ALNM revival rumor...

[Noideawhatimdoinghere]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 9:35am

Seen people on Twitter talk about a rumored revival of A Little Night Music? With Julie Andrews? And saying that Sc*tt R*din would be attached? I remember seeing a rumor about this from the tiktok guy (not even gonna say his name, I don't even want to remember his existenced) about there being a revival of it with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Tveit. Anyone know anything legitimate about this rumored revival? I sure hope Rudin isn't attached to it... And I don't think he would be. Hopefully he will never work again but in the history of Broadway that hasn't always been the case. But he is pretty much for REAL cancelled, so I hope it stays that way. Anyone know anything more about this? 

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 9:38am

this rumor has been around for years afaik

not sure if there are any recent "updates" on it?

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 9:54am

Yeah this is the fabled Blanchett/Andrews/Rudin revival that people have been talking about for half a decade 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 9:57am

It is very much a real project.  It would have happened by now but 1) the two year shutdown 2) the cancellation of Rudin.  
 

it really is sad though because it was planned to be announced end of 2020 with an open of fall 2021. (Tveit was scheduled to leave MR in June 2020). 
I hope that someone can pick up the pieces and make it happen but I’m becoming realistic.  It would have to happen in the next year

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:01am

The other names "floating around" this rumor were Aaron Tveit and Sierra Boggess.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:03am

The so-called “people” talking about this is a single account on Twitter who started a rumor, from what I can see, and a lot of delusional people running with it. Even in this thread there are separate rumors now being conflated as the same revival.

I do not see Andrews returning to the theatre as an actor because she herself has said that, and has turned down countless plays & musicals over the past 20 years. Scott Rudin WANTING to do this with Blanchett & Andrews (or even discussing it with them) is different from them signing on and it actually happening; he has gay fantasies like the rest of us.

This is one of those rumors on this board that keeps popping up as fact and needs to go away (like Hadestown closing because Lempicka wants the Kerr, or Beanie’s parents bankrolling the FG revival).

[Noideawhatimdoinghere]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:08am

Theatrefanboy1 said: "It is very much a real project. It would have happened by now but 1) the two year shutdown 2) the cancellation of Rudin.


it really is sad though because it was planned to be announced end of 2020 with an open of fall 2021. (Tveit was scheduled to leave MR in June 2020).
I hope that someone can pick up the pieces and make it happen but I’m becoming realistic. It would have to happen in the next year"

But...without Rudin, right? It's a well-earned cancellation so if so I hope it's with another producer attached. 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:14am

But see the only difference is Rudin actually was laying the groundwork for this he had the rights and the people on board. (Post music man it was : a little night music, mame, follies and I believe gypsy ) all branded to be hello Dolly type “events”.  This was beyond just goals or ambitions

[Noideawhatimdoinghere]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:15am

jacobsnchz14 said: "The other names "floating around" this rumor were Aaron Tveit and Sierra Boggess."

yeah yeah yeah, Aaron was mentioned in my message too. I would actually love to see him do Night Music (his Carl-Magnus would be amazing. He'd get to show off his comedy himbo chops and legit vocal chops. it would be wonderful. pun intended) but not like thissss not with this production team

[slow_the_rain]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:21am

It’s a commonly held belief that even if Julie Andrews wanted to return to the stage and sing in a musical, she legally couldn’t. She settled a malpractice suit that likely cited loss of income from singing. I don’t know the terms of the settlement, but if she were to reverse course and profit from “singing” in a stage show like Night Music, it would open the door for legal troubles. 

[StylishCynic]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:29am

slow_the_rain said: "It’s a commonly held belief that even if Julie Andrews wanted to return to the stage and sing in a musical, she legally couldn’t. She settled a malpractice suit that likely cited loss of income from singing. I don’t know the terms of the settlement, but if she were to reverse course and profit from “singing” in a stage show like Night Music, it would open the door for legal troubles."

Not entirely true –Andrews can sing but only within a limited range of notes. There was a song written for her in The Princess Diaries 2 that specifically adhered to this range so that she wasn't in breach of her lawsuit.

Given M. Armfeldt's songs, the keys could easily be modified to fit her talk-singing range of notes.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 10:46am

Ms Andrews went from a multi octave range to five solid notes. It is true that she would likely have lost her income from singing contracts. (That being said she’s “sung” in princess diaries and Julie’s green room as well as some concert in London years ago). 
Personally I think 1) the money and schedule for her is way better for film, voice over and book writing 2) I think she is personally worried with the, shall we call it PTSD from her experience around the mid 90s. 
 

all that being said. She was onboard at the time of Rudin - he has always had a way of getting actors to commit. (Really who else could have arranged what he did with Bette - the lack of media tour, the secret getaways, the payments… I had friends in the show.  The behind the scenes work was incredible. They had never seen it in any of their 10 plus Broadway shows before. )

[Voter]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:04am

This whole rumor emerged from the Sweaty Oracle. Pay him no mind. Unless an actually serious producer comes in, A Little Night Music will remain a pipe dream.

I mean, my pipe dream is an all black cast for this show. That's something I'd throw my money at immediately as someone whose white. Give me Audra as Desiree and Amber Gray as Charlotte.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:06am

I am not convinced Rudin is totally out of the industry- he may just not be public facing about it. But that's another issue.

And an aggressive producer like Rudin would absolutely have secured rights and started reaching out to talent for any number of potential projects, even if they would never have come to fruition. We don't know, definitively, what he had in the works- I'd heard, for instance, he had Tony Kushner working on a new adaptation of Threepenny Opera.

Night Music with Andrews, Blanchett, et al seems like a pipedream at this point, particularly when I don't believe I've ever seen a director linked along with these rumors.

Updated On: 10/4/23 at 11:06 AM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:46am

I'm almost positive that I heard the rumour about Julie Andrews and Cate Blanchett before Jonathan at Sweaty Oracle spoke about it. And this Twitter account that is talking about it is all old news.

Let's not forget the revival that was rumoured before this one, with Vanessa Redgrave, and Natasha Richardson as Madame Armfeldt and Desiree, starting from the Roundabout benefit in 2009, before Trevor Nunn's revival

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:47am

Theatrefanboy1 said: "But see the only difference is Rudin actually was laying the groundwork for this he had the rights and the people on board. (Post music man it was : a little night music, mame, follies and I believe gypsy ) all branded to be hello Dolly type “events”. This was beyond just goals or ambitions"

I spend too much time thinking about what we could have had if Scott Rudin wasn't such an asshole. 

[B212323]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:48am

Kad said: "I am not convinced Rudin is totally out of the industry- he may just not be public facing about it. But that's another issue.

And an aggressive producer like Rudin would absolutely have secured rights and started reaching out to talent for any number of potential projects, even if they would never have come to fruition. We don't know, definitively, what he had in the works- I'd heard, for instance, he had Tony Kushner working on a new adaptation of Threepenny Opera.

Night Music with Andrews, Blanchett, et al seems like a pipedream at this point, particularly when I don't believe I've ever seen a director linked along with these rumors."

He's not - he's just being really really quiet and covering his tracks. But I don't think this particular production is an actuality. I could see the Pasadena Playhouse production move though. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 11:58am

B212323 said: "I could see the Pasadena Playhouse production move though."

Honestly, anything to get Merle Dandridge back on stage singing, would be incredible.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 12:04pm

B212323 said: "[Rudin is] just being really really quiet and covering his tracks."

This I would like to hear more about, and it's something a journalist should cover if there's an actual story there. Does he maintain an office and a staff? Has his behavior changed? Is he quietly advising on current Broadway shows? Is he optioning projects and raising money? Or is he just working alone, developing stuff in the Hamptons away from NYC (he unloaded two Manhattan residences recently)? Is he actually getting into the theater to SEE shows?

I assume Barry Diller called him frequently during the runs of MUSIC MAN and LEHMAN, but those are done now.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 2:03pm

Frankly, I think there are a lot of people in the industry who would forgive and welcome Rudin if he decided to stage a comeback. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 2:10pm

Rudin's had his wrists slapped and has been sat in the corner long enough.  It's time for him to come back and do what he does best -- putting together quality productions with top notch cast and creatives that no other producer seems to be able to replicate.

Even Drabinsky got a second chance -- and then once again shot himself in the foot while taking it.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 3:26pm

Noideawhatimdoinghere said: "Seen people on Twitter talk about a rumored revival of A Little Night Music? With Julie Andrews? And saying that Sc*tt R*din would be attached? I remember seeing a rumor about this from the tiktok guy (not even gonna say his name, I don't even want to remember his existenced) about there being a revival of it with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Tveit. Anyone know anything legitimate about this rumored revival? I sure hope Rudin isn't attached to it... And I don't think he would be. Hopefully he will never work again but in the history of Broadway that hasn't always been the case. But he is pretty much for REAL cancelled, so I hope it stays that way. Anyone know anything more about this?"

Is Tveit so desperate for work?  He still looks like a kid.  The only role that would make sense is the son, which is young Henrik…why would he ever want to do that?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 3:32pm

JSquared2 said: "Rudin's had his wrists slapped and has been sat in the corner long enough. It's time for him to come back and do what he does best -- putting together quality productions with top notch cast and creatives that no other producer seems to be able to replicate.

Even Drabinsky got a second chance -- and then once again shot himself in the foot while taking it."

I agree.  Plus o doubt he’d get away with much without it landing first on Page 6, then everywhere.

[Noideawhatimdoinghere]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 3:55pm

Jarethan said: "Noideawhatimdoinghere said: "Seen people on Twitter talk about a rumored revival of A Little Night Music? With Julie Andrews? And saying that Sc*tt R*din would be attached? I remember seeing a rumor about this from the tiktok guy (not even gonna say his name, I don't even want to remember his existenced) about there being a revival of it with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Tveit. Anyone know anything legitimate about this rumored revival? I sure hope Rudin isn't attached to it... And I don't think he would be. Hopefully he will never work again but in the history of Broadway that hasn't always been the case. But he is pretty much for REAL cancelled, so I hope it stays that way. Anyone know anything more about this?"

Is Tveit so desperate for work? He still looks like a kid. The only role that would make sense is the son, which is young Henrik…why would he ever want to do that?"

I mean, first of all it's just a rumor. And to me the Count would totally make sense. Fredrik would maybe make the most sense vocally but I also consider him to be too young for Fredrik. I'm having my fingers crossed for him replacing Groban in Sweeney. And Giorgio in Passion before any character in ALNM any day. And he doesn't look like a kid. He both looks and sounds his age. You might have a different picture of him in your head than I do.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 3:55pm

Jarethan said: "Noideawhatimdoinghere said: "Seen people on Twitter talk about a rumored revival of A Little Night Music? With Julie Andrews? And saying that Sc*tt R*din would be attached? I remember seeing a rumor about this from the tiktok guy (not even gonna say his name, I don't even want to remember his existenced) about there being a revival of it with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Tveit. Anyone know anything legitimate about this rumored revival? I sure hope Rudin isn't attached to it... And I don't think he would be. Hopefully he will never work again but in the history of Broadway that hasn't always been the case. But he is pretty much for REAL cancelled, so I hope it stays that way. Anyone know anything more about this?"

Is Tveit so desperate for work? He still looks like a kid. The only role that would make sense is the son, which is young Henrik…why would he ever want to do that?"

Tveit is 40. He’s youthful but… very clearly an adult.