The new production of Lerner and Loewe's BRIGADOON, directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford and scheduled to play in Boston this fall, prior to a Broadway opening, has been postponed. The delay is due to the lack of an appropriate Broadway theatre in Spring, 2009. BRIGADOON is produced by Ostar Productions and Liza Lerner.
A revised schedule for the production will be announced at a later date. The pre-Broadway engagement, announced for Boston for October 21 through November 1 at the Colonial Theatre, has now been cancelled as well.
One of Broadway's most fabled musicals, BRIGADOON is the story of two disillusioned Americans on vacation in Scotland who wander into a village that comes alive every 100 years for only one day. The show features an original book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.
Tony Award-winner
Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie) was set to direct and choreograph this powerfully danced, boldly re-imagined production, which features a revised book by Tony Award-winner
John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation).
Lerner & Loewe's beloved score for BRIGADOON includes such classic songs as "Almost Like Being In Love," "Waiting for My Dearie," "Come to Me, Bend to Me," "There But For You Go I," "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean," and "The Heather on the Hill".
The original production of BRIGADOON opened on March 13, 1947 at the Ziegfeld Theatre, and was directed by Robert Lewis and choreographed by Agnes de Mille. The show proved a hit on Broadway and in London, and was also adapted into a popular 1954 MGM film starring
Gene Kelly and
Cyd Charisse. The musical firmly established Lerner & Loewe as one of Broadway's finest songwriting teams, with their later collaborations to include the distinguished scores for Paint Your Wagon,
My Fair Lady, Gigi and Camelot.
John Guare, who has written a revised book based on Lerner's original, won a Tony Award for his book for the musical version of Two Gentlemen of Verona, and was Tony-nominated for his plays, The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation and Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, as well as the book for the musical Sweet Smell of Success. He received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for Atlantic City.
Rob Ashford, who will direct and choreograph the production, won a Tony Award for his choreography for Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002. He was Tony-nominated for his work on
The Wedding Singer and
Curtains, and is also represented this season with his choreography for
Cry-Baby. He recently directed and choreographed the critically acclaimed production of Parade at the Donmar Warehouse, receiving Olivier Award nominations for his direction and choreography.
The creative team for BRIGADOON was also set to feature Christopher Oram (sets and costumes) and Paule Constable (lighting). The music department was to be led by
David Chase.
For more information on BRIGADOON, visit
BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
