THE MUSIC MAN 🎵

[jo]

There is something fresh about this casting … and I am getting excited at the possibility that the revival will not be a stale repeat of previous productions...but a new and fresh handling of the material! After all, putting a more contemporary tone to a period musical worked so well with Greatest Showman! Maybe some of the songs are sacrosanct but how Hugh and Sutton ( and the rest of the cast) take them on could have a hint of a more contemporary treatment. If Oklahoma! could be reinvented - why not another musical of the same era ( this time set in deep Americana!)?

It looks like the reception at BWW is very positive!

Jo

[jo]

Here's the exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sutton-foster-star-opposite-hugh-jackman-music-man-1194655

The Hollywood Reporter

CULTURE
Sutton Foster to Star Opposite Hugh Jackman in 'The Music Man' (Exclusive)
6:00 AM PDT 3/25/2019 by David Rooney

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Sutton Foster


The two-time Tony Award-winning triple threat and star of the hit TV Land series 'Younger' will return to Broadway after a six-year absence.

When Hugh Jackman croons "Till There Was You" in The Music Man, he'll be singing it to Sutton Foster.

Producer Scott Rudin confirmed today that the two-time Tony Award winner and star of the TV Land cult hit series Younger (which moves to the Paramount Network this spring for its sixth season) will return to the stage next year. Foster will play Marian Paroo to previously announced lead Jackman's "Professor" Harold Hill in the Broadway revival of Meredith Willson's 1957 musical comedy classic.

Foster's statement suggests she's already getting into the spirit of the show: "There were bells on a hill but I never heard them ringing. No, I never heard them at all. Till there was Hugh." Jackman leaked the news early on Twitter and Instagram, posting a photo of him dancing with Foster at the 2014 Tony Awards.

The role of the small-town Iowa librarian and piano teacher, who sees through the scam of charming con man Hill but ends up falling in love with him, will mark Foster's return to Broadway after a six-year absence.

One of the New York stage's most accomplished actor-singer-dancers, Foster won her first Tony as lead actress in a musical in 2002 for her breakout star turn in Thoroughly Modern Millie and landed the same award again in 2011 for Anything Goes. She received Tony nominations in 2005 for Little Women, in 2006 for The Drowsy Chaperone, in 2009 for Shrek: The Musical and in 2014 for Violet.

She earned critical plaudits in the title role of a 2016 stripped-down off-Broadway staging of Sweet Charity, which was rumored at the time to be mulling a Broadway move, though that transfer failed to materialize.


"I've been a giant, besotted fan since Millie," Rudin told The Hollywood Reporter, speaking about Foster. "I think she's brilliant and I've wanted to work with her for years. In terms of what we're going for in this production, which is a rich, exciting, vibrant love story, she's a fantastic partner for Hugh. When this show works brilliantly it's when the Marian is a genuine obstacle to him, and I think she'll be that in spades."

"I've heard her sing it, I think she sings it better than anyone has ever sung it since 1957 and I think she's going to be completely stunning in it in a way that people do not have even the barest understanding of right now," added Rudin, hinting also at further enticing casting to come in the show's key supporting roles.

The legendary Barbara Cook played Marian in the long-running original Broadway production of The Music Man, winning a Tony for best featured actress in a musical, while Rebecca Luker scored a nomination for the same role, upgraded to the leading actress category, in the 2000 revival.

The upcoming production will be directed by four-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, reassembling the key creative team from Rudin's record-breaking 2017 blockbuster revival of Hello, Dolly! Preview performances begin Sept. 9, 2020, at a Shubert theater to be announced, ahead of an Oct. 22 official opening.
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It looks like Scott Rudin is using THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER to make official announcements for this revival.

This is good because THR has a very wide reach and will help in the marketing of the stage revival.

But --

Which could make ticket-buying an even more excruciating and uber-expensive affair

Arghhh… when the first day for ticket buying takes place!


Jo

[jo]

I've been looking for this clip in the last hour --

[jo]

The publicity train has exploded at the news!


Social media is rejoicing - the tweets won't stop


Not just theatre ( of Hugh and Sutton) and film fans ( of Hugh) but the trades, film and theatre blog sites, entertainment sites...and everyone else who thought this must be the entertainment news of the day



Best one --

The 2021 TONYs will be so exciting!




Interesting --

*All the Hollywood trades and filmblog sites and entertainment sites are reporting the news -- so there will be uber-awareness of this upcoming revival!

*Telecharge and Shubert Organization tweeted the Playbill news! That is almost a 100% assurance that it will be a Shubert Theatre! Will they get the premiere SHUBERT Theatre itself ( Mockingbird is current resident, another Rudin production) or will Hugh want to revisit the IMPERIAL ( relatively free of commitments)! Telecharge - here we come!! Hope we don't expire with frustration on the first day of ticket sales.

*Billboard has also tweeted the news! Are they expecting a best-selling cast recording album?!!

*Film critics/bloggers have also welcomed the news ( e.g., Brit critic Mark Shenton)..while London fans are hoping the show also transfer across the pond.


Jo

[mamaleh]

Re Ms. Foster's statement: "... Till there was Hugh." -- She must have read my Instagram comment when HJ was announced as star of the revival. . Even so, I'm sure a lot of people had that same thought. I like the casting. At 44 she's a good age match for HJ, and at 5'9" makes a much better visual pairing than a tiny Kristin Chenoweth would with Hugh. I look forward to seeing who else are cast in pivotal supporting roles, especially the character of Marcellus Washburn, who leads off the "Shipoopi" dance.

Ellen

[jo]

When you look at the initial project announcement at THR, they have already mentioned that it will open at Shubert House!

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Hugh will sing that number " Ya Got Trouble" - don't rub it in, Mr. Hill/Mr. Jackman!

[jo]

Over the years --

[jo]

From our Greatest Showman workshop notes --

Dec 24, 2017 20:50:36 GMT -5 jo said:

And the first one --

Mar 31, 2017 11:20:37 GMT -5 jo said:

preprod.instagram.com/p/BSTYpFIhwfP/?taken-by=kealasettle

It looks like this was one of the 5 workshops! Hugh is almost bald -- so this must be right after he wrapped filming for PAN ( sometime in June 2014?).

Aaron Tveit is on the right hand side wearing a maroon checked shirt.


Ellen -- can you spot Sutton Foster ?

EDIT: Reposted by Keala in March 2017

http://instagr.am/p/BSTYpFIhwfP

Note : Sutton is in the green cardigan, in front of Keala.

Jo

[jo]

A clearer one --

Both are tall and brunette and excellent dancers and are powerhouse belters!



Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Remember this from that same 2014 TONYs hosted by Hugh?





That was fun

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Loved the hashtag #TillThereWasHugh

[jo]

Will there be tap dancing


Here's Sutton in Anything Goes!

[jo]

[carouselkathy]

Mar 25, 2019 13:08:03 GMT -5 jo said:

CHANNELING ETHEL MERMAN!

[carouselkathy]

I've been listening to Sutton on YouTube. At first, I was afraid she might belt out "Till There Was You" like Ethel Merman, but she has a very versatile voice, with a nice soprano sound . I already knew she was a great dancer, so she will be a wonderful "Marian". She's a great choice for the role.

[jo]

Much debate on the casting of The Music Man going on with the theatre chateratti

*Is Sutton right for the role - she is more known as a belter and supposedly classified as a mezzo.
*Can she sing the role as it was used to be in previous incarnations?
*Is she well known enough outside of the Broadway world?
*Did they consider people of color for the leads ( such as Norm Lewis as Harold and Audra as Marian)?
*With the matching of ages of the casting of the leads ( Sutton is only some 7 years younger than Hugh), will there be a 10-year old brother? Or will they pursue the possibility she is actually Marian's child?
*Did Jessie Mueller being in a current/recent Washington DC revival work out against her getting the Broadway role?
*Will Sutton be paid the same as her male lead?

[jo]

Will Sutton be paid the same as her male lead --

Interesting response from a theatre fan on All That Chat :

re: Sutton Foster Joins Hugh Jackman in THE MUSIC MAN
Posted by: Chazwaza 06:13 pm EDT 03/25/19
In reply to: re: Sutton Foster Joins Hugh Jackman in THE MUSIC MAN - AnnieBlack 11:56 am EDT 03/25/19

there's no way, and nor should she be. The show is only happening because of Jackman's appearance, and the ticket prices and sales will be almost entirely due to his being in the show.

This isn't a question of a woman not getting paid as much as her male counterpart... Jackman is a global box office star and draw in film and also a proven sell-out star in the theater. Sutton is a dependable theater star but not a dependable box office star and while she is known to some for her tv work she is not a name star of tv or movies. There is absolutely no comparing the two in terms of star power or box office power.

[jo]

This is sad -- especially if the ticket prices are not within reach of typical theatre fans! And add travel to the cost of the trip - it will not be within reach of many. Hope the producers ( and Hugh) work out something so a good number of tickets are priced more reasonably - how about 100 RUSH tickets per day - lol - probably a pipe dream but why not

Or maybe film a particular performance...and release it even after the run with Hugh and Sutton ?

[jo]

There's much comparison to the prospects of The Music Man with a recent Scott Rudin production of Hello,Dolly!

Interesting post on BWW and a related Forbes.com article quoted therein --

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Posted: 3/26/19 at 9:22am

I love Laura Osnes and was hoping she'd get it (I'm presuming she also auditioned for it) but am very happy for Sutton! I love Jesse Mueller too and would have been happy had Laura or Jesse gotten it. In addition, Hugh Jackman is an A-list hollywood star that even a super talented unknown (perhaps even POC) would have been fine with me!

Do Broadway producers normally make announcements like this super early? This is for the 2020-2021 season after all! Why do you guys think Rudin made the announcement so early?

I recently read an article from last summer (https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2018/08/27/hello-dolly-closes-with-broken-records-trickling-roi/#72ec0c802dd0 that Rudin likes to bundle projects together for investors (i.e. if you wanted to be an investor for Hello Dolly back in 2017 you also had to invest in Glass Menagerie or Doll's House Part 2, which I doubt recouped.)

I'm curious what Rudin has in store for 2021 and by having this surefire hit, I hope he'll produce some riskier plays/musicals on Broadway that season too.

Broadway's 'Hello, Dolly!' Closes With Broken Records, Trickling Profits


Lee Seymour
Contributor

Hollywood & Entertainment
I cover theater, money, and their ongoing love-hate relationship



So long dearie, hello profits. Sort of.

The Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly! concluded this weekend, after an unprecedented run. Original star Bette Midler returned for the final weeks, elevating grosses back to eye-watering levels, with a final frame tally of $2.34 million. During her initial award-winning stint, the show broke its own box office record twelve times.

But for a hit that grossed $128.19 million (more than any revival in Broadway history not called Chicago), some investors have been grumbling. While the production recouped its $15.9 million investment last winter, a detailed report of its finances disclosed that backers only made 5% on their buy-in as of last week.

In particular, the report flagged lavish spending by the show's producer, Scott Rudin. Despite being almost completely sold-out for the duration of Midler's stint, the show was still running $150,000 of ads per week. (Rudin declined to comment when asked for this story).

Possibly in response to the report, the show's LLC distributed additional checks over the weekend. Several investors confirmed today that another 5% had come in, with a note saying more was on the way. This makes the musical's financial picture a bit more rosy than initially disclosed.

The larger context, however, is what's causing the grousing. In order to get a piece of Dolly's pie, most investors were required to put money into riskier projects on the producer's slate, too. According to them, even a 15% profit on Dolly wouldn't cover half the losses taken on A Doll's House, Part 2 or The Glass Menagerie, which closed last year.


"The whole thing is indecent," said one dejected investor. (None would be quoted by name, as Rudin's offering documents contain non-disparagement clauses).

Indecent or not, it's not completely out of left field. Many producers "bundle" their projects for investors, mitigating risks with surefire hits. If one puts money into such a slate, one likely won't be making a mint. It's more of a mutual fund approach than betting it all on a single stock.

Also important to note is that Rudin acts as managing member for the LLCs behind his shows. As such, he has sole discretion over when and how to return funds. When asked for clarification, one co-producer responded with a flurry of expletives, concluding: "Look, they know how he operates. They knew what they were getting into. And he made them money."
However one slices the Dolly pie, its final week on the boards was a bright one indeed. The production was second only to Hamilton on the list of Broadway's highest-grossing shows, as almost every other production saw a decline in sales. It's also sending out a two-year national tour next month, starring Betty Buckley.

The industry overall sank 5.08% to a total of $33.66 million, fueled by big drops at Waitress (down $327k) and Springsteen On Broadway (down $477k as the Boss took a day off). Pretty Woman, however, broke the house record at the Nederlander Theatre for the second time, at $1.15m outgrossing long-running hits The Book Of Mormon ($1.1m) and Phantom Of The Opera ($998k).

The dog days of summer are tough on the Main Stem, as buyers and producers alike prep for Labor Day getaways. Expect things to pick up again in a few weeks, once the new season gets up to steam.

Lee is an actor, writer, producer, and investor. Follow him @leemourseymour or visit www.lee-seymour.com to learn more.

For one, Scott Rudin had to secure Hugh Jackman's involvement in the project early on given that Hugh can have a very busy schedule. He is due for a 76-date music tour across Europe, across the USA, in Canada, and across Australia, in New Zealand. Immediately after that, he is due to start filming REMINISCENCE. And it won't be farfetched if he has another film project before he starts rehearsals for THE MUSIC MAN. So, it is really a coup for Mr. Rudin to have been able to persuade Hugh Jackman ( who may have other stage offers before his commitment to the Rudin project) to a major Rudin production of a stage revival. Also, selling seats a year ahead of first previews ( and even much earlier for group sales) will also allow Rudin to gauge the popularity of the show ( and may affect his decision on future publicity...as well of course as assuring funding early on.).

Unlike Bette Middler, Hugh Jackman's name has the gravitas to reach worldwide audiences because of his film background and likely arising from his upcoming tour, so maybe the heavy advertising for Hello,Dolly! need not be repeated for THE MUSIC MAN. Many domestic and overseas tourists who visit New York may be attracted to a show starring Hugh Jackman because he is already a known factor ( maybe partly due to the recent fame of The Greatest Showman). He doesn't have to be "sold" to potential audiences (unlike Broadway stars who do not enjoy the same level of fame and familiarity of their work).


Jo

[njr]

Paul McCartney and The Beatles singing Til There Was You:

Royal Command Performance, 1963:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=uDxCg1nxUko

Washington, D.C. Coliseum Feb. 1964:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=3rL7_XcpZJg (faster version, but he gets the words right - tell, not send!)