EDEN found on Broadway?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:27am

Producers are hoping to bring Stephen Schwartz's Old Testament-inspired musical, Children of Eden, to Broadway in the near future.

Producer Erik Orton, of Fifth Avenue Entertainment, confirmed to Playbill.com that a Broadway production is currently in the works for a 2008-09 bow.

An industry reading for investors and others was held the week of Aug. 13, with composer Stephen Schwartz narrating and performing Children of Eden's "The Hardest Part of Love." Those involved in the reading included Kristy Cates, Gina Valentine, Julie Foldesi, Marie-France Arcilla, Sandra Turley, Ashton Byrum, Sean Parry, Matthew Herrick and Norris Chappell.

The production, capitalized at $10 million-$12 million, is set to be a family affair, with Scott Schwartz — Stephen's son, a respected New York and regional director — slated to stage the musical. Alan Wasser Associates will serve as general management for the production.

With the current success and popularity of Wicked, Schwartz's name continues to be a successful brand more than 30 years after he first emerged as a theatre writer. His musicals Godspell, Pippin and Children of Eden thrive in regional and amateur life as some of the most popular titles licensed for production by Music Theatre International. With international productions of Wicked popping up, numerous professional and amateur theatrical organizations eagerly await the rights for the Oz-set musical (the wait will be long — the show has commercial legs that are expected to take it at least into the next decade).

Orton and producing partner Karen Walter Goodwin embark on familiar Biblical territory with Children of Eden; they produced the 2005 Off-Broadway production of The Ark, about Noah, his family and the famous flood.

Children of Eden tells the story of Genesis for the first act, following Adam, Eve and their progeny through the expulsion from the garden. The musical's second act picks up with Noah and the flood, centering on the themes of parents, children, faith and perseverance.

Children of Eden, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a libretto by John Caird, originally premiered in London in 1991. Several revised American regional productions followed, culminating in the 1997 Paper Mill Playhouse mounting in New Jersey. The Paper Mill production, which is considered to be the definitive version of the show, was preserved on a two-disc cast album, starring Stephanie Mills, Adrian Zmed, Hunter Foster and Darius de Haas.

Popular songs from the production include "Lost in the Wilderness," "The Hardest Part of Love," "The Spark of Creation," "Stranger to the Rain," "Ain't It Good," "In Whatever Time We Have," and the title song.



Updated On: 8/26/07 at 12:27 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:38am

Damn
I thought it was the other Eden.
She deserves a new show.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:47am

I just saw this over at playbill.com! I hope they can fix this show and get it to NY. I really love the score.

[Act4ever]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:50am

SO EXCITING!

[bwaymizfit2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:29am

I agree...I absolutely adore the score to CoE, I'm just nervous as to if it will last On-Broadway...

[theatregeek2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:48am

i hope so with julia murney as eve.....she was amazing at that concert!

[masterthes]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 3:37am

About friggen time. I remember my high school did it a couple of years back, and it was one of the best shows they did. Made me wish I was born later in life so I could've been in it.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:25am

How will Stephen Schwartz be involved? I'm sure he still wants that Tony.

I hope it does well. I'd like to see a nice production of this show.

~Steven

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:40am

I read an interview with Schwartz back after losing the Tony for WICKED in which he said he's glad that he has made enough money in his career that he will never have to do Broadway again.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:52am

I hope its better than the dreadful original in London which barely made it to 100 performances at the Prince Edward theatre. The show was ravaged bu the critics and then the Gulf war didnt help with the tourist trade. Ive heard great things about the first US pruduction and the CD is great. The London CD is on Amazon at $150 -worth it for the great Ken Page and Ruthie Henshall.

[uhkthxbye2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 8:34am

I adore the Paper Mill soundtrack ... SO excited!!

[FranzRelax]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 8:41am

Awful show. The score has its moments, but it's mostly the same awful repetitive and recycled crap Schwartz always does.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 8:46am

Bored the ass off me in London. I dont see it haveing a long life but Mr 'Wicked's new reputation will proberbly help it now.

Updated On: 8/26/07 at 08:46 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 9:57am

I wish they would cast Hunter Foster in it again for Broadway.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 10:12am

If Darius de Haas were to sing "Lost in the Wilderness" again, I wouldn't mind.

~Steven

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 10:31am

I agree with Franz. The score has its moments, I particularly love Frances Ruffelle in the London recording singing "In Whatever Time We Have."
Ruthie Henshall has all of one song in that recording, I think.
Mostly an okay show for high schools but it has no business being on Broadway.
Schwartz is not a bad composer--can't say same about his lyrics--but I think his inconsistency is a big turn off. He has great moments in PIPPIN and WICKED, but then he ruins it with disastrous, laughable songs.
Oh, and he really never deserved that Tony so if he wants to stay away from Broadway, then be my guest.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 10:43am

"I wish they would cast Hunter Foster in it again for Broadway."

I was going to write these exact words.

I wonder what theatre this will go into, if it happens. I could see it at the Broadway, but...

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 10:47am

"i hope so with julia murney as eve"

I think for a show like this they will want a bigger name.

[jpbran]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 10:49am

There's a movie called Paper Mill? Who knew...

"I adore the Paper Mill soundtrack..."

[jam_man]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:51pm

While the book in the second act could use a little work (then again, what show couldn't you say that about?), the score is great on the whole. Some songs should just be thrown away (all for them cutting "The Naming," say 'Aye!'), but a few of them are exciting when done well ("Spark" and "Lost in the Wilderness"), a number are touching ("World Without You," "Close to Home," the title song, and "The Hardest Part of Love"), and while you can kind of tell that it's forced into the plot just so Eve/Mama Noah has something to do in the second act, "Ain't It Good" is a fun number. I'd say with great direction and a solid cast, it could be more successful than some might think. It IS a show that deals with themes that are very personal to a lot of people.

NOW, will they go with this being a "New Musical" or a "Revival?"

[Gingersnap2]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 2:00pm

Well, I'd be interested in seeing it.

When I first heard of it, I didn't pay attention at all...I assume it was a kiddie Sunday school thing, actually.

Last year, I heard a demo of "Lost In The Wilderness" that Hugh Panaro did and fell in love with the song. I got the cast recording on my next stop at Barnes & Noble and I really enjoyed it.

Except "The Wasteland' gets stuck in my head too easily.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 2:12pm

I can't see this being eligible for Best Musical. If Assassins was a revival, this would be too.

And agreed, Ray, about his inconsistencies. And he didn't deserve the Tony.

~Steven

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:06pm

Yes, this has to be a revival.

No awards for SS, that means.

[magic8ball]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 6:18pm

If this happens, they NEED to get Doug Kreeger for Cain.

[jbdc]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 6:26pm

It needs to be staged less "biblically" than it usually is--robes and tunics and things, cuz that just looks stupid. It needs a well thought out concept to carry it, because the material veers from maudlin to pretentious and completely misses entertaining and meaningful. Call in John Doyle or Julie Taymor or Michael Mayer or it's gonna last a month at most.

And Noah does not, in fact, go all the way back to the Protozoa.