What's the word now? Laura Osnes has stepped down from her throne as Sandy in the Broadway production of "Grease"; the Eagan actor's last day was July 20. She and co-star Max Crumm won their roles through the reality show "The One That You Want"; runners-up Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling have taken over the lead roles as "Grease" continues to rack up good numbers, with weekly grosses hanging around $700,000. Osnes is still in New York, auditioning four to five times a week for stage, film and voice-over work. Not to jinx anything, but she said she is in a final callback for one project. "There's definitely a good buzz about me and I know I can compete on this level," she said. Leaving "Grease" was sad, but after a year of eight shows a week, "the timing was right. I've only been back home three times in the last year and it was for 24 hours each time. I barely got to see my family."
GRAYDON ROYCE
93X's appetite for 'Democracy' Here's a little bit of local-music gossip that was big enough to get mentioned in Rolling Stone: The staff at Twin Cities hard-rock station 93X (93.7 FM) recently heard from Axl Rose's lawyer after it started spinning leaked tracks from the perennially delayed Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy." The station played both "I.R.S." and "Better," songs that were briefly available online last month. "It didn't last long. They reacted pretty quick," said 93X program director Wade Linder, who also got in trouble for playing some unreleased Metallica tracks. "The lawyers have us on speed-dial now," he joked. "Our theory is that anytime a new song is out there in the world, in whatever form, it's time to put it on the air." Dream on, Wade.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Flying prop on the 'Prairie' At Tuesday's preview of the Guthrie's new musical "Little House on the Prairie," things went smoothly until a staged brawl outside the one-room schoolhouse led to a projectile flying into the pit orchestra. A schoolbook had come loose from one of the Ingalls girls' grip. Fortunately, a black curtain covering the pit caught the prop, saving a poor violinist's head from being bashed from behind. At the end of the musical number, Jenn Gambatese (who plays Mary Ingalls) started toward the edge of the stage to fetch the book, but a disembodied hand from the pit reached up and snatched it off the curtain.
PATRICK LEE
'Mad' man among us I.W. didn't wear a nametag to IFP Minnesota's 20th anniversary party last week at the Varsity, so we teased Minnesota-raised Rich Sommer -- aka Harry Crane on TV's "Mad Men" -- for sporting one on his lapel. The modest actor explained that his character is from Wisconsin for a good reason. "Probably to hide my Midwestern accent," he said. Does he think the slick suits of "Mad Men" are doing for men's fashion what "Sex and the City" did for women's? "For a guy who dresses slouchily, it's a very heady thing," Sommer said, noting he'd also been in the style-centric "Devil Wears Prada." Then he offered us a sartorial exclusive: "I wore a suit from Men's Wearhouse to last year's premiere. It was the worst $300 I've ever spent." Now he calls the show's costume designer, Katherine Jane Bryant, for advice, so he definitely won't be a "don't" at next month's Emmy Awards. Since "Mad Men" has 16 nominations, I.W. doesn't think Sommer will need a nametag there either.
SARA GLASSMAN
