Paul Abrams News

The nominees have been announced for the prestigious 48th annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards that will take place at a glamorous function on Sunday 17th March at 6pm at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town.

After a successful season at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch, La Rosa brings their superb new production ...EN AL TABLAO FLAMENCO (...in the flamenco tablao), to the Artscape Theatre from today, 14 to 23 February 2013. It is choreographed by El Truco from Madrid and directed by Carolyn Holden.

After a successful season at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch, La Rosa brings their superb new production ...EN AL TABLAO FLAMENCO (...in the flamenco tablao), to the Artscape Theatre from 14 to 23 February 2013. It is choreographed by El Truco from Madrid and directed by Carolyn Holden.

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.'

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.

Last week's poll asked if you think the show will ever make its way to Broadway. Check out the tight results below!

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.

New BroadwayWorld.com Poll - Will REBECCA Ever Find Its Way to Broadway?

Now according to the New York Post, producers of the show will file a $100 million lawsuit against Hotton, for taking 'tens of thousands of dollars in advances on commissions for bringing in non-existent backers.'

Called 'a considerable threat' to the community and held without bail, if convicted, Hotton, 46, could face 40 years in jail.

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.'

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, October 7, 2012 - Sunday, October 7, 2012.

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.

A decade ago, many disdained the idea of adapting classic plays in the South African idiom. The juxtaposition of THE BLUE IRIS at the Fugard Theatre and MIES JULIE at the Baxter Theatre offers a new opportunity to explore that debate, by no means a new one in the context of South African theatre.