London Production of Over Here! is Indefinitely Postponed

Whatsonstage.com reports that the previously announced London premiere of the musical Over Here! has been indefinitely postponed.

The postponement is due to the producers' failure to secure the Apollo Theatre, where the show was originally slated to open on January 8th for a 48-performance limited run.  However, the production has not been cancelled.  Andrew Jarrett, of Swingtime One Ltd., explained to the British theatre website that unforeseen delays in the processing of work permits for the creative team (which comprises numerous Americans) caused the delay, and that finances are now in order.

In addition, Jarrett said that due to high ticket demand, the booking of another West End venue would be more appropriate for the musical. He now plans for Over Here! to play longer than the 6-week limited run that was originally announced.  The producers will wait "a month or two" for another theatre to become available.

Last week, it was announced that the Apollo would instead play host to a London revival of The Glass Menagerie, produced by Bill Kenwright and starring Jessica Lange.  The new production of the Tennessee Williams classic will begin previews on January 31st for a limited run through May 19th.

Over Here!, which is set during WWII, will star Tony Award-winner McKechnie (Company, A Chorus Line) and Diane Langton (Mary Poppins, A Little Night Music, A Chorus Line in London) as the dePaul Sisters (think Andrews Sisters), who are on the look-out for a third member of their singing group while on a New York-bound train. Tony Award-winner Frances Ruffelle (Les Miserables, Chicago in London) will play Mitzi, a Nazi spy who places top secret codes into the musical arrangements of the DePaul Sisters.

Also in the cast will be 17 year-old Richard Fleeshman (winner of the UK's "Soapstar Superstar," "Coronation Street"); he will play a soldier on the train. Over Here! was to be directed and choreographed by Tony Stevens (Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Wind in the Willows). The show, featuring an 18-piece band, was to be designed by Christopher Hone, with lighting by Shane Lomman and musical supervision by David Barber. 

Over Here opened on March 6th, 1974 at the Shubert Theatre and ran for 341 performances (legal issues forced an early close although it was the box office hit of that theatre season). The show, which starred Maxene Andrews and Patty Andrews as the DePaul Sisters, also featured Ann Reinking, John Travolta and Marilu Henner in its cast. Janie Sell won a Tony Award for her performance, while the show itself received four other nominations, including Best Musical.