Cherry Jones: From DOUBT to 24!

Some of you Bay area residents were lucky enough to witness actress Cherry Jones star in the role that she won the Tony Award for on the Carol Morsani stage in the national Broadway tour Doubt. Now it seems she's moving from the principal's office to the White House as she takes over as the newest president on FOX's wildly popular real-time drama 24.

Watching Jones as Sister Aloysius was a highlight of 2007's theatrical offerings - there's no doubt in my mind at all of that. Now it will be a lot of fun to watch her on Monday nights in my biggest pulp TV indulgence.

Taking the show on the road

NYC -- The producers of "Monty Python's Spamalot" told their production team that if they couldn't take the show on tour, they wouldn't open on Broadway.

It's that important.

Half of the Broadway audience is outside NYC, reached through tours and subscription seasons.

"Spamalot" obviously solved its weighty chain mail issue and is touring with great success, including two sold-out weeks here in Tampa earlier this season.

Another presenter talked about how important it was for thought-provoking works such as "Doubt," with actresses such as Cherry Jones, to tour the country in artistically unifying events.

He likened it to a Harry Truman-like whistlestop political tour. "It's like she's running for election ... and I think she'd win."

"Doubt" will be at TBPAC later this month. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC