Rialto Chatter - Page 21

The New York Times is reporting that producers are considering changing the opening night of the new Broadway musical FELA! in order to accommodate the schedules of contributing celebrities, including rapper Jay-Z and movie and television stars Will and Jada Pinckett Smith. Producers want to include Jay-Z and the Smiths in order to increase publicity for the show and to allow them to be recognized for their investment.

Michael Riedel in this morning's New York Post confirms the recent reports that producers, Jeffrey Seller and Kevin McCollum, are indeed working to resurrect the infamous flop musical CARRIE for the Broadway stage.

The world premiere of A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE, by Academy Award®- winning playwright Martin McDonagh will open on Broadway on Thursday, March 4, 2010. Directed by John Crowley (A Steady Rain), A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE will be McDonagh's first play to originate on Broadway.

World of Jewtopia, the Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson play, will be making it's Philadelphia debut at the Perelman Theatre at the Kimmel Center from December 24 - December 27. According to the show's official billing by the Kimmel Center, this will be the last production prior to a Broadway 2010 opening. No official announcement on a Broadway run has been made.

Current MARY POPPINS star Christian Borle and Sherie Rene Scott led a private industry reading late last week of the musical THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG.

The New York Times reports that the producers of the upcoming new mega-dollar Broadway musical 'Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark' have given their first official statement in light of the recent financial 'web-slinging' and media gossip regarding the production's status.

The New York Times has confirmed that the financially malnourished Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark is now expected to begin previews and open in the Spring of 2010 due to the weeks of production delays and financial difficulties that have plagued the multi-million dollar mega project for months.

It is something no artiste would like to admit, but according to a report in the London Evening Standard today, West End box offices may have reality television to thank for its swelled intake.

Theatrical sources have revealed to Roger Friedman's Showbiz411.com that Jim Stern, of Endgame Productions,will indeed 'swing' to the rescue and fill in SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off The Dark's $10 million money gap.

CBS News reports that Lincoln Center has terminated the contract of Michael Brunner, the stage manager for the Tony Winning SOUTH PACIFIC, that has been accused of recording a video of an actress disrobing in a dressing room.

The New York Post is reporting that a Lincoln Center stage manager for the Tony Winning SOUTH PACIFIC has been accused recording a video of an actress disrobing in a dressing room.

In the Chicago Tribune yesterday, theater critic Chris Jones reports that Shrek originals Brian D'Arcy James (Shek), Sutton Foster (Princess Fiona) and Christopher Sieber (Lord Farquaad) are scheduled to attend a preview event later this month surrounding the announcement of the Shrek National Tour, reported to be kicking off at Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts in June 2010.

Whatsonstage.com is reporting that Michael Ball may be in talks to star in Sam Mendes' Neal Street Productions' stage adaptation of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Reports are circulating that William Gibson's classic, THE MIRACLE WORKER, will get a Broadway resurrection in the near future at the hands of Finnian's Rainbow producer David Richenthal.

The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye is reporting that tickets for 'Love Never Dies', the musical sequel to Phantom Of The Opera, will go on sale in the UK on October 8th.

Scarlett Johansson's next project very well may be in a musical after-all (as previously reported, she was rumored to be the new star of Broadway's upcoming Promises Promises). That, turned out to be just rumor, her reps confirmed, however, reports are now circulating that Johannson is in search of the next big movie musical in which to star. The actress apparently grew up with big dreams of becoming the next Judy Garland, and she is reportedly letting the Hollywood executives know, according to IMDB News.

Sources to Roger Friedman's Showbiz411.com are revealing that Jim Stern, of Endgame Productions, may 'swing' to the rescue and fill in SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off The Dark's $10 million money gap.

Despite numerous reports picked up on the rumor patrol, it seems that the particularly juicy one suggesting that Scarlett Johanssen will be starring in the upcoming Broadyway production of Promises Promises is in fact just that: rumor.

'Tis been the season of exciting news. RENT and IN THE HEIGHTS are setting out on National Tours. Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta Jones have finally been confirmed for the Broadway revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and celebrity imports like Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig and Jude Law are hanging around town while staring in A STEADY RAIN (Jackman and Craig) and HAMLET (Law). But alas, every industry has its underbelly, which was clearly manifested in actor Randy Quaid's arrest in Malfa Texas last Thursday for skipping out on a California hotel bill in excess of $10,000, the Texas cops are reporting.

The gossip blogs are abuzz this morning with news that Lily Allen has decided to retire from singing. The singer has 'confirmed' that she will be taking time off from music indefinitely and will thus not be recording a follow-up album to her wildly successful 'It's Not Me, It's You' or tour any further with this current record.