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| Last update: January 29, 2012 |
Dan, president of the Canadian-based Dancap Productions, said in a statement, "As PRINCE OF BROADWAY has developed over the past year, we have come to the conclusion that the show must go directly to Broadway. Over the past year, the scale of the show has grown so considerably that the costs of a pre-Broadway tryout no longer make financial sense. While we are, of course, disappointed that the production won't premiere in Toronto, the financial implications coupled with the creative team and acting company schedules necessitated this revised plan to open directly on Broadway." The show, exploring the past 60 years of Broadway history, "will look at the circumstances and fortune, both good and bad, that led to Hal Prince creating some of the most enduring and beloved theatre of all time, including The Pajama Game, West Side Story, Fiorello!, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history." Prince said in a statement, "Happily, Susan Stroman is co-directing with me and David Thompson is the writing the book for a cast of my favorite performers, most of whom I've worked with numerous times. I'll miss opening in Toronto because that city has been very good to me on many occasions. But hopefully, Torontonians will visit us in New York and, if things turn out as well as we wish, we’ll visit them subsequently." PRINCE OF BROADWAY will feature words and music from the shows that have earned Hal Prince a record 21 Tony Awards. Theatre, casting and dates will be announced." in Playbill On-Line by Kenneth Jones / image © Al Hirschfeld |
Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen are producing the workshop of the musical, which is aiming for a Broadway bow in spring 2013, according to a previous report in the New York Times. The fanciful new musical from Oscar-winning producers Jinks and Cohen is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 Columbia Pictures film written by John August. Mary Mitchell Campbell is the musical director. The musical, according to the casting notice, is described as such: "Rollicking fantasy set in the American South. Centers on the charismatic Edward Bloom, whose impossible stories of his life’s epic adventures frustrate his son Will. Now, with Edward on his deathbed, Will must embark on his own journey to find out who his father really is, unraveling the man from the myth, the truth from the tall tales." The novel was first published in 1998. Tim Burton directed the 2003 film starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Helena Bonham Carter. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, Grammy, seven Golden Globes and a BAFTA. Stroman, a 2011 Tony Award nominee for her direction and choreography of “The Scottsboro Boys”, is the creative force of nature behind the Tony Award-winning “Contact”, “The Producers” and “Crazy for You”. Composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa was a 2010 Tony Award nominee for his score to “The Addams Family”, which was recently revised for its national tour. He also wrote the scores for the musicals “A Little Princess”, “The Wild Party” and “jon & jen”. Librettist August received a 2004 BAFTA nomination for his screenplay for "Big Fish." His other credits include "Go," "Titan A.E.," "Charlie's Angels," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Corpse Bride," "The Nines" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," for which he received a 2006 Grammy nomination for lyrics. He is a graduate of Drake University and USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Jinks and Cohen are Academy Award-winning producers of "American Beauty" and "Milk." Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman participated in an earlier reading of Big Fish; participants in readings do not necessarily always move on to future productions." in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans & Kenneth Jones |
The first production since its Broadway run, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS will feature the original direction and choreography of Susan Stroman, re-created by Jeff Whiting. The company will include original Broadway cast members Derrick Cobey, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, Forrest McClendon, JC Montgomery and Clinton Roane, who will be joined by newcomers Andrew Arrington, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Nile Bullock, Ron Holgate, Eric Jackson, David Bazemore and Kaci Fannin. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS features music and lyrics by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb and book by David Thompson. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS according to the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is a "stirring and highly original musical that explores the infamous 1930's 'Scottsboro Case' in which a group of African-American teenagers are falsely accused of a terrible crime, ultimately provoking a national outrage that laid the groundwork for the American Civil Rights movement." "THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is about nine boys who are just trying to survive - to get a job, get back home, start a life. And, above all, prove to the world that they matter," said librettist David Thompson in a statement. Continued Susan Stroman: “A uniquely American story about an important chapter of American history, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is a story that still has relevance today. So many of those issues are unresolved, and threaten to remain so unless we engage in a dialogue about them. I look forward to working at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Our hope is this production will be a way to get the conversation started, and to carry it forward.” THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS reunites the original creative team of set designer Beowulf Boritt, lighting designer Ken Billington, costume designer Toni-Leslie James and sound designer Peter Hylenski. PTC favorite Eric Ebbenga returns as music director. Tickets starting at $25 are available by calling the PTC Box Office at (215) 985-0420 or by visiting PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre is located at Broad and Lombard Streets." in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans |
July 16, 2011 - Back in Time: SUSAN STROMAN at Miss Dottie's Dance Studio - A few weeks ago I received an email from an old Susan Stroman colleague, Sandy Demasi, who danced with her at Miss Dottie’s Dance Studio in Meadow Wood, Kirkwood Highway, DE . In that email she sent me two photos from those days and, after getting her permission, I’m sharing them with you. According to Sandy, those pictures were taken back in 66 or 67 and Susan is on the end. by Jorge |
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At that theatre, Susan starred in APPLAUSE, PROMISES PROMISES and THE MUSIC MAN (according to Richard, there’s a chance she was also responsible for the choreography or direction of that show; something she would brilliant do many years later on Broadway). You can see the three photos by clicking here. Have fun.
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March 16th, 2008 - Trivia About SUSAN STROMAN in the 70s - Imagine my surprise one when, a few weeks ago, I received an email from a guy who worked with Susan back in the early 70s. He, not only sent me a few pictures of those times, but also had some trivia regarding her. As you can imagine I asked him permission to use the pictures and the piece of information he gave me, so here it is both with the blessing of Richard Mullin. Back in 1974, Richard worked with Susan in the dinner theater production of WEST SIDE STORY – the show played for 32 performances during January, February and March 1974 at the 3 Little Bakers Dinner Theater in Kennett Square. She played the role of Velma, one of The Jets Girls, and Richard was Officer Krupke, Gladhand and a detective. |
| Susan and Debbie Bouma in WEST SIDE STORY |
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According to Richard “In those days, Susan was still a student at the University of Delaware and I was a public school teacher whose evenings were spent being a character actor in regional community and dinner theaters. Susan was obsessed dancing. When she wasn’t onstage, she was usually off in a corner trying out tap steps with several other cast members – namely Debbie Bouma, Scott Newborn and Rick Ginn. The four of them would move in unison while Sue spoke that “Step, Ball, Change” dance language of hers softly, yet rhythmically, to them. The cast spent a lot of time together over four months – we rehearsed during December 1973 and early January 1974. On production nights, we’d go through the dinner theater line and have our evening meal together before the show and after the show go out for a nightcap or party before heading home. That continued until the show closed in March”. |
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| Susan and Rick Ginn | Susan and Terrance Versailles |
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On the Summer of 74, Susan and her friend Debbie Bouma visited California, where they attended a taping of Johnny Carson’s TONIGHT SHOW, although in that day Carson was replaced by Joey Bishop. They “sat in the front row wearing their tap shoes. He spotted them, actually asked them their names and they danced a couple of steps and got some applause. It was broadcast nationally!” I would love to see this someday. While still in California, ”they attended an on-location night shooting for the movie THE TOWERING INFERNO. They became crowd extras (uncredited of course) in the scenes showing the public watching the fire as the fire engines arrive.” I guess the next time I see THE TOWERING INFERNO I’ll try to locate Susan among the extras. During those days, back in New York, it seems that Susan and Debbie went to Fisherman ’s Wharf, where they danced and picked up tips from the crowd. Who would have guessed that one day Susan would be such a great name on Broadway. Thanks Richard for all these information and for the pictures. by Jorge / photo © Richard Mullin & Fr. Coppinger (the color one) |
| Susan, Debbie Bouma and Rick Ginn in WEST SIDE STORY |
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