Ruben Studdard has plenty of experience on stage singing. But he has never done it professionally in a play. Tonight, we get to see how Studdard fares as Fats Waller in “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” at the Fox Theatre.

My colleague Wendell Brock interviewed him recently and here’s his story.:

The first thing Studdard says is that he hopes critics will be kind to him as he makes his professional stage debut. Joined by former “Idol” contestants Frenchie Davis and Trenyce Cobbins for this Fats Waller revue, the so-called Velvet Teddybear is crossing over from gospel and R&B to jazz. “Honeysuckle Rose” and “The Jitterbug Waltz” will be added to his song list, alongside hit singles “Flying Without Wings” and “Change Me.”

I’ll check out the play and the after party tonight and report on it tomorrow morning.

-David Cook’s album drops today. It’s ranked #2 on Amazon right now behind someone named Eithne Nà Bhraonáin.

More reviews:

The Sacramento Bee liked it.

Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day) and co-written by the likes of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, Collective Soul’s Ed Roland and new “AI” judge Kara DioGuardi, the 13 songs marry a formidable rock edge with undeniable pop sensibility.

The Miami Herald gives it 2.5 stars.:

If anyone hoped that David Cook, the first ”rocker” to win the title of American Idol, would make good on his promise to release a major label debut album that was truly his own brand of rock music, well the resulting David Cook isn’t it.

Call this catchy set of pop-rock tracks, like the Chris Cornell-written first single, Light On, a compromise. Cook rocks steadily in the Daughtry-like manner we expected, given the mainstream production polish provided by Rob Cavallo (Green Day). He sings well, in most instances better than he did on the show.

And he talks about his girlfriend Kimberly Caldwell* to People mag here.:

“I think she just gets that this is all nuts,” Cook told PEOPLE at the Do the Wright Thing Gala at the Hard Rock Café in New York last week. “She’s a nice break from the chaos.”

-Paula Abdul is “haunted” by the death of her stalker and won’t go to the house near where Paula Goodspeed died, according to an anonymous source. The New York Post reports. You decide.. In fact, here’s Abdul’s denial (and she has denied wanting to leave “Idol,” too.):

A rep for Abdul said, “There’s no validity to this. She’s been home since the incident happened. There’s no issue with spirits. Paula is shocked and saddened by what transpired. Her heart and prayers go out to the Goodspeed family.”