Donna Englis News

Following REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway and the news that financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested yesterday for his role in the show's collapse, Bloomberg reports that REBECCA's producers now have 10 weeks-until Dec. 31-to raise $4.5 million or face returning millions more to their investors.

The twisting tale of REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway made a new turn this morning with multiple news outlets reporting that troubled financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested this morning at 6am for his role in the show's collapse.

According to the New York Post, Ronald Russo , lawyer for producer Ben Sprecher has now said that 'Sprecher had been led to "Abrams" by shadowy Long Island businessman, Mark Hotton, who told him Abrams died before he could hand over the dough, sources have said. There also were three other investors Hotton told Sprecher about who supposedly promised another combined $2 million for the show, the sources have said. But "following an extensive search over the last week, I can now confirm that there is no evidence whatever that "Paul Abrams" or any of the other three investors brought to this production by Mr. Hotton, ever existed," said Sprecher's lawyer, Ronald Russo. The lawyer said they conducted an investigation in both the US and England.'

As previously reported, the Broadway production of REBECCA, which was to open this fall, has been delayed indefinitely and is now at the center of an investigation to determine if any criminal wrongdoing occured in the show's long road to Broadway.

Now according to the New York Times, the United States attorney's office is investigating whether the investor ever existed in the first place. Sprecher told NYT: "I never made up or fabricated any investor, and I never made up Paul Abrams." He also revealed that a new production of Rebecca is in the works that he 'hoped to mount soon, on Broadway or elsewhere.'

Ben Sprecher and Louise Forlenza, producers for Rebecca, the Musical, announced this afternoon that they were left with no option but to postpone the show. A new timeline has not been announced.

The offstage saga of REBECCA the musical continues to twist and turn with drama of its own. Today, Michael Riedel reports exclusively in the New York Post that, according to his sources, the show 'has been cancelled due to a lack of financing.'

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, REBECCA's lead producer Ben Sprecher recently confirmed the receipt of new financial commitments from investors to alleviate the $4.5 million gap in the musical's budget. Now according to the New York Times, the cast of the show has been notifoed that rehearsals will indeed begin on Monday, October 1.

After sending an email to cast and creative team members as previously reported yesterday, September 20, REBECCA's lead producer Ben Sprecher has confirmed the receipt of new financial commitments from investors to alleviate the $4.5 million gap in the musical's budget, according to The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog.

According to The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog, producer Ben Sprecher of the Broadway musical Rebecca sent an email to the show's cast and crew today with details about the production's fate.

REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel, has delayed the start of its rehearsals by two weeks due to the death of a key investor responsible for a $4.5 million investment pool in the production . REBECCA was scheduled to begin rehearsals Monday, September 10 prior to an October 30 first preview and November 18 premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre.

CAROLS FOR A CURE is the annual two-disc holiday CD compilation of original songs and holiday classics which benefits BC/EFA. These CDs boast the best voices from the worlds of Broadway, Off-Broadway and national tours. A full track list for this year's 14th edition has not yet been announced, but the cast of Broadway-Bound REBECCA was already hard a work recording their track for the album. Check out photos from their recording session below!

Ryan Silverman, just announced for the role of Maxim de Winter in Broadway's upcoming production REBECCA, released a new music video today for 'Come on Down to My House.' Watch the video below!

REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel, has found its male and female leads: Jill Paice will play the role of "I" and Ryan Silverman the role of "Maxim de Winter." REBECCA will open on Broadway Sunday, November 18 at The Broadhurst Theatre. Previews will begin Tuesday, October 30.

Something wicked this way comes to the Bickford Theatre as Tony Award-nominee and American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) joins nearly a dozen Broadway favorites to salute the sinister side of Broadway in the benefit evening Life Upon the Wicked Stage: Broadway's Greatest Villains, Thieves and Ladies of the Evening tonight, June 9, 2012, 8 pm, at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, in Morristown, NJ.

REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier novel (and later turned into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock) will open on Broadway Sunday, November 18 at The Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). Can't wait until November? BroadwayWorld brings you highlights from the Stuttgart production below!

Tickets to the general public are now available for REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel (and later turned into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock) which will open on Broadway Sunday, November 18 at The Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street).

American Idol's Constantine Maroulis (Tony Award-nominee, Rock of Ages) joins nearly a dozen Broadway favorites to salute 'Broadway's most-wonderfully wicked showstoppers' in the gala benefit evening, Life Upon the Wicked Stage: Broadway's Greatest Villains, Thieves and Ladies of the Evening, on Saturday, June 9, 2012, 8 pm, at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, in Morristown, NJ.