Xanadu Musical A No-Go After All — Page 2

I'm really pissed off! People might be happy about this now, but just wait until Treasure Island tries fitting itself in there or the Belasco this summer....Everyone will WISH we had Xanadu then I tell you....

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I was wondering why Jane didn't mention it at all yesterday on The View. They talked about Broadway for a good five minutes and they never brought it up.

Why was it so dependant upon Jane being in it to be a go?

I thought the producers out-right said that without Krakowski, the show was no go this season. It may happen, but I don't think this is the season.

The show will not happen without Krakowski, I'm not sure the blind item is entirely reliable though. Perhaps she just postponed it for a while. What surprises me from the blind item is that it makes it sound like 30 Rock got picked up for a second season which I did not expect.

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Rule number one: Never, ever belief what a producer tells the press.

Rule number two: If the producers really want to move forward with the project, Krakowski is easily replaceable. EASILY. If the show does die *because* Krakowski backs out - that means there are other problems behind the scenes. There has never been a project that has died simply *because* an actress backs out of it.

Didn't Riedel's column quoted one of the people at the readings saying that Krakowski *IS* the show?
I wanted to see this show transfering solely based on the fact that it'd bring Jane Krakowski back to Broadway. I just can't imagine a Xanadu musical working without a star of Krakowski's caliber headlining it.
MichaelBennett, you mentioned that Krakowski is easily replaceable. I was curious to know what actresses you'd consider are at the same level with her. She stands on a middle area since she is not as popular for Broadway audiences as a Donna Murphy and she is not as famous in terms of Hollywood standards as other TV stars like Patricia Heaton and Eric McCormack. Yet she has won a Tony and an Olivier, so I was wondering who you'd consider stands on a similar status in terms of star power to attract people to see this show.

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Very sad news as it is the show I was looking forward to most this season. I hope it still manages to find a home on Broadway with a long and healthy run. Or at least long enough for me to see it.

Applegate's not a bad idea! I loved her in Charity. Another good idea would be to try and snag Martine McCutcheon from across the pond (like that would ever happen). She was brilliant in My Fair Lady.

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I think Applegate would be terrific, I brought her up since this was starting to sound like the backstory to Sweet Charity. I saw her twice in that, and she was MUCH improved later in the run.

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Well, remember that Applegate ultimately proved to be not much of a draw at the box office. CHARITY ran less than 8 months and closed at a substantial financial loss.

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I do think Christina Applegate could do it - so could most of the other women rumoured for the CHARITY revival: Marisa Tomei, Brittany Murphy, etc.

It is true that Applegate wasn't enough of a draw to sell out a Broadway show for a year - but lets not kid ourselves - neither is Jane Krakowski.

And Phil - I'd say no show has died because of a star dropping interest - *including* Martin and Merman. If we believed that: MAME, HELLO DOLLY, OKLAHOMA, MY FAIR LADY and countless others would never have seen the light of day.

Linda Blair! She can sing, dance, AND rollerskate!

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It is true that Applegate wasn't enough of a draw to sell out a Broadway show for a year - but lets not kid ourselves - neither is Jane Krakowski.


- Exactly.

I just think this seems like an awful idea for a stage adaption. It could turn out fluff/campy fun, or it could be plain awful.

I think it's true that no GREAT show ever failed to make it to Broadway because the star dropped out, but there are plenty of examples of so-so shows and star vehicles that were scheduled to open on Broadway were cancelled when the star got sick, hurt, died or was otherwise indisposed prior to the opening.

One example was Kander & Ebb's THE VISIT which was slated to go to Broadway until Angela Lansbury dropped out to take care of her ailing husband (who eventually died). It's been done regionally since then (at least once with Chita Rivera in the lead), but I don't think there have been any serious efforts to move it to New York since Lansbury opted not to do it.

I also wonder if Laurents' JOLSON SINGS AGAIN would have ever actually made it to Broadway had LuPone not dropped out of it (as he has claimed it would have), but since no other major name has been willing to do it, it's remained in regional houses.

I suppose one could also include BUSKER ALLEY in this as well. Not that the show would have ever been a big hit, but it was scheduled to move to Broadway until Tune broke his ankle on that lamppost on the pre-Broadway tour. When no suitable replacement could be found, the production shut down.

I think Ken Mandelbaum has a few other examples of shows that closed out of town when the star became indisposed and no suitable replacement star could be found in time in his book NOT SINCE CARRIE.

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