Best Cast of the Year

I admit that I'm a little behind in my Broadway gossip, but I'm not sure how this casting news didn't catch my attention.  David Mamet and his ultra-misogynistic, male-centric casts have provided plenty of genius casting combinations over the years (my favorite of which would have to be the dream film cast of "Glengarry Glenross" which featured Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin, among others).

But that cast pales in comparison to the dream team set to appear in the latest incarnation of "American Buffalo," set to open on Broadway on All Hallow's Eve.  This time around, the play about a crime that never occurs, stars John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and...wait for it... Haley Joel Osment!!!  Has there ever been a more mismatched group of actors on one stage?  Leguizamo and Cedric would make me happy enough, but adding the kid who sees dead people is just a little too much happiness for one stage.

I'll admit, my first thought was, "Why is a 12 year old appearing in a Mamet play?"  Until, that is, I recalled that Haley Joel Osment is now old enough to be busted for drunk driving and kind of looks like all he wants to do is surf.  If nothing else, this is the bravest casting of the year and kudos to geniuses that thought of it.