Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

"The First Wives Club," the musical, isn't due to be unveiled until next summer, but already "You wouldn't believe the phone calls" from actresses and their representatives angling for a shot at the show. That's according to the legendary — we're talking 54 No. 1 hits — music man Lamont Dozier, who reunited with his chart-topping partners, Brian and Eddie Holland, for the first time since 1972 to create the "FWC" songs.

"The producers are inundated with calls. These are well-known names, names you would know — the names you would think of," he says. He also says that by the end of March, the cast will have pretty much have taken shape. "All three leads are strong, and they're going to take special type people — triple-threat type talents who can dance as well as act and sing."

Dozier tells us that the movie star character portrayed by Goldie Hawn in 1996's "The First Wives Club" feature has been transformed into a "a big singing star," an African American, for the musical, which opens at San Diego's Old Globe in July in a trial run before heading to Broadway in 2010. "She has to be a great singer, a wailer," he says.

He says it's been about four years since he was initially contacted by producer Jonas Neilson about reuniting with the Holland brothers, and said yes. It's a one-shot, says Dozier, as they have musically gone separate ways for decades now. Nevertheless, "When we got together it was like we were still back in the Sixties. The muses came," says Dozier of the team who wrote most of the classic tunes from Motown's heyday ("Baby, I Need Your Loving," "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)" and "You Can't Hurry Love," to name just three).

They've turned out 22 new songs for the show, which he reports underwent its second read-through in October.

MEANWHILE: While "First Wives" is on the front burner, Dozier also has other irons in the fire — including teaching at USC and working with talents ranging from Solange Knowles (he wrote her new "Six o'clock Blues" song) to multiple Oscar-winning and Tony nominated composer Al Kasha. He and the latter have their own musical project aimed at Broadway — a Hispanic music-driven tale of a Cuban dancer working in New York hoping to bring her parents to the States, called "Night at the Palladium." They're "taking a break and letting it marinate" while he does "First Wives."

BE AFRAID: You thought the Wall Street meltdown was scary.

How about the apocalypse? "Supernatural" angel Castiel — actor Misha Collins — tips that "the next few episodes are going to bring the first real confrontation between heaven and hell" on the CW show. There will be "fisticuffs," says he. However, he also admits, "I don't actually know that much about where things are going in the greater arc of the story."

Collins says that the toughest part of his job is "playing a character who is non-human, but giving him a human quality, if that makes any sense. The things that an angel does are nothing like the normal things that human beings do. He has not been around humans for thousands of years. He doesn't really experience emotions — it's a lot to wrap your head around."

With all the stress of demon fighting and such, Collins says that stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles and the rest of the "Supernatural" team tend to keep things light between shots. "Doing this kind of story, you have to. You have to have an on/off switch," he says. "The camera operator will be making some kind of lewd joke just before we do a scene, things like that."

STILL IN SYNCH: As "Dancing With the Stars" spins toward its conclusion for this season, contender Lance Bass gives props to former 'N Sync band mate Joey Fatone for encouraging him to get involved. "Actually, the only reason I'm doing this is because Joey did go through this once, and watching him go through it was great. I saw how much fun he had," says Lance. Joey also "told me exactly what to expect, and I knew the hours I'd have to put into this. And I knew you can't help but get in really good shape and lose a lot of weight.," adds Lance.

PUPPET MASTERS: It's nice to see Kermit and the Muppet gang showing up all over the Disney Channel. The Jim Henson Company is laying plans to get Muppet players back into regular programming for grownups, too, with a prime time program that Brian Henson has in development for TBS. He's working with longtime Muppet man Bill Barretta on the show described as a comedy for adults.

With reports by Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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