#1
Posted: 11/19/08 at 7:26am
"By way of Cole Porter, I'm happy to report today that the delightful Reba McEntire may be back on Broadway next year, starring in a revival of "Anything Goes" for the Roundabout.
Reba, as the world knows her from her long-running TV show, pulled off a neat trick seven years ago, transforming a lackluster revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" into knockout musical theater.
A show that had been dying at the box office suddenly became the hottest ticket in town, regularly grossing nearly $1 million a week - and this was before the advent of the hateful "premium-priced" seats.
Ever since then, producers have been trying to lure her back. There was an offer to do "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." There was talk of a "South Pacific." But Reba was always busy with "Reba," which ran six seasons, as well as her concert and recording career.
"She was harder to pin down than Hugh Jackman," one producer says.
Reba, who had no theater experience before "Annie Get Your Gun," had a lot of fun on Broadway, and she's always said she'd be back again one day.
Reno Sweeney, the evangelist-turned-nightclub singer in "Anything Goes," is a good part for her. Ethel Merman played it originally - note that The Merm also created the role of Annie Oakley - and Patti LuPone did well by it back in the 1980s.
The revival will likely be directed by Kathleen Marshall, who staged the Roudabout's Tony Award-winning production of "The Pajama Game" a couple of years ago..."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11192008/entertainment/theater/reba_targets_stage_return_139510.htm
Reba, as the world knows her from her long-running TV show, pulled off a neat trick seven years ago, transforming a lackluster revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" into knockout musical theater.
A show that had been dying at the box office suddenly became the hottest ticket in town, regularly grossing nearly $1 million a week - and this was before the advent of the hateful "premium-priced" seats.
Ever since then, producers have been trying to lure her back. There was an offer to do "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." There was talk of a "South Pacific." But Reba was always busy with "Reba," which ran six seasons, as well as her concert and recording career.
"She was harder to pin down than Hugh Jackman," one producer says.
Reba, who had no theater experience before "Annie Get Your Gun," had a lot of fun on Broadway, and she's always said she'd be back again one day.
Reno Sweeney, the evangelist-turned-nightclub singer in "Anything Goes," is a good part for her. Ethel Merman played it originally - note that The Merm also created the role of Annie Oakley - and Patti LuPone did well by it back in the 1980s.
The revival will likely be directed by Kathleen Marshall, who staged the Roudabout's Tony Award-winning production of "The Pajama Game" a couple of years ago..."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11192008/entertainment/theater/reba_targets_stage_return_139510.htm
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 11/19/08 at 07:26 AM
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