Is Rob Ashford's PROMISES, PROMISES Coming to Broadway in the Spring?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 7:23pm

According to this article it might be.

Although a brewing revival of "Brigadoon," to have been directed and choreographed by Ashford, got yanked from the 2008-09 Broadway season (in a move attributed by producers to the unavailability of appropriate Rialto houses), he's on board to helm a potential revival of "Promises, Promises" that could materialize on the Rialto in the spring.


Variety Article

Updated On: 9/7/09 at 07:23 PM

[fflagg]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 7:27pm

Let's hope it is not with Sean Hayes.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 7:56pm

I'd prefer Neil Patrick Harris but I bet they go with Sean.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 8:02pm

I just want this show revived!!

Posted: 9/7/09 at 8:07pm

As a huge fan of the Baharach sound I'm dreading what this will sound like in a reduced revvial--surely at the least we won't have the pit singers.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 9:44pm

Pit singers, I'm afraid are a thing of the past, but a lot of ensemble shows have booths where singers can sing offstage.
They can get a similar sound with that.

Think JERSEY BOYS.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 9:49pm

Better be a damn good Turkey Lurkey or else...

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/7/09 at 10:29pm

As Willy would say,
"Ah, there's the rub".

Posted: 9/8/09 at 1:42am

Turkey Lurkey is so iconic I don't think anyone should try a new one--I don't envy them. It's like Watne Cilento (great dancer but not a great, IMHO choreographer, but still) when he tried doing a new Rich Man Frug for Charity, or Kathleen Marshall foolishly even trying to do a new Who's That Woman for FOllies...

You're right they can have singers sing off stage - Chorus Line did it as well (since they have so many actors in the opening scene.

How many other shows had pit singers though? Tunick and crew claim PP was the first--and Tunick reused it for COmpany, but I'm not sure what else. Of course one reason Bennett wanted it for Promses was so he could hire a chorus of dancers who weren't encesarily the best dancers--nowadays the average "gypsy" is also a great singer.

[bk]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 2:43am

Actually, Bennett had nothing to do with the pit singers - Burt wanted them, Burt got them. Tunick told me that Burt taught him how do write rhythm charts.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 6:36am

Too bad Cyndi Lauper is too old for Fran, she would be perfect.

[sondhead]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 8:24am

Updated On: 11/12/09 at 08:24 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 8:50am

It's also dated and sexist. I loved the show, and saw its original tryout at the National in Washington, then again on Broadway. It was a revolutionary show in many ways, musically and yes, with those pit voices. But the book will need some MAD MEN-izing to go down easy. It's a male world with one pitiful girl in the middle, and a lot of screwing around. And one female clown in act two. The show needs some serious tweaking. I hope they will restore the song that Jennifer Lewis did in the Encores. It provides a much needed female point of view outside sad, suicidal Fran and drunken Marge. But please don't cast someone too young and cute. Neil Patrick is 100% wrong for that role. It needs a young chracter actor who sings, not some toned cutie.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 10:48am

Dreamgirls also had pit singers and actually the upcoming tour will have pit singers as well.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 12:14pm

How close is the book to The Apartment?

Updated On: 9/8/09 at 12:14 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 12:23pm

I also wonder about the cast. I loved the idea of Anne Hathaway in this, but apparently the producers are going after Zooey Deschanel. Any word as to who is attached now?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/8/09 at 12:38pm

Susan Boyle to make her Broadway debut as the Owl Lady.

Posted: 9/9/09 at 1:40am

bk I do not doubt you're right "Actually, Bennett had nothing to do with the pit singers - Burt wanted them, Burt got them. Tunick told me that Burt taught him how do write rhythm charts."

That's what I always heard (I'm a massive Bacharach/David fan) but I was just re-reading Ken Mandelbaum's book abotu Bennett and he credits Bennett (I think he even quotes on e of the dancers so they coulda got it wrong) with the initial idea which Tunick and Bacharach both were thrilled by--but it suited him too as it meant he coudl cast more dancers who couldn't necesarily sing (yeah it's not a huge dance show but Bennett choreographed dancers to do all the scene changes, the famous Grapes of Roth bar scene etc)

[allofmylife]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 2:29am

A simple scan through my score shows the pit singers are in nearly every song.

Posted: 9/9/09 at 5:23am

Well yes but the pit singers are in a huge chunk of the original Company orchestrations too and were removed for revivals. I don't want them gone but that shouldn't matter to producers...

I actually don't midn the idea of Zooey D in this--Hathaway feels a bit too put together and not quirky IMHO

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 6:26am

Doesn't almost every show used "pit singers" these days? I think it is called a "sweetening track" or something like that.
You know, so they can cast all of those "triple threats" who are really just "one threats".