When It Comes To Broadway, Stoppard's On A Roll
When It Comes To Broadway, Stoppard's On A RollNot enabling any moss to grow under his feet, playwright Tom Stoppard -- whose critically-acclaimed marathon theatrical production The Coast Of Utopia is the early favorite to win the Best Play Tony -- will enjoy another highly anticipated Broadway opening later this year.
Having already enjoyed a celebrated, sold-out run in London, Stoppard's Rock 'N' Roll is now confirmed for a Broadway transfer this November at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Rock 'N' Roll is described by London's Royal Court Theatre -- where it premiered last summer -- as "[T]he years from 1968 to 1990 from the double perspective of Prague, where a rock 'n' roll band comes to symbolise resistance to the Communist regime, and of Cambridge where the verities of love and death are shaping the lives of three generations in the family of a Marxist philosopher."
Trevor Nunn, who helmed the London production, will have the honors of directing the play in New York. Additionally, most of its heralded cast will make the transfer as well, including Olivier Award-winning Rufus Sewell (last seen on Broadway in the original mounting of Translations in 1995), Brian Cox and Sinéad Cusack.
After the resounding success of The Coast Of Utopia, expect Broadway to be positively buzzing about this work, roundly considered one of Stoppard's best ever. While I regretfully missed The Coast Of Utopia, I won't miss Rock 'N' Roll.
As for The Coast Of Utopia, you can still vote for it along with all your picks for the shows that will earn Tonys in the categories of Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play in the SOB Polls on the right-hand column of this site.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, London, Play, Rock 'n' Roll, Rufus Sewell, The Coast Of Utopia, Tom Stoppard, Transfer
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, May 16, 2007
5 Comments:
steve can you drop a note to postmaster@roofsewell.com and let me know where you've heard this? We've been waiting for ages for a confirmation on it and as of a couple of weeks ago, Rufus himself wasn't completely sure about the cast. I'd love to put it up as a fact, but I need to know your source. Rufus is in Thailand making a picture so he's not available to comment at the moment, so we're counting on you. :D
thank you!
Oops, sorry. I meant to add Coast of Utopia was slick, gorgeous and well-written (stoppard(duh!)) and I loved it, but Rock 'n' Roll had the incredible brilliance of Rufus Sewell who has to be one of the most gifted and intelligent actors of this generation. It's an experience not to be missed and I will not miss viewing it again when it comes to Broadway this autumn.
Thanks for the comments, Maxx. I've e-mailed you separately, but the source was Playbill, which I thought I had referenced. Sorry for the confusion!
Also, from everything I've read and heard about Sewell's performance, as well as the show itself, I have this at the top of my list for must-see theatre.
I think the Times confirmed Rock 'n' Roll, too. But this really should be a surprise to no-one. A massively successful play in London by a playwright who is currently massively successful HERE gets his new, popular play, pulled to Broadway?
What a shocker. Good reporting on it, though. :) Between this and the Mamet, Broadway's going to crush me.
Aaron, You're correct. Yesterday, The New York Times' Lawrence Van Gelder filed a story that appeared online. Click here for that story that confirms Rufus Sewell's upcoming Broadway participation.
Aaron, I'm with you on both Stoppard and Mamet's upcoming works - it's already shaping up to be a promising year for new plays on the Great White Way. Yet it's Rock 'N' Roll that ranks right up at the top of the list for me.
Cheers!
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