New York? Read on to find out.

“Rock of Ages”
A Broadway musical doesn’t get more rock and roll than Rock of Ages. The hit production has featured “American Idol” castoff Constantine Maroulis and is built around the hair metal sounds of the ‘80s. The music of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister and plenty of other memorable acts are all featured in the production. Along with the end of the world, 2012 will bring the film adaptation with a bevy of stars, including Russell Brand, “Dancing With The Stars” beauty Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti, “Breaking Bad” Emmy winner Bryan Cranston and Tom Cruise (who looks … interesting in his role to say the least).

“American Idiot”
There are few things less punk rock than making a musical, but isn’t it inherently punk to do something you shouldn’t do in the first place? Green Day adapted their career-reviving concept album American Idiot for the Broadway stage, where it went on for 422 performances, closing earlier this year. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sporadically appeared in the role of “St. Jimmy” throughout the musical’s run. Unlike most musicals, the show even featured an onstage band. “American Idiot” picked up a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical (it won Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting) and scored a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. Just like “Rock of Ages,” “Idiot” is also getting the film treatment. Armstrong will be reprising the role of St. Jimmy for the film, which will be produced by Tom Hanks’ production company Playtone, with an expected 2013 release.

“Tommy”
Adapting a musical from an album that is described as a “rock opera” is a no-brainer, and The Who’s “Tommy” made its Broadway debut in April of ’93 at the St. James Theatre. The production went on for nearly 1,000 performances, and picked up five Tony Awards. “Tommy” was the first album specifically billed as a “rock opera” and it’s certainly the only one about a prodigious pinball player traumatized into catatonia.

“Million Dollar Quartet”
If you’re up to snuff on rock music history, then you’re aware that “Million Dollar Quartet” is a reference to the “supergroup” consisting of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, who recorded an impromptu jam session together in 1956 at Sun Record Studios in Tennessee. The Broadway adaptation premiered last year and received three Tony Award nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor, and Best Book of a Musical. The production officially ended its run last month after nearly 500 performances.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story”
Obviously based on the life and career of iconic early rocker Buddy Holly, “Buddy” is filled with his classic tunes. It was notably one the first “jukebox musicals,” paving the way for productions like “American Idiot” and “Million Dollar Quartet.” The musical made its Broadway debut way back in November of 1990, and went on to run for 225 performances. The production is still touring all over the world.

Once you get to a certain point, some superstars need new challenges and new ways to tell stories. For Alicia Keys, that means producing a Broadway show. The singer is slated to be involved with the show Stick Fly, which opens later this year.

And when we caught up with her at Madame Tussauds in New York for her wax figure unveiling earlier this week, where she also gushed over the state’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage, she revealed why she felt like she wanted to have her hand in something that's set to appear on the Great White Way.

"Broadway is something that's played an integral part in my life. It's been something that I've experienced my whole life," the New York native gushed. "I've always wanted to be a part of it."

She recalled growing up just a stone's throw away in Hell's Kitchen and the fact that her mom used to take her to quite a few shows back in the day.

Alicia is hardly the first performer (or just plain famous person) to head to Broadway, behind-the-scenes or otherwise. Like Keys, Jay-Z and Will Smith produced the show Fela, and although not a pop star, Oprah Winfrey, alongside music legend Quincy Jones, produced a project very close to her heart, a musical version of her classic flick The Color Purple.

And a number of pop stars have hit the Broadway stage, including Aubrey O'Day (Hairspray), (former) Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson (Chicago), Joe Jonas (La Boheme, in his pre-pop star days), Nick Jonas (Les Miserables, in his pre-pop star days; he's also set to be in Hairspray this summer in L.A.) and countless others. And although he hasn't hit the stage yet, Ricky Martin has been tapped for the Broadway version of Evita, set to open next year.

What do you think of celebrities working on Broadway? Tell us in the comments!

By Zachary Swickey

South Park co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have plenty to celebrate this week. The duo’s latest brainchild, the satirical Broadway show The Book of Mormon, is riding high after walking away with an impressive nine Tony Awards, including the coveted Best Musical prize. Broadway is just the latest medium the pair have conquered, collecting plenty of awards hardware along the way.

Mormon is the hottest thing on Broadway right now (we dare you to try and get tickets) and is a favorite to pick up a Grammy nomination early next year. If it ends up scoring a Grammy, which seems likely, the anti-establishment heroes will be a mere Oscar away from the ultimate showbiz honor – EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Few can claim this particular bragging right, but when you realize that Mel Brooks is one of the 12 people to ever land all four top honors, it doesn’t sound as crazy.

Stone and Parker have come a long way from the crude construction paper and stick glue animation they created in their first 1992 short, Jesus Vs. Frosty, which became the template for the escapades of Cartman and the gang. Currently midway through its fifteenth season, South Park has seen nine nominations and four wins at the Emmys in the Outstanding Animated Program category – an impressive feat for any program.

It’s hard to believe a show about a group of foul-mouthed fourth graders would receive such critical acclaim, but with new episodes turned around in just a week, the show is more in touch with the pulse of pop culture than any other.

With a Tony and several Emmys on their mantel, Stone and Parker still have the Oscars to conquer, but they are well on their way to that as well. Back in 2000, they received a Best Original Song nomination for South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut’s “Blame Canada.” It’s hard to say which was more memorable: Stone and Parker parading down the Oscar's red carpet in replicas of J.Lo’s infamously low-cut green Versace dress and the pink princess gown Gwyneth Paltrow wore to accept her Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, or Robin William’s memorable and heavily-censored performance of their song.

Do Parker and Stone have what it takes to join the exclusive EGOT society? Let us know in the comments below!

For a special performance of "Wicked" — the Broadway musical in which you learn the Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz" wasn't so wicked after all — Ashanti joined former castmembers from the show, as well as celebs such as Mario Cantone, Joy Behar, George Wendt and Matthew Settle from "Gossip Girl," in a charity performance on Monday called "The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken." The production featured never-before-seen scenes and songs from a rough draft of the first act, with proceeds benefitting the New York Restoration Project.

Though some of the celebs couldn't sing quite as well as Broadway regulars, Wendt (as the Wizard) got points from the audience just for trying. (Behar didn't try at all, but instead read her lines with a sense of rhythm that implied song.) Settle tackled a love song, "As If By Magic," while Cantone brought down the house with his ad-libbed rendition of "Popular." (Both Behar and Cantone made digs at Palin and McCain in their songs.)

But Ashanti had the best number of all — the showstopping "Defying Gravity," in which she started to sing solo, but then was joined by the two actresses playing the popular-but-flighty Galinda (who becomes Glinda, the so-called "good witch") and Elphaba (the outcast green girl who is painted as "wicked" by a propaganda campaign). "Come join me," Ashanti — wearing a light-green dress in ode to her character — sang to them. "Think of what we could do together."

Now that she's played both good and bad, if she had to pick between Dorothy and Elphaba, Ashanti told MTV News she'd pick the not-so-wicked witch any day. "You know what," she said, "they both have their own flavor. [But if there were a movie of 'Wicked,'] I'd be the bad one. She's got the spice. And people remember her."

Currently, the show stars "American Idol" alum and new dad Clay Aiken, who will end his role as Sir Robin on January 4. Other castmembers include Michael Siberry, Merle Dandridge, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, Bradley Dean, Wally Dunn and David Hibbard. In the past, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy" and Monty Python's own John Cleese have all starred in the show.

The show opened in March 2005, with director Mike Nichols and lyricist (and Monty Python member) Eric Idle at the helm, and defied expectations by making back its investment within the first six months of opening. It is expected to gross $175 million in revenue by the time it closes, a spokesman told the Times. The show is still touring the country and its run in London's West End ends January 3.

The Times also reports that Broadway's troubles may stem from weak ticket sales as a result of the struggling economy. This is the time of year when many people buy tickets for the holiday season — but, despite still selling tickets, "Spamalot" has recently failed to break even.

Friday evening before the curtain rose on "13," I went up to New York's Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to chat with the orchestra for the new Broadway musical. Unlike other Broadway shows, the orchestra for "13" performs onstage with the cast, not in a pit below or in front of the stage.

The musicians' accomplishments are impressive. According to his bio on the show's official Web site percussionist Zachary Coe has played drums on Sony and ESPN soundtracks. Multi-instrumentalist Charlie Rosen has not only played bass in other productions of "13" but also played piano at the Monterey Jazz and Playboy Jazz festivals. Guitarist Zach Page has performed with Nuno Bettencourt, Perry Farrell and Vernon Reid.

But what's most impressive about this band is that they're all kids: It's not often you see musicians ranging in age from 15 to 18 providing the music for a high-profile Broadway show, day after day.

Here's some info you won't get from their bios:

Most of them didn't know much, if anything, about the show's Tony-winning songwriter, Jason Robert Brown, before they auditioned for him. Only keyboardist Adam Michael Kaufman said he was very familiar with Brown's work. "If I didn't know who he was I wouldn't have auditioned," Kaufman said.

Common musical influences, according to guitarist Chris Raymond, include Neil Young and Bob Dylan; their iPods have Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and "Into the Woods" in heavy rotation.

A typical day during previews consisted of school in the morning (for the bandmembers who are still high-school age), rehearsal in the afternoon and then performing the show in the evening — it's a full and busy day, but things will calm down a bit now that the show has opened.

Only Rosen has seen the show from the audience's perspective. "It's good," he said simply.

A common misconception is that, as Lexi Bodick (bass) said, being a member of the orchestra is "all fun and games." These guys have a huge responsibility when it comes to the success of "13," and they are all consummate professionals — who mind their parents, too. Explaining how he came to be in the orchestra, Rosen said, "My mom just said, 'You're gonna go audition for this show.' "

And, of course, he did.

Poor Bailey Hanks has to change her lyrics: "Omigod, omigod, you guys! Our show's closing just when I'd won my prize!"

Emergency mani-pedis are being scheduled all over New York as word spreads that MTV's most beloved Broadway musical, "Legally Blonde," will bend and snap for the final time on October 19 following an 18-month run.

It came as quite a shock to folks in the newsroom when MTV announced about a year ago that it would tape a live performance of "Legally Blonde: The Musical." A Broadway musical on MTV? Really? Is Lauren Conrad in it? (No, but she did introduce it.)

But here was the bigger surprise: You watched it! MTV's repeated broadcasts of the musical were a surprise ratings hit.

Our channel's renewed love affair with Broadway began with "Spring Awakening," the Duncan Sheik-composed adolescent-angst fest that opened in early 2007 and just won't go away. We were one of the first on the "SA" bandwagon, long before the show won eight Tony Awards and inserted itself into American pop culture. ("Mama Who Bore Me" on "90210"? Really?)

"Legally Blonde" was nominated for seven Tonys the same year but failed to win any. Still, we like to think that MTV's decision to air the musical helped give it a boost on Broadway. "Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods" soon followed, giving the coveted lead role in the show to newcomer Hanks. She took over the role on July 23 and will perform it until the show closes.

Although a national tour of the show just started last week, today is a sad day in "Legally Blonde" land. But fear not; when one happy-go-lucky Broadway musical disappears, another takes its place. "13," a brand new show with a cast of — wait for it — thirteen 13-year-olds opens a week from Sunday. (MTV News is spending time with the cast tomorrow.) The show has no stars, no Disney backing, no Zac Efron — just a cast of gawky teens singing and dancing their adolescent hearts out about tongue-kissing and fitting in. To be sure, the show faces an uphill battle to survive, so unless you act quickly, you may never see it. Unless, of course, Nickelodeon wants to broadcast it. ...

By Christina Garibaldi

Aubrey O'Day is more than ready for her Broadway debut in "Hairspray." We just caught up with the Danity Kane singer and her puppy Ginger backstage.

Aubrey, in full makeup, showed off her dog, who she dressed up in a pink wig and doggie cape accessorized with various "Hairspray"-themed trinkets. We talked to her in her dressing room minutes before she graced the Broadway stage for the first time.

Her dressing room was flooded with flowers, gifts and family coming by to wish her support and luck — and, of course, telling her to "break a leg." O'Day seemed in good spirits and was thrilled to have her family and friends in attendance (52 loved ones were there, to be exact).

Aubrey shook off those last-minute jitters, but she seemed more than ready to get the night started. She told us she couldn't wait to get out there. She went on to say that she is fulfilling her childhood dream of being a Broadway star.

So how did Aubrey do? Check back here on Monday when we have the full show report for you plus video of Aubrey in action!