REBECCA Producer Says Musical's 'Uncertainty Will Be Resolved Shortly'

According to The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog, producer Ben Sprecher of the Broadway musical Rebecca sent an email to the show's cast and crew today with details about the production's fate.

"Louise [Forlenza] and I continue to work hard to insure that we will meet next week at a first rehearsal for 'Rebecca,'" Sprecher writes. "Forward progress has been made every day over the last week and a half. This uncertainty will be resolved shortly."

Sprecher also noted in the email that creative work on Rebecca continues; director Michael Blakemore has met with choreographer Graciela Daniele, as well as other members of the creative team.

To read Sprecher's full letter, read the original report on the Times here.

As previously reported, REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier novel, has delayed the start of its rehearsals by two weeks due to the death of a key investor responsible for a $4.5 million investment pool in the production. REBECCA was scheduled to begin rehearsals Monday, September 10 prior to an October 30 first preview and November 18 premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre. Rehearsals now begin September 24. Revised first preview and opening night dates will be announced shortly.

REBECCA features original book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, music by Sylvester Levay, English book adaptation by two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard), English lyrics by Hampton and Kunze, and direction by Tony Award winner Michael Blakemore (Kiss Me, Kate; City of Angels; Noises Off) and Francesca Zambello (Little Mermaid). Multiple Tony-nominated director/choreographer Graciela Daniele (Ragtime) will create the musical staging for the show. Scenic design is by Peter J. Davidson, costumes by Jane Greenwood, lighting by Mark McCullough, sound by Peter Fitzgerald, hair & wig design by Tom Watson and special effects by Gregory Meeh and projections by Sven Ortel. Musical direction and supervision is by Kevin Stites.

The cast of REBECCA features Jill Paice as “I”, Ryan Silverman as Maxim DeWinter, Karen Mason as Mrs. Danvers, James Barbour as Jack Favell, Howard McGillin as Frank Crawley, Donna English as Beatrice de Winter, Henry Stram as Ben and Nick Wyman as Giles

REBECCA is a new musical drawn from the classic Daphne Du Maurier novel about love and obsession reaching from beyond the grave. In this romantic thriller, Maxim de Winter brings his new wife (“I”) home to his estate of Manderley. There she meets the intimidating housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who had a very special relationship with Maxim’s first wife, the beautiful Rebecca, who died a year earlier in a boating accident. The young woman discovers Manderley is a house of devastating secrets, and the mystery of Rebecca may be the greatest of them all as she finds the strength to challenge Mrs. Danvers and save her marriage.

REBECCA had its world premiere in 2006 at Vereinigte Buhnen Wien in Vienna, where it played to sold-out houses for more than three years. Vastly successful productions of REBECCA have also played Budapest, Hungary; Bucharest, Romania; Helsinki, Finland; Stuttgart, Germany; St. Gallen, Switzerland and at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo.