RIALTO CHATTER: Elton John to Bring THE NORMAL HEART to West End?

According to the London Times, Elton John and his partner David Furnish are considering bringing THE NORMAL HEART, which opens tonight on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre, to London's West End.

Furnish revealed: "Elton and I would both like to make the production as widely seen as possible, and that includes helping fund and mount future versions of it wherever we can." He continued that the play is "an astonishing, emotionally compelling piece of writing and a moving, fantastic piece of theater that the younger generation needs to see. Elton and I are focused on making sure that they do."

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller -- as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians, and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. First produced by Joseph Papp at New York's Public Theater, the play was a critical sensation and a seminal moment in theater history. So ahead of its time was this play that many of the core issues it addresses - including gay marriage, the healthcare system and, of course, AIDS - are just as relevant today as they were when it first premiered.

The cast of The Normal Heart includes Ellen Barkin (Ocean's 13), Patrick Breen (Next Fall), Mark Harelik (Mrs. Warren's Profession), John Benjamin Hickey ("The Big C"), Luke Macfarlane ("Brothers and Sisters"), Joe Mantello (Angels in America), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies"), Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"), Richard Topol (The Merchant of Venice), and Wayne Alan Wilcox (Coram Boy).

The design team includes David Rockwell (sets), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), David Weiner (lighting), David Van Tieghem (sound), and Batwin & Robin (projections).

Tickets, priced from $26.50 to $116.50, are available via Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200 , or in person at the Golden Theatre box office (252 West 45th Street). General rush tickets are available for $36.50 at the box office on a first come, first served basis the day of the performance. (Limit two tickets per person; cash or credit card.)

The weekly performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

The premiere presentation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart on Broadway is produced by Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment in association with Gregory Rae and Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser.

For more information, visit www.TheNormalHeartBroadway.com.