Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil - Broadway Bound?

[Blackbird3]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:24pm

Via Deadline:

The long-aborning musical adaptation of John Berendt’s Georgia-drenched best-seller Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil moved closer to reality with a reading last week overseen by Rob Ashford and cast that included Tony Goldwyn, Leslie Uggams, Peter Cincotti, Jessica Molaskey, Michael Park and Jake Robinson.

Alfred Uhry is the writer; composer and sound designer Mark Bennett is overseeing the the score, which will use standards and lesser-known songs from the American songbook, notably from such Johnny Mercer-lyrics as “In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening” as well as more contemporary Southern rock, blues and gospel. ... The reading went so well that a formal two-week workshop is set for September, with dates to be announced. Producers Craig Haffner and and Anne Hamburger are thinking about opening in London next year before bring the show to Broadway.


Tony Goldwyn, Rob Ashford Push `Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil’ Closer To Broadway

[HorseTears]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:26pm

Wow, that's quite a cast.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:32pm

You absolutely can NOT do this without The Lady Chablis.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:37pm

Actually, RuPaul has nurtured a generation of performers who could play Lady Chablis beautifully.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:39pm

ANNE HAMBURGER!!!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:40pm

Of course there are Queens who could play Chablis, but the real thing is still out there working! Why would you look anywhere else?!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:40pm

"which will use standards and lesser-known songs from the American songbook"

We didn't learn our lesson with Bullets Over Broadway?

[tazber]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 1:44pm

That was my first thought as well, neon.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 2:04pm

Rob Ashford strikes again!!!

[DeNada]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 2:57pm

Why would you open a Southern Gothic show using American songbook standards in London, of all places? You'll get no useful feedback from it and it'll close in a few weeks; we don't have an audience for this kind of show any more, regardless of the quality of the work, unless it's at the National - and even then it would be an odd choice.

I guess it's cheaper to do a trial run over here before taking it to Broadway, but I don't know how valuable it would be as an exercise.

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/23/14 at 3:28pm

Bullets isn't doing so great with that concept, but Thoroughly Modern Millie made it work. Besides, that description makes it seem like (as in Millie), there will be a mix of standards and new material.