Lead producer of Rebecca, the Broadway musical that was cancelled last Fall, is still intent on bringing the show to Broadway this year. Sprecher told BroadwayWorld that the producing team has brought in an additional $2 million for the production. Another $7 million will need to be raised to reach the $15 million needed to bring the show to Broadway. If the show is to open by the end of 2013, the fundraising goal must be reached by the end of June, and if things go as planned, Sprecher intends to begin rehearsals in October 2013.
The drama surrounding Rebecca, the Broadway musical that was cancelled last Fall, continues to grow, as Bloomberg reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is now investigating what happened bewteen lead producer Ben Sprecher and potential investors for the show. The SEC is reortedly specifically looking into 'whether Sprecher misled a prospective investor, Larry Runsdorf.'
The Open Fist Theatre Company presents THE GOOD THIEF, written by Conor McPherson and directed by Scott Paulin (Foote Notes, St. Nicholas) and starring Michael McGee. Mr. Paulin and Mr. McGee's previous collaboration on the McPherson play St. Nicholas was a critically-acclaimed endeavor at the Stephanie Feury Theatre. THE GOOD THIEF will open tonight, March 24 at 7pm and runs through Monday, April 29 at the Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.
2013's Broadway drama continues to unfold surrounding the musical REBECCA. According to The New York Times, the publicist who formerly represented REBECCA, Marc Thibodeau, has asked the State Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit put forth by the show's producers that accuses Thibodeau of 'defamation and breach of contract and fiduciary duty' for allegedly 'scaring off' a last-minute investor. Thibodeau is arguing that he only warned the potential investor that REBECCA's producers had been taken in by a fraud scheme.
The Open Fist Theatre Company presents THE GOOD THIEF, written by Conor McPherson and directed by Scott Paulin (Foote Notes, St. Nicholas) and starring Michael McGee. Mr. Paulin and Mr. McGee's previous collaboration on the McPherson play St. Nicholas was a critically-acclaimed endeavor at the Stephanie Feury Theatre. THE GOOD THIEF, will preview on St. Patrick's Day - Sunday, March 17 at 7pm; Monday, March 18 at 8pm and will open on Sunday, March 24 at 7pm and runs through Monday, April 29 at the Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.
Today, Michael Riedel reveals that potential investor, who has now been drawn into the controversy is Larry Runsdorf, who the drug manufacturing firm Breckenridge Inc. in 1983 and now lives in Boca Raton. Riedel writes:
Now, Sprecher's attorneys have responded with a new statement of their own:
'Today Rebecca Broadway Limited Partnership and Sprecher/Forlenza Productions, Inc, sued Marc Thibodeau, for $ 100,000,000 based on his breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract as their press agent for the production of Rebecca. As the complaint details, Thibodeau, as the production's press agent, learned that an 'angel' investor was willing to invest the money needed to put the show back on track for a 2012 opening, subject to the condition that the investor insisted on remaining anonymous. Using a false name, Thibodeau first emailed the investor's attorneys, calling their attention to press articles in the NY Times and the NY Post about the production's financial problems that everyone with an interest in the theatre had already seen. When that tactic failed to deter the 'angel' from proceeding, Thibodeau used a different false name to contact the 'angel' directly, alerting the investor that his identity had leaked to at least one individual hostile to the production. Within hours, the 'angel' withdrew his support, requiring that Rebecca, The Musical be postponed yet again.
'Ben Sprecher is now suing the innocent whistleblower with an impeccable reputation on Broadway who anonymously warned an innocent investor not to sink $2 million into the sinking ship that was Rebecca after he learned that the entire Paul Abrams saga was indeed a fraud.
According to a new update from the New York Times, REBECCA's lead producer, Ben Sprecher, is hopeful that the show might make it to Broadway in the coming 2013 season. He told the Times that he believes the necessary funds to mount the show can be raised because of 'the widespread publicity and notoriety surrounding the show after the fraud scheme was revealed.'
A legendary flop gets a second chance, a fabled night spot closes as a new one opens and a mysterious investor supposedly dies of malaria. These were just a few of the stories and issues theatre lovers talked about in 2012.
Ovation, the only network devoted to artists and every kind of artistic expression, is kicking off the New Year with a full slate of artful series, documentaries and films, including those focused on classic and modern painters, a pop icon's most ambitious concert tour, classic and contemporary dancers, the film version of a literary thriller and a behind-the-scenes look at New York's competitive art world. Here are the highlights:
Ovation, the only network devoted to artists and every kind of artistic expression, is kicking off the New Year with a full slate of artful series, documentaries and films, including those focused on classic and modern painters, a pop icon's most ambitious concert tour, classic and contemporary dancers, the film version of a literary thriller and a behind-the-scenes look at New York's competitive art world.
2012 was a banner year for theater in Rhode Island. Several national tours launched their runs in Providence at the PPAC, the Ocean State Theatre Company opened a brand-new venue in Warwick, and Rhode Island's local companies proved their mettle in a season packed with talent and innovation. What follows is a brief look back at five of the stand-out productions of 2012.
BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of St. Paul in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!
BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Rhode Island in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!
Olivier winner Ruthie Henshall (Chicago, Putting It Together), has just announced tour dates for her U.K. tour of her concert, An Intimate Evening with Ruthie Henshall.
Today, the Wall Street Journal reports that the stock broker has been under investigation since 2009 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, in 12 different cases.
It's been said that everyone has a doppelganger out there somewhere, so imagine if you found yours and you could step right into his life without anyone knowing. On January 22, Ovation will invite viewers into the strange and provocative world of John Standing, a man who did just that . . . with fatal consequences.
Quotidian Theatre Company begins its 15th Anniversary Season by breaking new ground with its first musical, the Tony Award winner James Joyce's The Dead.
From the writer of Mosaic's Award-Winning hit, The Seafarer, and the plays Shining City and The Weir, Mosaic presents the Southeast Premiere of The Birds by Tony Award nominee Conor McPherson, running tonight, November 15 through December 9.
