Off-Broadway's SOUL DOCTOR Eyes Circle in the Square and New World Stages for Potential Venue

According to The New York Times' Arts Beat blog, Off-Broadway's Soul Doctor is in negotiations to move to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theater or to another Off-Broadway venue at New World Stages. Soul Doctor's producer Jeremy Chess told the Times he is in talks to expand his range of investors for the show's remount while he waits for the go-ahead from either theater.

"My guess is the show will happen at New World Stages, to be candid, because I believe in the art of the possible," Chess told the Times, "but Circle in the Square would be perfect for us because it's a theater in the round."

Read the original report here.

Circle in the Square's Broadway producer Paul Libin told the Times that Soul Doctor was under consideration alongside a few other possibilities. The last show to grace Circle's stage was Godspell in June.

Soul Doctor just ended a three-week run at New York Theater Workshop on August 19th. Chess told The Times that the show, written and directed by Daniel S. Wise, would also likely undergo "further creative work" before returning to the stage.

Soul Doctor, choreographed by the Princess Grace award-winning choreographer Camille A. Brown, is a the journey of a rock-star Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach with music by Carlebach, lyrics by Drama Desk nominated David Schechter, with additional music and arrangements by Nina Simone. Soul Doctor has had successful pre-New York engagements in South Florida and New Orleans.

Soul Doctor tells the story of the beloved yet controversial father of popular Jewish music, rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and explores his unlikely friendship with the "High Priestess of Soul" Nina Simone. Beginning with his childhood escape from Nazi Germany, the show takes us on a musical odyssey through the challenges and triumphs of this cultural phenomenon, as he becomes a rabbinical prodigy in America, discovers Gospel and Soul music during his unlikely friendship with Simone, and has a meteoric rise as a “Rock Star Rabbi” in the 1960’s, performing with Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. This taste of stardom is a double-edged sword as Shlomo struggles with the personal conflicts of keeping his family together while traversing the globe, and reconciling his deep traditional roots with his desire to reach people of all backgrounds.

Steve Margoshes, the composer/orchestrator of such Broadway hits as Elton John’s Aida, The Who’s Tommy and Smokey Joe’s Café, has woven together 30 of Carlebach’s timeless hit songs into a spectacular theatrical score. Two of this year’s Tony Award recipients, Jeff Croiter and Clive Goodwin, designed the Lighting and Sound, respectively. Musical direction and orchestration are by 2-Time Grammy Award nominated Music producer/arranger Seth Farber.

Eric Anderson (of Broadway's South Pacific) will play Shlomo Carlebach and Nina Simome is played by Erica Ash (Broadway's Lion King; Baby It's You, “Mad TV”). The cast also includes Meredith Kaye Clarke (Elphaba, in WICKED), Ryan Strand (Jersey Boys, Frankie u/s), Kenny Morris, Rachel Stern, Dionne Figgins, Ryan Duncan, and Julia Osborne.