On The Boards and In The Wings 2002 - Issue #2

On The Boards and In The Wings, by Janine

Serving the Theatre Community since 1998

Issue #2: August 6, 1998

Producers Fran and Barry Weissler have the Midas touch when it comes to revivals. Just in recent history they have been responsible for bringing Chicago and Grease back to Broadway. Is there a new production of Annie Get Your Gun in the wings? Look for the curtain to go up in early January or February.

With the success of The Mark of Zorro at the box office, can there be a musical far behind?

Speaking of revivals, there may be a resurrection of The Music Man. Word is the producers are looking for a celebrity to anchor the production. Didn't Matthew Broderick do a great job in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying!!!

Look for Julie Andrews to return to Broadway next year. Because of her voice problems last year, the role Miss Andrews plays in the new musical comedy, The Big Rosemary, will be a non-singing one.

Super-producer Cameron Mackintosh has given the go-ahead to mount his stunning London production of Oliver! at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in March 1999. After opening to rave reviews at the London Palladium in December 1994, the classic musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist will wow Toronto audiences prior to a Broadway date yet to be announced.

Trevor Nunn’s revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! opened to near unanimous rave reviews at the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre on July 16. By all accounts, the star of the evening was Susan Stroman’s choreography. Best known for her work in Crazy For You and the recent revival of Showboat, this is Ms. Stroman’s debut with the Royal National Theatre.

Also on Trevor Nunn’s plate is a new production of the The Merchant Of Venice due to open next May at the National’s Cottesloe.

The Old Vic will host Peter Hall’s revival of Amadeus in October. For all you Poirot fans look for David Suchet to star along with Michael Sheen and Lucy Whybrow.

Austria’s renowned Salzburg Festival is running now through August 30. The hot ticket is the debut of New York filmmaker Hal Hartley’s musical play Soon. Another American director, Robert Lepage, makes the trek to Mozart’s hometown with his production of Geometry Of Miracles. Miracles will run Aug. 20 to 29 following visits to the Toronto Harbourfront Festival and Expo ’98 in Lisbon.

Kevin Bacon, best known for his role in the movie Footloose, began his illustrious career studying at the Circle in the Square theatre school in Manhattan. His Broadway debut was in 1983 in Slab Boys with little known co-stars Sean Penn and Val Kilmer.