Megan Hilty & Aaron Lazar to Headline Revised CAN-CAN Reading Today

By: Jul. 15, 2013
MEGAN HILTY
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Megan Hilty and Aaron Lazar star in a staged reading of Jonathan Burrows' Broadway-bound revival of the Cole Porter musical Can-Can, beginning today in New York City. The by-invitation-only presentation, featuring Hilty as Pistache and Lazar as Aristide, is also set for tomorrow, July 16, and Wednesday, July 17.

Announced earlier this year, the Cole Porter classic, Can-Can, will kick up its heels in a new production to land on Broadway in Spring 2014. Presented by Jonathan Burrows, nephew of the musical's original book writer Abe Burrows, the new production features a revised book by David Lee (Two By Two and Gigi at Reprise, TV's "Frasier" and "Cheers") and Joel Fields (How I Fell in Love at Abingdon Theatre Company, TV's "Ugly Betty" and "Raising the Bar"). Lee directs the production, featuring choreography by Patti Colombo (Peter Pan) and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Tony Award nominee Steve Orich (Jersey Boys).

With a score featuring some of Porter's most timeless classics including "I Love Paris," "C'est Magnifique," and "It's All Right With Me,"Can-Can is the story of Pistache, the only café owner in Paris who dares to feature the scandalous and illicit Can-Can dance. Will her defiance of the law be the end of both her café and her chance for love?

Can-Can was first presented at Broadway's Shubert Theatre in 1953 by legendary producers Cy Feuer and Ernest H. Martin. The musical made an over-night sensation of Gwen Verdon. A 1960 film adaptation starred Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Maurice chevalier and Louis Jourdan.

When this new version of Can-Can was first presented at The Pasadena Playhouse in 2007, co-author and director David Lee commented "My mentor and good friend James Burrows is the son of Abe. When I mentioned gingerly to him that I was intrigued with trying to work on his dad's show, he was encouraging. Happily, the Cole Porter estate also gave us permission to try out a new approach. The new book is about 80% percent new - but almost all of Abe's original characters remain. Rather than a 'rewriting' of the show, Joel and I like to think of this version as a 're-setting'-as you might a piece of jewelry - polishing up the gems Porter and Burrows left us."



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