The Music Man : Show Development and Promotion

[jo]

It seems Jerry Zaks had another interview ( not the Playbill Q&A) where he shared some sidelights on what may happen to The Music Man.

www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Jerry-Zaks-Shares-Updates-on-Future-of-THE-MUSIC-MAN-MRS-DOUBTFIRE-and-His-Latest-Project--LOVE-LETTERS-20200521

Excerpts --

by Backstage With Richard Ridge May. 21, 2020

Jerry Zaks knew he had a busy year ahead when 2020 began. The four-time Tony winner started the year in rehearsals for Mrs. Doubtfire, which began previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on March 9. Of course, plans changed when Broadway shut down on March 13, leaving an unsure future for the musical, as well as Zaks' next project, the fall revival of The Music Man.

"We did a short lab about a month and a half before we shut down, where Sutton [Foster] and Hugh [Jackman] were working and I was getting to know them. They were dancing a lot with Warren Carlyle, and you could feel the love for the show beginning to grow, even in that small, early way," says Zaks about The Music Man. "When we were shut down, we didn't know when we would be back, so Scott Rudin, Warren, and I continued to work as though we were going into rehearsals in July, meaning we had regular Zoom calls where we would discuss the script page by page... then we all realized that wasn't going to happen. We're all hoping its deferred, an nothing more than that."...

[jo]

The show has stopped selling tickets to THE MUSIC MAN --


www.telecharge.com/eventoverview.aspx?cityName=NY%20City%20Area&productId=12924


www.telecharge.com/Broadway/The-Music-Man/Schedules-Prices

[jo]

This is the wording posted on Telecharge and Broadway Inbound ( Also a Shubert Org ticketing arm, but for group sales) --

TICKETS FOR THE MUSIC MAN ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER.

If the show is cancelled, maybe the wording would have been "TICKETS FOR THE MUSIC MAN ARE NOT AVAILABLE". Does the message refer simply to a rescheduling of the show?


Or are they simply hedging about the fate of the show?


Jo

[jo]

broadwaynews.com/2020/06/22/broadway-shows-expected-to-remain-closed-through-early-january/

SHUTDOWN EXCLUSIVE

Broadway shows expected to remain closed through early January
By Caitlin Huston -5 hours ago

New York entered Phase 2 of reopening on Monday. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP)
Broadway shows will remain closed through at least Jan. 3, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The Broadway League is expected to make an announcement about the new date this week. The League had previously announced a shutdown of all Broadway shows through Sept. 4, but had not said that shows would necessarily resume at that time.

Asked for comment, Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said there is still “no official return date” for Broadway shows.

“While I have been saying for some time that it is highly possible that we would not return until after the first of the year, we have no official return date yet,” St. Martin said in a statement to Broadway News. “We are in discussions with the producers and theatre owners about the best time to return understanding that in the end, it will be the Governor who tells us when we can reopen. We continue to remind everyone that a date for ticket returns and exchanges is not the same as a date to resume performances. We are constantly reviewing the calendar taking into account the information available to us at any given time.”

Like previous closure announcements, the new January closure date is seen as a measure to process additional ticket refunds, rather than as a marker of when Broadway might resume. By staggering the announced closure dates — first through April 13, then June 7 and most recently, Sept. 4 — box offices and ticket sellers are better able to manage their cash flow.

The extension into January is not unexpected. Many in the industry foresaw closures into the winter and potentially through March 2021, or whenever a vaccine becomes available.

The Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall announced the cancellation of their respective fall seasons last week. Carnegie Hall has set a reopening date of Jan. 7, 2021, with the Lincoln Center aiming for February.

On the West End, producer Cameron Mackintosh said his productions of “Les Misérables,” “Mary Poppins,” “Hamilton” and “The Phantom of the Opera” will not return until 2021.

The shutdown of Broadway, which began on March 12, has already led to the closure of the “Hangmen” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” as well as the early closure of “Beetlejuice.”

The new date will now put into question the opening date of the high profile “The Music Man,” which was set to begin previews in September and open on Oct. 15. It also throws a wrinkle into the plans of several non-profit theaters which had rescheduled spring shows for the fall. Those non-profit productions include Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Caroline or Change” and “Birthday Candles,” as well as Lincoln Center Theater‘s “Flying Over Sunset.”

Theaters are not allowed to open until Phase 4, the last phase of New York’s Reopening Plan. On Monday, New York City entered Phase 2 of reopening, which allows outdoor dining and the reopening of hair salons, among other measures.

[jo]

There are conflicting news re the rescheduling of The Music Man which may or not impact on the FERRARI project.

If you are a ticket holder, it seems Telecharge may have decided to reassign new dates to your original purchases ( only seen in the My Telecharge Account) but not on the Event Page of The Music Man ( which says that tickets are not currently available/no announcement re change of dates ) as well as on Prices/Schedule Date. I find it unusual that no official announcement has been made. Based on the unexplained changes, it is supposed to start performances in early April 2021.

But what is even more conflicting is that an interview with Michael Mann re the oncoming FERRARI film project has been released thru DEADLINE ( as reputable as Variety or The Hollywood Reporter) where it was mentioned that a spring 2021 is being shopped to film rights distributors. You cannot make such a part of the offer unless it has more or less been worked out.

Which is which?

I hope Scott Rudin will make an official announcement soon.

I also hope that after the Cannes presentation on Thursday that there will be more concrete news on the FERRARI project.

Jo

[mamaleh]

Jackman’s Landing posted similar information on FB; ditto AllThatChat posted about MM tickets being moved seven months ahead, with previews beginning April 7 and an opening date planned for sometime in May.

Ellen

[jo]

There is no official announcement mentioned -- even Telecharge itself has not made an official announcement and their main TMM page still refers to Sept 9/Oct 15, 2020 as the official dates, with the proviso that they are NOT currently selling any tickets. Same Message about "Not currently selling tickets" on their Prices/Schedule Page. It is only on the My Telecharge Account Info page that one sees the arbitrary changing of dates.

How can this happen - we need an official announcement, especially for those who have to reckon with plane flights and hotel reservations.

Plus there is that conflict of dates with another possible Hugh project.

Is Rudin waiting for a Broadway League official announcement? Is the arbitrary changing of dates just a ploy to avoid claims for refunds ( for those tickets booked under the original dates). But they have been honoring refund claims for maybe the last 2 weeks ( see BWW) -- or has that turned into a deluge for refund claims?

Is a puzzlement


Jo

[jo]

The conflict in dates are causing difficulties especially for overseas tourists --

The tweet can be readily translated --

but in short, the person is conflicted on what to do, given that the show may or may not actually happen on the presumed dates supposedly indicated on the "My Telecharge Account" Page.

At the very least, Rudin and/or Telecharge SHOULD make an official announcement!

And if we can also hear word on the "Ferrari" project? If that pushes thru as shopped with prospective film distributors, then we need to know how The Music Man will be rescheduled.




Jo

[jo]

Someone has pointed out on BWW that this development does not seem likely.

The indication ( not announced) is that Telecharge is rebooking with the same day-of-week/same-type-of-performance/ AND with people sitting side by side, front to back...as they are usually seated in normal circumstances...as early as April 2021! NY is only on Phase 2 of reopening... and Broadway is pushed back to Phase 4. Even with Phase 4, Broadway is one of the riskiest - because unlike moviehouses, the live performances may put the cast ( especially for musicals) to greater health risk. We know how many of the Moulin Rouge cast were infected in the early days of the virus.

We do not want that to happen to Hugh et al!

This makes an official announcement even more important.

Jo

[jo]

OK, guys!!

It's now official!!

http://instagram.com/p/CB0vW6ajiRc

[jo]

[jo]

Exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter --

CULTURE
Hugh Jackman in Broadway's 'Music Man' Back on Track for Spring 2021 (Exclusive)
9:00 AM PDT 6/24/2020 by David Rooney


Courtesy of Heather Wines/CBS via Getty Images
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman, who will co-star in 'The Music Man'



Also starring Sutton Foster, the musical revival originally slated for the fall will now begin performances April 7, aiming to rouse Broadway out of its extended slumber.

If anyone can reawaken Broadway from an unprecedented shutdown that has left many insiders fearful for the theater industry's future, it's Hugh Jackman.



Producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen on Wednesday confirmed that their large-scale revival of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, which will star Jackman alongside another returning Broadway treasure, Sutton Foster, is now scheduled to begin previews April 7, 2021, at the Winter Garden Theatre. Official opening night has been set for May 20.


The eagerly anticipated production originally was announced for the fall and had been logging brisk ticket sales before Broadway went dark on March 12 as part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's pandemic mandate to suspend all large gatherings in an effort to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections.

That original shutdown was put in place through April 12, with subsequent extensions pushing the closure back to June 7 and then again through Labor Day. An announcement is expected from trade organization the Broadway League this week extending the blackout into January, though most insiders are looking at March/April as a more realistic period for reopening.


While many productions are waiting in the wings, keeping their casts and creative teams together through the unprecedented work stoppage, the announcement of firm dates for a show on the scale of The Music Man sends a clear signal that Broadway is gearing up to get back in business.


Whether appearing in plays or musicals, Jackman has proven himself the biggest star on Broadway in the past two decades. Having such a reliable box office draw lead a splashy remounting of one of the most beloved shows in the American musical canon is perhaps the best kickoff Broadway could hope for to resuscitate the sector at this most challenging time in its history.


"Performing on Broadway is a great honor for an actor, in fact, one of the greatest," said Jackman in a statement. "No two shows are exactly alike, in large part due to the audience. Show One is filled with anticipation, fear and excitement. It's like an opening night eight times a week; the energy in the theater is palpable. It is those same feelings that happen every show thereafter — and you and I are going through it together."


"The change of dates will not take any of that away," continued Jackman. "What it will do, however, is help to ensure that The Music Man audiences, and our company, are in a completely safe environment. Can't wait for that day!"


"We're obviously profoundly disappointed to be unable to start rehearsals for The Music Man as scheduled," added Rudin. "But safety is safety, and it has to take precedence over every other consideration — for both our audience and for our company. Despite the postponement, we are sticking together as a company, and we are grateful to be able to do so. And so we look forward to arriving at the Winter Garden — with a beautiful, heartening Music Man in tow — at the beginning of April, and to being just one part of what we expect will once again be a vibrant and exciting Broadway."


New York has now entered Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan, including restaurants with outdoor dining and some retail stores. Indoor dining establishments and other nonessential businesses are due to follow in Phase 3, the timeline for which has not yet been set for the metropolitan area. Broadway theaters are included in Phase 4, along with other arts, entertainment and recreation enterprises, placing them in the final stage of the city's reopening.


"The plan of course is to follow the New York State health and safety protocols being developed right now, which will be the baseline of how shows will return," Rudin told The Hollywood Reporter.


Projections for reopening are being based on increased testing and lower infection rates — not on the expectation of a vaccine. Rudin has high praise for the leadership of Cuomo and his task force — which includes top scientists, health care and infectious disease experts and industrial hygienists — calling them "astonishingly forward-thinking and cooperative" in working with Broadway industry leaders to map a path forward.

The Broadway economic model is not conducive to theaters making allowances for social distancing. While Rudin speaks only for his own productions, he said those shows will be sold at full capacity, albeit with the expectation of a slow start before business gets back even close to where it was before.


"It's going to take a lot of grit and fortitude to hang in until it's back, because I don't think it's going to come back that quickly," said Rudin. "I think we'll play to low grosses for a while and we have to be prepared to withstand it. And then as people understand that it's safe, more people will come back. It was also true after 9/11. Now 9/11 came back fairly quickly, but it didn't come back at capacity or anything like it right away."



The producer confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that his other shows that had been running prior to the shutdown, West Side Story, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book of Mormon, all will reopen between mid-March and early April.

The future of The Lehman Trilogy, which had been selling well in previews before Broadway went dark, remains uncertain due to a booking conflict in the spring at the Nederlander Theatre, where it had been running. Rudin said the company remains eager to bring back the limited engagement to New York as planned, but that now depends on finding a suitable theater available.

Both Jackman and Foster have signed on for a year with The Music Man, which reassembles the creative team of Rudin's smash Tony-winning 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly! That includes director Jerry Zaks, choreographer Warren Carlisle, production and costume designer Santo Loquasto, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Scott Lehrer and dance music arranger David Chase. Joining the team are Jonathan Tunick on orchestrations and Patrick Vaccariello as music director.

The cast also will feature Tony winners Jayne Houdyshell, Jefferson Mays, Marie Mullen and Shuler Hensley.


In theory, the new dates for The Music Man would position it outside the window for Tony Awards consideration, since its official opening will take place after the traditional late-April eligibility cutoff. But given the anomalous nature of both the 2019-20 season and 2020-2021, most industry pundits expect the awards season to be pushed back to accommodate later openings. The Tony Awards administration has said only that this year's honors would be rescheduled to a later date to be decided once Broadway reopens.


Rudin said he is setting firm opening dates in March and April for his shows in order to release his casts from Actors' Equity's suspend and extend agreement, thus allowing them to seek other work in the interim months now that film and TV production are starting up.

[jo]

Guys - check your emails -- advice from Telecharge!

Intructions on how to handle your changed dates if you need to change them.

**********************************


app.delivra.net/vo/?FileID=c02cee01-4fbc-4df2-afb1-2ddf77a36d84&ListID=81250

Also, new orders will only be entertained by July 23. 2020

Present run for selling tickets is up to November 14, 2021.


www.telecharge.com/eventoverview.aspx?cityName=NY%20City%20Area&productId=12924


JO

[jo]

Phase 4 for NY is the last phase for reopening. Broadway is among the activities included here -

www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/LowRiskIndoorArtsEntertainmentSummary.pdf


Many rules on it -- but this one seems relevant:

Ensure a distance of at least 6 ft. is maintained among
individuals (both patrons/visitors and employees) at all
times, with the exception of groups visiting the
institution from the same household, unless safety or
the core activity requires a shorter distance, in which
case individuals must wear acceptable face coverings.

Unless the Broadway League and Rudin have already gotten reassurance that for theatrical productions, audiences can only be seated close to each other?

I doubt that Rudin would have made those decisions re reopening without some indication on how Broadway productions will be treated.

Jo

[jo]

Rehearsals to start on February 8, 2021!


www.thewrap.com/hugh-jackman-music-man-revival-broadway-spring-2021/

Rehearsals for “The Music Man” were intended to begin June 29, but will now commence Feb. 8, 2021.

[jo]

I saw a tweet of Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney, who usually handles all exclusive interviews with Scott Rudin for The Hollywood Reporter and wrote the exclusive for the announcement of The Music Man and now for the rescheduling of the show. I took a chance and asked him a question re the Ferrari Project because he presumably might have some info on it, given that he said Hugh is committed to a year's run for The Music Man.

I've also thought of the second possibility -- that is, to film the movie in the fall to early winter of 2020.  The script has been rewritten. Ferrari and the town of Modena are ready. This has been a long gestating dream project of Michael Mann ( who is about 77 years old) and I assume that since it is classified under " Pre-Production" on IMDB that some of the creative, technical and other filmmaking aspects are already being prepared.  Also, since Hugh's name was one of the come-ons for the project when it was being shopped to film/theatrical distributors, it might not sit well if he simply left the project just like that? 

Crossing my fingers that this will still happen!

F-1 is resuming racing ( not sure if there will be spectators) in July... but in September, Italy will likely be very much alive for one of racing's most iconic tracks - that of Monza( nicknamed the temple of speed and a favorite of many fans! That was the only racetrack that Enzo regularly attended ( and another one in Italy which is no longer functioning)...it  might be good to absorb the atmosphere of that time of year!

Jo

[jo]

More info on the ticket situation --

www.musicmanonbroadway.com/tickets#

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Ellen (Mamaleh) has just pointed this out... from the email sent to individual ticketholders re the revised schedules --

Since you are already a ticketholder for this strictly limited engagement, your booking has been automatically transferred to a new performance...

Whatever does that mean? The last date for the first tranche of tickets is dated November 14, 2021. Could that be the last day of the show or of Hugh's involvement... or is it just pure marketing hype ( but which they don't need for this show)??

Jo

[jo]

I saw a tweet of Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney, who usually handles all exclusive interviews with Scott Rudin for The Hollywood Reporter and wrote the exclusive for the announcement of The Music Man and now for the rescheduling of the show. I took a chance and asked him a question re the Ferrari Project because he presumably might have some info on it, given that he said Hugh is committed to a year's run for The Music Man.

I've also thought of the second possibility -- that is, to film the movie in the fall to early winter of 2020.  The script has been rewritten. Ferrari and the town of Modena are ready. This has been a long gestating dream project of Michael Mann ( who is about 77 years old) and I assume that since it is classified under " Pre-Production" on IMDB that some of the creative, technical and other filmmaking aspects are already being prepared.  Also, since Hugh's name was one of the come-ons for the project when it was being shopped to film/theatrical distributors, it might not sit well if he simply left the project just like that? 

Crossing my fingers that this will still happen!

F-1 is resuming racing ( not sure if there will be spectators) in July... but in September, Italy will likely be very much alive for one of racing's most iconic tracks - that of Monza( nicknamed the temple of speed and a favorite of many fans! That was the only racetrack that Enzo regularly attended ( and another one in Italy which is no longer functioning)...it  might be good to absorb the atmosphere of that time of year!

Jo

Lol - I didn't realize that my twitter "friend" Rooney was not just an ordinary reporter

David Rooney
@davidcrooney1
Chief Film Critic at The Hollywood Reporter. Formerly Chief Theater Critic. Tweets are my own.

Maybe that is why Scott Rudin prefers to give his "scoop-confessions" to him

[jo]

Even BILLBOARD is pushing the promotion for THE MUSIC MAN --

Maybe because The original cast recording of the show/movie ruled the Billboard charts for a long time way back?

Maybe because they found another Chart-topper and Rockstar-to-be Jackman in triple platinum certified The Greatest Showman


Jo

[jo]

I was browsing on the HELP Page at Telecharge and came upon this --

ATTENDING A SHOW

Can I use my phone at the show?

Phones must be turned off during the performance, but you may be able to take pictures and share your experience before and after the show, and at intermission. Many theatres offer free Wi-Fi, and shows have great ways to share social content and be a part of the conversation.

I did not know that they have liberalized the policy about taking pictures. Since many shows now have the actual set on stage before a show ( no more curtains) -- we can now have a personal experience inside the theatre captured on our cameras. The busiest I have seen audiences respond to this privilege was for MOULIN ROUGE. The set was not just spectacular but some of the cast members were performing silently and almost in slow motion.

Looking forward to "meeting" The Music Man set


Jo

[jo]

Welcome back to Broadway, Hugh Jackman!

It may take another 9 months or so - but the hopeful wish seems much brighter now

[jo]

If you're exchanging a ticket for another date -- did you know that you can actually buy more than the number of tickets that you originally bought?

In my case, I was able to get 2 tickets for the new date after I offered 1 ticket to be exchanged. Not that it is easy to find any tickets - the early months are practically sold out - unless you want to sit way, way back?


Jo