Rialto Chatter - Page 7

BroadwayWorld's Rialto Chatter was the first to break the news in January that INTO THE WOODS was to play the Delacorte Theatre as part of the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park season.

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is where Doyle debuted his actor-musician production of Sondheim and George Furth's COMPANY which transferred to Broadway in 2006. The production earned Doyle the Tony Award for Best Revival and a nomination for Best Direction. Has he struck gold again? Let's see what the local critics had to say...

Comedian, talk show host, producer and star Rosie O'Donnell has made no secret of her desire to play 'Miss Hannigan' in the upcoming Broadway revival of ANNIE. Now, an insider has told the Huffington Post that she will indeed be returning to Broadway in the revival. The source told HP: 'Ro loves Broadway and is super excited about playing the part. The paperwork hasn't been signed yet but the negotiations are well under way. This is a great role that she will be able to sink her teeth into and will get her back to acting and performing live, which has always been her first love."

Today, multiple outlets reporting on the cancellation of THE ROSIE SHOW on the Oprah Winfrey Network report that when the news was revealed, O'Donnell was in New York, 'taking a meeting for a revival of ANNIE.'

At the end of January, the producers of REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier novel (later turned into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock) announced that the production would be postponed until next season. The Village Voice's Michael Musto is reporting that the show might be making its Broadway debut sooner than expected. Musto writes: 'They have started rehearsing again and they plan to take over the Broadhurst Theatre when A Streetcar Named Desire exits.'

The producers of SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK are planning to take the show on an arena tour to London and Hamburg, according to Michael Riedel of nypost.com.

According to the dailymail.co.uk, Victoria Beckham has refused to take part in a reality TV casting show for the VIVA FOREVER Spice Girls musical.

The show transfered to London's West End and opened November 24 to tremendous critical acclaim. Today, Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post that the show is now aiming to open on Broadway in the Spring of 2013, produced by the RSC themselves and overseen by Andre Ptaszynski, who formerly ran Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Group.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Patti LuPone's latest concert, Patti LuPone: The Gypsy In My Soul, which she performs tonight, February 1, at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin will be filmed for an HBO documentary special. Patrons of tonight's concert were alerted via an email today of the HBO filming.

According to the NY Post, Ann-Maragret will be heading to the Great White Way in a play by Sandra Hochman. Cindy Adams writes: 'Debuting on B'way in a comic role, it'll star Ann-Margret. Based on Sandra's old children's book, it's a family show. Now all they need is to raise $3 mil.'

Deadline.com is reporting that Raven-Symoné, known most for starring on the Disney Channel's THATS SO RAVEN will take over for the Tony and Olivier nominated Patina Miller in Broadway's SISTER ACT. The web site reports that she will begin rehearsals at the end of February, and will debut at the end of March 2012 for a 6 month engagement in the show.

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post today that the upcoming revival of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, which has been hunting for a theatre since this past summer, will take Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (which had been booked by REBECCA up until yesterday) for a Spring 2012 opening.

The Wizard of Oz's latest newsletter tells us that Michael Crawford's replacement will be announced shortly but until that time the casting is 'strictly confidential' - so does that mean the Strictly Come Dancing star is in the frame to take over?

Michael Riedel writes in today's New York Post that composer Andrew Lloyd Webber will be screening the filmed version of the Australian production of LOVE NEVER DIES to theatre executives in New York next week, with the hopes that it'll lead to a production on the road or in New York.

BWW:UK understands that the row over royalties for the Les Miserables original cast recording has now been resolved - and the cast will be receiving their royalties in the future!

After we broke the news on Saturday that the Les Miserables original cast are currently locked in a row regarding royalty payments on their recording, actors' union Equity have responded to First Night Records' accusation that the original contract was 'silly'.

BWW:UK understands that the original cast of Les Miserables are currently locked in a dispute with First Night Records about the royalties of their cast recording. Peter Polycarpou (originally ensemble, later Grantaire and Thenardier; and then John in Miss Saigon) tweeted on Friday: 'First Night Records have said that they no longer want to pay us Les Mis royalties after 25 years.'

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that director Scott Faris has joined the production team of the Broadway-bound Wililam Shatner's SHATNER'S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT as director. The show will play from February 14 - March 4 at the Music Box Theater on Broadway, before embarking on a national tour.

On January 6, Michael Riedel reported in the New York Post that LEAP OF FAITH, which had been planning for a Fall 2012 debut on Broadway was hoping to move to the Spring of 2012 instead. Today, Patrick Healy of The New York Times has confirmed that hope, via a newsletter from producer Daryl Roth, in which she notes that there should be news 'shortly' and that 'hopefully' the show will open in the Spring.

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that the hit open-air production of INTO THE WOODS that played London's Regent's Park Theatre in 2011 is now planning for a transfer to Central Part's Delacorte Theater as part of the Public Theater's Summer 2012 programming. Casting is said to be underway already for the role of 'The Witch' and that the producers are seeking a big name. Nothing officially has been announced on a possible transfer, as The Public is expecting to announce the 2012 summer season at the Delacorte sometime next month. The Public Theatre had no comment by press time.