REBECCA to Open on Broadway April 2012; Blakemore, Zambello, Daniele Join Team; Boggess Likely to Star- Page 3

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 6:17pm

doodlenyc: Zambello's accomplishments in the opera world are broad, and her CV long, but it would be misleading to suggest her regard is universally high -- not quite as many critics "there" as "here", but the nature of the criticisms there would sound awfully familiar here.

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 6:20pm

OMG, if you care enough about the nature of the changes from vienna to bway to speculate, at least read the bloody blog piece in the times.

why would they spend three years talking to FDNY if they only planned to use projections?!?

[philly03]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 6:58pm

Apparently it will be the staircase still completely lit on fire, but it won't spiral down the stage.

Whelp, I'm still excited. The times piece was in regard to people who run across the stage "on fire."

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:03pm

Zambello can not direct her way out of a bag. Look at how "Little Mermaid" and "First Wives Club" turned out.
Updated On: 7/13/11 at 07:03 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:23pm

Possible Shubert theaters for 'Rebecca'.

Ambassador - Long running loyal tenant/ Theatre small
Barrymore - More of a Play house
Belasco*** - Only holds 1,016, but has produced various musicals in the past, outside chance.
Booth - Too small, play house
Broadhurst* - Holds a comfortable 1,156 patrons, good size for intended show, current show in decline, my favourite theatre for Rebecca to go in.
Broadway** - Big theatre, current tenant not doing exceptional, but might hang on to Labor day 2012, outside chance.
Cort - normally a play house.
Golden - Too small for a big musical.
Imperial - Current tenant seems to be not going anywhere.
Bernard B. Jacobs - Another theatre aimed more at plays.
Longacre - Same as the Jacobs.
Lyceum - Too small for musicals
Majestic - Current tenant seems to be not going anywhere.
Music Box - Music by name, not by nature, does plays.
Gerald Schonefeld - Not really suited for musicals
Shubert**** - Current tenants look comfortable, good long shot though
Winter Garden - Mamma Mia going nowhere.

*Favorite
**
***
****Least favorite.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:29pm

What does Zambello (and others) see in Borges,
I think she's a dime a dozen.

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:33pm

um, sorry ... but the times piece was not *just* about people who run across the stage on fire:

He said that he and his colleagues have been talking to officials at the New York City Fire Department for three years about technical effects such as so-called body burns — characters who appear on fire — and safety protocols for using real fire on stage.

“We don’t want to say too much so we don’t spoil the magic,” Mr. Sprecher said, “but rest assured we are going to burn Manderley eight times a week.”

earlier on, the piece notes the main cost savings came from eliminating the collapsing staircase.

this all says to me your final conflagration will not be simply computer-generated.

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 11:14pm

My two cents:

While the super-talented Michael Blakemore has been a critics' darling, do the producers really think that this show would get anything other than a pan by either Isherwood or Brantley? This is a bombastic pop-opera which is no longer in vogue with either critics or American audiences (see Pirate Queen, Tale of Two Cities). Yes, it has some nice melodies, but so does every Frank Wildhorn show.

To answer the question on why the staircase effect costs so much money - the staircase effect requires hydraulic lifts under the stage which would require drilling under the stage.

[lordtubbington]

Posted: 7/18/11 at 10:50am

I give this show one week. Francesca Zambello= disaster

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/18/11 at 11:36am

I think it's going to take the Broadhurst, but I don't see why it couldn't play the Longacre. It seems plenty big enough to me.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/6/11 at 6:11pm

Looks like Sven Ortel will be doing the projections for this production as well. This was on his website...
"Rebbecca" will come to Broadway in the spring of 2012. Sven designed the projections for the orginal Vienna production and will be involved in this one as well."
Can't wait to see how the design for this looks. It looked beautiful from the pictures of the Vienna production on his site.