Questions About BUSKER ALLEY

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 7:56am

Over 10 years ago I remember watching sign painters working on the facade of the St. James Theatre, advertising the soon to arrive BUSKER ALLEY with Tommy Tune. Then the papers announced that Tune had broken his ankle or leg, and later reported that the show was on hold. It never did make it to Broadway.

Yesterday, BWW announced a luncheon and show devoted to the "Broadway Bound BUSKER ALLEY", starring Jim Dale, and also announcing a cast album of the presentation to be held this Friday, including Glenn Close.

What happened to Tommy Tune's involvement in the show, as actor and director-choreographer? Why has it taken so long to finally come to Broadway; the film on which it is based, the wonderful 1938 ST. MARTIN'S LANE, would seem a natural source for a musical. Who else is slated to be in the cast? When is it trying to come to Broadway, this season or next?

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 8:12am

Its not inending to come to Broadway it was just a one off presentation of which they made a CD.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 8:22am

But BWW announced that BUSKER ALLEY was Broadway bound.

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 9:40am

I saw the pre-Broadway tour with Tune in Tampa. I don't really remember much about it except the dancing. Lots of dancing around lamp posts. I have a program and Playbill for it somewhere.

[Corine2]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 12:38pm

Gypsy,
It is a cd event. BWW was not suppossed to leak this info.

[Mag Wildwood]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 12:40pm

So does that mean it's true or not?

I too remember the VERY high profile painting of the theater to announce it, and then it never happened.

[justme2]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 2:15pm

I remember the show in SF during it's tryout in 94 (I think that was the year). Saw it three times as they tinkered with it. It was an ok show, but I had a lot of trouble with the romance aspect between Tune and Darcie Roberts. No chemistry. Marcia Lewis was a busker, and I think Jeff Calhoun was in the show as well.

Some good tunes, and lots of high stepping dancing (which is really Tune's forte). When he broke his ankle during one of the last stops on the tour before it was to hit Broadway, there was a lot of negative press around it. Some claimed he really didn't break it, and was just trying to get out of the show, as it was troubled. I don't buy that.

Then I remember reading that one of the producers (a Stevie somebody) wanted to sue regarding the insurance around Tune's injury. Then the show died and no more news about it. Tune only briefly discusses the show in his autobiography Footnotes (a dissapointing read if you want to read about his creative process around the shows he choreographed and directed) and that's all I remember about it.

I've seen St Martin's Lane (on TCM years back) and it's also just an ok film. I could see the nugget for musicalization though, and understood why somone would want to put it on Broadway.

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 2:21pm

I saw it in Denver in its "Stagedoor Charlie" phase. Not the best show I have seen but I was happy to have seen Mr. Tune onstage. The lamp post swinging actually made me dizzy. really, it did. If the show I saw had gone straight to Broadway, it would have been crucified by the critics. It didn't get great reviews here.

Updated On: 11/27/07 at 02:21 PM

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 6:36pm

Gypsy9, check your PMs.

[notyourself]

Posted: 11/27/07 at 7:33pm

Does anyone have any photos of the painted facade?