Issue #35: December 1, 1999

• There is talk of reviving the mid-eighties London hit Chess by the creators, Tim Rice, with ABBA alum Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. After making a splash in London with Murray Head and Elaine Paige in 1986, the Broadway transfer a few years later wasn’t as well received. This is the musical that brought us the hit pop tune "One Night in Bangkok" made famous by Head. With anything ABBA being box office gold these days (just try to get a ticket to Mamma Mia! in London!) the time seems right for this trio to visit remounting the production. Apparently the Shubert organization in New York agrees. The plan is to open on Broadway following a 40-city tour which is scheduled to hit the road this time next year in Chicago.

• Following his critically acclaimed performance in last season’s New York production of Parade, Canadian actor Brent Carver returns to the Stratford Festival after a 13-year absence. Carver will play the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, which previews on May 6 with its opening on June 2. Fiddler will play in repertory through Nov. 4. You can also catch Tony Award-winner Carver (Kiss of the Spider Woman) in the festival’s world premiere of Elizabeth Rex which previews on June 21 and plays in repertory until Sept. 2.

• The London Evening Standard Theatre Awards had to create a new category for Disney’s musical sensation The Lion King. Hailed as the theatrical event of the year at the recent stage awards, the show was passed over for best musical -- the British production Spend Spend Spend received those honours.

• Australia’s only Tony award-winning producer, John Frost will be reviving his 1991 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I for a West End stint at the Palladium Theatre on May 3, 2000. The star of this theatre classic is British musical stage veteran Elaine Paige, known for her many roles including Cats, Evita and the above mentioned Chess. This is the Auzzie production that opened on Broadway in April 1996, where it ran for two years before touring North America for 14 months.

• Mirvish Productions, the Canadian producers of Disney’s The Lion King, have reached out to the internet to sell their newest block of seats to the Toronto production set to open in March 2000. From 6–9AM on Monday, November 29, 1999 only on-line sales were accepted with the traditional ticket purchasing options kicking in at 9AM. It will be interesting to see what percentage of the new block of tickets for October to December 2000 were sold on the internet. I’ll keep you posted.