Simon Talks Broadway 'PROMISES, PROMISES' Revival To Variety

Variety's Army Archerd reports that the long planned Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Promises, Promises is still on track for a rialto run according to the famed theatre scribe himself.

Neil Simon and his wife Elaine Joyce revealed to Archerd that, "it looks like Sean Hayes ("Will and Grace") will star as Chuck Baxter. Hayes played the lead in a private reading of the project with Anne Hathaway and producers are now looking for Zooey Deschanel to co-star."

To read the full scoop in Variety click here.

Promises, Promises is a Broadway musical comedy based on the film The Apartment by Billy Wilder. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers were staged and choreographed by Michael Bennett.

To read an exclusive BWW report on the Hathway and Hayes led reading of Promises, Promises, click here.

The show was originally produced on Broadway in 1968, with a cast including Jerry Orbach, Jill O'Hara and Edward Winter. It played at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran until 1972, for a total of 1,281 performances. The show had a London production at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1969, featuring Tony Roberts and Betty Buckley.

Songs include the title tune (a hit for Dionne Warwick, released before the show's December 1968 Broadway opening), "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (also a hit for Bobbie Gentry), "Knowing When To Leave", "She Likes Basketball" and "Turkey Lurkey Time," the last a famous dance number featuring Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee, and Margo Sappington.

Producers Emanuel Azenberg and Ira Pittelman will present THE NEIL SIMON PLAYS on Broadway this season. The new productions of Neil Simon's BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BROADWAY BOUND, will play Broadway's beautifully restored Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). The productions will be directed by David Cromer (Our Town).

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS begins previews on Friday, October 2, 2009 and opens on Sunday, October 25, 2009. BROADWAY BOUND begins previews on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 and opens Thursday, December 10, 2009. Beginning with previews for BROADWAY BOUND, THE Neil Simon PLAYS will be performed in repertory on a varied schedule.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.