Ever After Broadwday-Bound?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:45pm

Reading of Broadway-Bound Ever After to Feature Shaddow, von Essen, Maxwell and More


A by-invitation-only reading of the Broadway-bound musical Ever After, which is subtitled "A Cinderella Story," will be presented in Manhattan July 19 at the New 42nd Street Studios.

Hairspray's Adam Epstein is producing the reading of the new work, which is based on the 1988 Twentieth Century Fox film of the same name.

Ever After was penned by Zina Goldrich (music) and Marcy Heisler (book and lyrics) and features direction by Doug (Doubt) Hughes, choreography by Rob (Thoroughly Modern Millie) Ashford and musical direction by Robert Billig. The starry cast for the upcoming reading, Playbill.com has learned, will include Elena Shaddow as Danielle, Max von Essen as Prince Henry, Jan Maxwell as Baroness Rodmilla, Brynn O'Malley as Marguerite, Emily Walton as Jacqueline, Tim Jerome as Leonardo da Vinci, Ron Holgate as King Francis, Mary Beth Peil as Queen Marie, Jonathan Root as Laurent, Jonathan Rayson as Gustave and Stephen Bogardus as Le Pieu.

The ensemble will comprise Jill Abramovitz, Lindsey Alley, Nathan Balser, Tracee Beazer, Daniel Bogart, Joseph Dellger, David Eggers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Marya Grandy, Howard Kaye, Ken Krugman, Darius Nichols, Lindsay K. Northen, Daniel Torres and Betsy Wolfe.

There are plans for an out-of-town tryout in late fall 2008 in anticipation of a Broadway bow in spring 2009.

Producer Epstein previously described the new musical to Variety thusly: "Cinderella as not told by the Brothers Grimm — no magic pumpkin, no talking mice, no fairy godmother. It tells a real-life story about a heroine who fights societal constraints against all odds."

The 1998 film "Ever After" featured a screenplay by Susannah Grant and direction by Andy Tennant. A new take on the classic "Cinderella" fairy tale, the motion picture starred Drew Barrymore as Danielle De Barbarac, a young woman who is made a servant by her stepmother after the death of her father. The cast also featured Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, Patrick Godfrey, Megan Dodds, Melanie Lynskey, Timothy West, Judy Parfitt and Jeroen Krabbé.

Songwriters Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler's credits include Dear Edwina, the Lucille Lortel-nominated musical Junie B. Jones and the cabaret favorite "Taylor, the Latte Boy," which has been performed by Kristin Chenoweth and John Tartaglia. Ever After would mark their Broadway bow.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:46pm

LOVE Heisler and Goldrich. Best of luck to this project.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:50pm

The movie was 1998, not 1988...

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:52pm

And how exactly is that a "starry" cast?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:56pm

Jan Maxwell needs a leading role on Broadway. Having said that, she will be brilliant as the Stepmother.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:57pm

I like how the director and choreographer's main credit is between their first and last name.


Like a nickname.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:58pm

And the DVD is for sale at Virgin for $19.98.

When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

[logan0215]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 3:59pm

Yea I noticed that too

I was quickly skimming and read "choreography by Rob" and was like "hmm, this seems a bit informal..."

[travtrev2]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 4:08pm

LOVE the movie, i'm not so crazy about this.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 4:56pm

Why is there a question mark in the topic?

This has been common knowledge for quite a while.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 5:10pm

One week! I'm definitely looking forward to it.

[Julian2]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 5:59pm

It has a lot of potential. Lets hope thay don't detroy it.