RIALTO CHATTER: Riedel Reports - The Public Eyes Simon's THE CAPEMAN

Michael Riedel in this morning's New York Post reports that Oskar Eustis, the head of the Public Theater, is in talks with Paul Simon about bringing his Broadway flop, THE CAPEMAN, back to the theatrical stage.

Eustis is a fan of the musical and is planning the project as a concert reading of the music from the production. The flawed book would not be part of this concert version reveals Riedel.

"Oskar loves 'The Capeman,' " a Public Theater spokesperson remarked. "He loves the music and the story. He has met with Paul Simon, but there are not concrete plans at this time."

The Capeman is a musical play written by Paul Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and had an initial run of less than three months. A blend of doo-wop, gospel, and latin music, it received Tony award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations and Best Scenic Design.

The Broadway production cost $11 million to produce, and took nearly a decade to reach the stage after its conception in 1989. The premiere production boasted the Broadway debuts of Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Ednita Nazario, and Sara Ramirez.

Paul Simon's studio album Songs from The Capeman is a selection of songs from The Capeman performed by Simon with occasional appearances from the original cast.