End Of Plank For Pirate Queen?
End Of Plank For Pirate Queen?
Campbell Robertson reports in this morning's The New York Times that Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! will be making a return trip to the Great White Way this November at the St. James Theatre.
Just to get you caught up on the musical theatre version of musical chairs, the highly popular Grinch played last season at the Hilton Theatre, current home to The Pirate Queen. A move to another theatre may on the surface appear to assure that The Pirate Queen plans to be around for a while, right? Wrong.
Earlier this year, when it was announced that Mel Brooks' The Producers would vacate the St. James Theatre, it was almost in the same breath that they announced Brooks' Young Frankenstein would take its place...at the St. James. But since Young Frankenstein needs a home that will last presumably beyond the Holiday season -- and since its creative team was already spied practically measuring the Hilton's curtains a few short weeks ago -- it stands to reason that The Pirate Queen is likely to post its closing notice very soon. It didn't help that the tuner received exactly zero Tony nominations on Tuesday.
Also, Michael Riedel of the New York Post reports that Roger Bart will join the cast of Young Frankenstein in the title role alongside Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster and Shuler Hensley. Riedel says Christopher Fitzgerald will take the role of Igor. The new musical gets its out-of-town tryout at Seattle's Paramount Theatre beginning on August 4.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Pirate Queen $55 tickets.
Related Stories:
Is Pirate Slowly Sinking? (April 18, 2007)
Pirate Queen Attempts Broadway Throne Seizure Tonight (April 6, 2007)
Can Pirate Queen Be Salvaged? (March 23, 2007)
It's Official: Mullally Cast In Young Frankenstein (March 9, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Whither Goeth Chenoweth? (February 27, 2007)
Producers Out, Young Frankenstein In (February 22, 2007)
Producers Out, Young Frankenstein In (February 22, 2007)
Swashbuckling On Broadway (February 1, 2007)
M-G-M: Movies-Going-Musical (January 3, 2007)
SOB Readers Doubt Pirate Queen Will Float (November 21, 2006)
Bailing Out A Sinking Pirate (November 15, 2006)
Critics Assail The Pirate Queen (October 31, 2006)
Young Frankenstein Workshop To Feature Monster Casting (October 11, 2006)
The Pirate Queen (The SOB Review) – Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL (October 30, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Sails Into Chicago Opening Tonight (October 29, 2006)
Pirate Queen to Sail Into Broadway's Hilton Theatre (July 27, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Musical to Sail Into Chicago This Fall (May 15, 2006)
Labels: Film, Hilton Theatre, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Megan Mullally, Mel Brooks, Pure Conjecture, Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Sutton Foster, The Pirate Queen, The Producers, Young Frankenstein
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, May 18, 2007
6 Comments:
Do you think the Hilton is a better theater for Young Frankenstein than the St. James, or does it really not make much difference? Also, I think Roger Bart in the title role sounds promising!
Post Script: Riedel also reports this morning that Andrea Martin will take on the coveted role of Frau Blucher. While I had my heart set on Cloris Leachman recreating her movie role, if there's one actress I can see filling her shoes, it's the extraordinary Martin. I love her.
Roger Bart is promising. He's a terrificly gifted actor. Although he's done lots of television and movie work, I'll bet most people outside theatre won't know who he is. But they undoubtedly will after this.
The Hilton's rap is that it is a cavernous theatre and makes all of its shows look, well, small. But if Young Frankenstein is half the hit they've been promising, it will be huge.
Actually, I think Roger Bart is better known now to the general public from his stint on Desperate Housewives.
The anticipation level for Young Frankenstein seems to be rising pretty high. I just hope the show can meet those expectations!
But I do wonder how many know his name. My guess is that they would recognize him if they saw him, but probably wouldn't know his name.
Post Post Script:
With today's announcement that Coram Boy would soon vacate the Imperial Theatre, there is additional speculation that Young Frankenstein could conceivably settle into that theatre. Then again, maybe not!
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