REBECCA to Open on Broadway April 2012; Blakemore, Zambello, Daniele Join Team; Boggess Likely to Star

[Rob]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 4:40pm

Click Here to Read REBECCA to Open on Broadway April 2012; Blakemore, Zambello, Daniele Join Team; Boggess Likely to Star

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 4:46pm

This will post its closing notice the day after the Tony Awards.

Oy!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 4:46pm

So Boggess will be in a yellow t-shirt and navigate around colorful drug paraphernalia on wheels?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 4:56pm

I love this show but I become less and less optimistic about its chances on Broadway.

And no, IdinaBellFoster, we will be having none of that in this show. The set design for this show is infinitely better than that of The Little Mermaid.

Updated On: 7/12/11 at 04:56 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 4:59pm

I wonder which Shubert house it will take. Sven Ortel did the projections for the original production and they are quite breathtaking.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:03pm

Indeed, they are, bwayphreak.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:04pm

AHHHH, I needed this to happen! I adore Sierra, and I'd love to see her finally get some recognition (meaning a Tony nom)

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:09pm

Francessa Zambello. Uh-oh.

[DeNada]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:32pm

How many other shows Zambello has directed have you seen other than LITTLE MERMAID? There's a reason the woman got to a position to direct a Broadway show, after all.

This show will die horribly, which is a shame as I enjoy the Austrian cast recording very much. It's melodramatic and cheesy and completely out of place in the English speaking musical theatre world, and one role and three songs for that role are unlikely to bring in the big bucks.

Who cares if Sierra Boggess is in it - the key casting for this show is Mrs Danvers. And man, they really need to get someone other than Levay to do the orchestrations...

[philly03]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:39pm

I am so excited for this... While I agree about this show not fitting in with the Broadway mesh right now (which will probably hurt it's chances of longevity), I think it's very well written and it's excellent source material. The design is one of the best in years!!!!

I couldn't agree more DeNada... Levay cannot do those orchestrations. How much more '80s pop sounding can you get!

I also thought Zambello did a fair enough job for the Austrian production.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:41pm

Wonder which theatre? It needs to be a theatre that has a lot of under-stage space. The reason it was pulled from the Shaftesbury in London was that it couldn't accommodate a massive staircase rising from the floor.

[philly03]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 5:47pm

Perhaps the Belasco? I don't know if it will be open, but I remember DRACULA had that huge (unnecessary) statue come out from the bottom.

I would imagine Rebecca has high weekly running costs though and they'd want a bigger theatre!

(Sven also did the projections for Women/Verge there as well)

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:03pm

my friend who saw it in Vienna doesn't think Bogges can sing the role.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:18pm

Boggess is really poised to become queen of the high profile flops, isn't she?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:32pm

They should mash it up with Sleep No More.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:37pm

I don't know anything about the musical but would love to see Jan Maxwell play Mrs. Danvers.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:37pm

I saw it in Vienna - Sierra will be just fine.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 6:40pm

It's clear that this is going to be a bit different from the Vienna production, though. There is a new choreographer coming in, and Blakemore is being brought in to helm direction with Zambello... There's a reason why they've done so many readings, and I theorize it's because they want the show to be very specific to an English speaking audience, rather than transplanting a very Euromusical onto our stages.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 7:24pm

A new musical from the director of THE FIRST WIVES CLUB and the composer of Sylvester Stallone's COBRA theme "Angel of the City"?

MUST SEE.
COBRA - "Angel of the City"

[Sant]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 8:15pm

Well, the press release says it will open "at a Shubert theatre to be announced" and the Shubert theatres on Broadway are AMBASSADOR, BARRYMORE, BELASCO, BOOTH, BROADHURST, BROADWAY, CORT, GOLDEN, IMPERIAL, BERNARD B. JACOBS, LONGACRE, LYCEUM, MAJESTIC, MUSIC BOX, GERALD SCHOENFELD, SHUBERT and WINTER GARDEN. Needless to say that of the traditional musical houses WINTER GARDEN and MAJESTIC are both out of the question, so is most likely IMPERIAL and AMBASSADOR. So with enough space under the stage for that staircase... BELASCO and BROADHURST perhaps? BROADWAY definitely has - and if they are reproducing the Vienna staging, BROADWAY also has already a revolving stage. But how's business for SISTER ACT?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 8:27pm

^ Billy Elliot is safe for now, so I don't think the Imperial will be an option. The Ambassador is a small house, so I think it's safe to rule that out. I would say either the Broadway or Belasco.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 8:36pm

Is the Pone right vocally for Danvers?

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 9:05pm

That would be atrocious - who was the one who did it on the english demo? Pia Douwes? Her voice is fabulous.

[philly03]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 9:13pm

Pia did the demo, I believe Kunze wanted her to play the part. (I think she looks the part too, spooky, haunting that is!) (Uwe Kroger as Maxim)

Carolee Carmello did the role in the workshops, Pia is doing the role in the next production I believe (for the first time, she didn't do the Vienna production).

I wonder if they'll try to do any stunt casting - I know Hugh Panaro was Maxim de Winter in the readings, with James Barbour as Favell and Anastasia Barzee as Beatrice. From what I remember Favell isn't a big singing part, maybe they could try to get someone in there or one of the other smaller parts?

I also agree LuPone would be atrocious in this. Betty Buckley might be able to do something with it, perhaps.

I wonder if "I'm An American Woman" made the cut... Hmmmm! Updated On: 7/12/11 at 09:13 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/12/11 at 9:47pm

Emily Skinner for Ms. Danvers?