Broadway and Beyond

A Broadway-bound musical is taking a hiatus on the road to the Great White Way.  The Elton John musicalized version of The Devil Wears Prada played Chicago to a tepid response.  “It’s not ready,” said John.  “It’ll be ready in about another year…We learned a lot from our run in Chicago and look forward to continuing to work on the production and make the necessary changes.  We have every intention of bringing the production to the stage again when we have the proper theater and the timing is right.”

This does not mean that Elton is taking a hiatus from all theatre.  His collaboration with Jake Shears on a musical about Tammy Faye Bakker is still moving forward.  Tammy Faye opens at the Almeida Theatre in London’s West End on October 13th.  It will star Katie Brayben as Tammy Faye and our own Andrew Rannells as Jim Bakker.

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As we went to press, a shocking announcement was made.  The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway show of all time, is closing after 35 years!  The final curtain will fall on February 18th, 2023.

Broadway’s biggest box office blockbuster has also announced plans to close.  The Hugh Jackman/Sutton Foster helmed revival of The Music Man will shutter once Jackman’s contract expires on January 1st – not unlike when he played Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz.

Lea Michele’s first week as Broadway’s Funny Girl resulted in a box office record for the show – it brought in $1.6 million.  That’s even more impressive when you consider that she only got to do four shows before she was felled by Covid.  She is expected back on September 20th.

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In a recent item about Lea, I jokingly referred to her as “the new belter” – a joke I trust doesn’t require an explanation.  As luck would have it, two young men are assuming the title themselves…at least temporarily.  I’ve previously written about Nicolas King and Seth Sikes – both throwbacks to the age of crooners and, well, belters.  So, why not bill themselves as such?  The New Belters will play their first show at The Green Room 42 in NYC on October 28th.  In November, they will also appear in Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.  You can get more details on dates and venues at each of their websites – TheNicolasKing.com or SethSikes.net.

 

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