Thursday, June 02, 2005

Lennon: The Musical Skipping Boston and Is Headed Straight to Broadway

According to this article in Playbill, it sounds like the out-of-town tryout in San Francisco for Lennon: The Musical went really well, so they're bringing it straight to Broadway...as soon as they can dislodge Billy Crystal and his 700 Sundays from the Broadhurst Theatre.

I've always been more of a McCartney-ite...but this sounds like a ton of fun and it feels like this belongs in New York. I can't wait to see it.

Broadway-Bound Lennon Cast Set to Start Rehearsals in New York Next Week
By Ernio Hernandez

The cast for the upcoming Lennon are back in New York and will begin rehearsals next week for the show's Broadway debut, according to production spokespersons.

The new musical Lennon recently announced that it would skip its scheduled Boston run following its world premiere at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre and head right to New York for previews starting June 28 and the original opening night, July 28. Then they rescheduled the start to July 7 and opening to Aug. 4 when Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays announced it would extend at the Broadhurst Theatre through June 12.

Billed as "A musical biography, a concert, and a celebration all in one," Lennon will take audiences "on a magical, mythical journey behind the greatest rock legacy and the boldest love story of our time — with words, images and some of the best pop songs ever written." according to show materials. "From the Beatles to the Bed-Ins, from his musical partnership with Paul to his life partnership with Yoko, Lennon will bring you back to a time when music could change your soul... and one musician could change the world."

Written and directed by Don Scardino (A Few Good Men), the new musical Lennon features nine actors portraying the late Beatles singer-songwriter John Lennon at various stages in his life backed by an onstage 10-piece band. 27 songs from the substantial Lennon oeuvre will be featured in the musical, among them "Imagine," "Instant Karma," "Give Peace a Chance," "(Just Like) Starting Over," and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night."

Will Chase (Aida), Chuck Cooper (Caroline, or Change), Julie Danao (Rent, Aida tours), Mandy Gonzalez (Aida, Dance of the Vampires), Marcy Harriell (Lucky Duck, "Ed"), Chad Kimball (Into the Woods), Terrence Mann (Les Misérables), Julia Murney (The Wild Party) and Michael Potts (Twelfth Night) comprise the ensemble cast of the new Broadway musical.

Producers Allan McKeown, Edgar Lansbury, Clear Channel Entertainment and Jeff Sine present Lennon by arrangement with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Ono also gave permission for the production to use two unpublished Lennon songs "India, India" and "I Don't Want to Lose You."

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1 Comments:

As someone who saw the tryout in SF, I didn't think it was a particularly good show. In general, it lacked energy, a sense that the cast was really into what they were doing. If you can't have the entire audience standing up and singing along, or at least tapping their feet, when you do "Give Peace a Chance" in San Francosc, you're doing something wrong. Maybe they've put it back into rehersals and tweeked it before the New York run. I hope so.

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