APRIL 2003
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29 April 2003
La Bohème 'Educator's Night'
- Playbill.com today reported the following article called 'La Bohème Presents "Educator's Night on Broadway"':
"StudentsLive and the producers of La Bohème will offer "Educator's Night on Broadway" May 22.
The evening, which begins with a 6 PM buffet dinner at Lundy's Midtown, will feature guest speakers from the cast and creative team of the production, which features direction by Baz Luhrmann. The dinner discussion will focus on the educational elements of Bohème, and following the dinner, participants will see the famed Puccini opera.
Cost for the evening — including dinner, symposium and theatre ticket — is $69. To make a reservation, call the StudentsLive/La Bohème Education Hotline at (212) 479-0808. For more information, visit www.studentslive.org. Lundy’s Midtown Restaurant is located at 205 West 50th Street.
La Bohème is currently playing the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway. For tickets, call (212) 239-6200."
If anyone is lucky enough to attend this event, please feel free to contact me. Also, in regards to the upcoming Tony Awards, Playbill.com has reported that the Tony Administration is yet to make a decision about the eligibility of the rotating casts of La Bohème. It reports that a decision will be made during the final meeting of the committee on 8 May.
Stone's 'Alexander' update
- ScreenDaily.com today provided an insightful update about the progress of Stone's Alexander in an article called 'Pathe steps up for Oliver Stone's Alexander'. It reports that France's Pathe has become a co-production partner and will handle distribution rights in France and Benelux. Stone's film is being financed by Intermedia and domestic distribution rights belong to Warner Brothers. Intermedia's sales partnership with Summit Entertainment, I/S Film Distribution, is handling other territories at Cannes. In addition to Warner and Pathe, IMF, the German Film Fund associated with Intermedia, will invest in the picture. Stone's film is therefore structured as being a UK-France-Germany co-production, and the budget is set to exceed US$100 million.
Warner Brothers plans to open
Stone's Alexander in fall 2004, about six months after Warner's other classical epic
Troy starring Brad Pitt and directed by Wolfgang Peterson which is
currently set to open on 21 May, 2004.
The article also discloses that other key characters currently being cast in
Stone's film are Alexander's mother and father and Ptolemy, one of his generals. Meanwhile, Stone has been
travelling around the world for the last year scouting locations from northern Africa to northern
India. Shooting is still scheduled to begin this summer, which means it is set to begin production before Luhrmann's film.
Meanwhile, media interest is steadily building concerning Colin Farrell's role in Alexander. Delhi Newsline, an Indian publication, has recently published an article about Farrell with a brief mention of his upcoming role as Alexander the Great. It also states that Stone has completed the second stage of filming. Click here to read this article called 'Irish coffee Colin'.
Farrell also recently talked to BBC Radio 1 about his upcoming role as Alexander. The BBC website reported the following article entitled 'Greed, love, betrayal and Colin Farrell' on 23 April:
"Colin Farrell's getting excited about his forthcoming role - as a bisexual.
He'll be playing Alexander The Great, the 20 year-old King of Macedonia some 2,300 years ago, in his next movie.
He's due to start filming in June and Colin says Oliver Stone has written such a phenomenal script he can't wait to start shooting:
"Everything is in it. There's greed, there's jealousy, there's love, there's pain, there's hope, there's desperation, there's pride, there's friendship, there's betrayal. It's an amazing, amazing story."
"There's so much in it - it's so dense that it nearly reads like bad fiction. Obviously bisexual - which wasn't even an issue back then."
"There was no term for bisexuality - it was just the way society was. People made love to men and women. It was only later on you had to pick one side of the fence. It's amazing."
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21 April 2003
Outer Critics Circle nominations for 'La Bohème'
- Broadway.com
yesterday announced the nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Playbill.com
has recently described the Outer Critics Circle as "an organization of over 75 out-of-town critics and writers, whose annual Award nominations unofficially kick off New York's theatrical awards season." Baz Luhrmann's
La Bohème received 5 nominations, although none of the singers were nominated in the musical acting categories. Winners will be announced on 5 May, and the nominations are as follows:
Outstanding Revival of a Musical - La Bohème
Outstanding Set Design - Catherine Martin, La Bohème
Outstanding Costume Design - Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie, La Bohème
Outstanding Lighting Design - Nigel Levings, La Bohème
Outstanding Direction of a Musical - Baz Luhrmann, La Bohème
'Moulin Rouge' midnight screenings article
- The Daily Trojan Online, the student newspaper of the University of Southern California, today reported an article detailing how weekly midnight screenings of Moulin Rouge have proved to be a popular event! It states, "Luhrmann's 2001 musical has become its own event with midnight showings at the Mann Festival. The events are similar to the traditional midnight showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," where fans of the movie come in full costume to screenings and participate in the movie by reciting lines, dancing in the aisles and throwing things at the screen." Click here to read the full article called 'Midnight Can-Can'.
'Alexander the Great' speculation
- The speculation surrounding both Luhrmann's and Stone's productions of Alexander the Great continues to grow with an article reported by The Daily Telegraph today called 'Which director will get the flick?' This article was obtained through the Australian news website, News.com.au, and reads as follows:
"It could be one of the greatest Hollywood stand-offs – Oliver Stone and our very own Baz Luhrmann.
Both men are sticklers for detail. Both like a big budget to play with.
But the telling similarity is that both are making films about Alexander the Great – and that's what has the whole of Tinseltown intrigued.
Who shall emerge the victor – Baz or Ollie?
At this stage, it's too early to call. But one thing on which almost everyone agrees is only one Alexander the Great film has a chance of succeeding.
Stone's version – starring Irish bad boy Colin Farrell – appears to have jumped from the blocks early, with pre-production photography already under way and the cameras expected to roll in September.
Luhrmann, who has secured Leonardo DiCaprio for the role of Big Al, is expected to yell "action" in November.
He has just returned from Jordan, where he was scouting locations for the film, using the Jordanian royal family's helicopter.
But this is where it all gets a bit tricky.
While Stone appears to be slightly ahead in terms of production, it amounts to nothing because both films are slated for a June US release date.
Both films have ballpark budgets of $200 million – so something will have to give.
Number-crunching producers from both the Luhrmann and Stone camps will be well aware that there won't be enough room in the box office for two epics based on the same historical figure.
The Tinseltown talk is that one of the projects will have to be pulled.
Time will tell which one that will be."
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20 April 2003
Stone's 'Alexander' - James Holzier update
- As I've previously reported,
the IMDb listings for both Luhrmann's Alexander
the Great and Stone's Alexander
have been misleading lately. A lot of new credits were added to both movie pages and then
suddenly removed. This has caused some confusion on the IMDb message boards, and I have
been contributing to both boards to try and set things straight.
On Stone's Alexander
board, there was some confusion when James Holzier's name was removed from the cast
list. This prompted James's publicist, Rod Mitchell, to post a message on the board to put
the record straight about James's credits, including his possible casting in Alexander.
He has given me permission to post his comments on this site, and the following is an
excerpt relevant to James's involvement in Stone's upcoming film:
"I am James Holzier's
publicist, and was just forwarded the message board for Alexander (2004), and have read
all of the postings regarding James' credits.
First of all, anyone who works in this industry is fully aware that errors in information
listed on IMDB are a regular occurance, and it is not an indication that any cast or crew
member has disseminated fraudulent information, as alleged by the writer of this [James
Holzier is NOT in Alexander] posting. When the information is posted on a production,
similar information appears in the actor's credits. Listing information changes
constantly, especially with pending productions.
James has met with Oliver Stone on numerous occasions over the past year regarding a
supporting lead role in the film. Those in the know are aware that Heath Ledger was an
original consideration for the lead, and although this was not formally announced, his
name appeared (for a brief time) on IMDB, along with James Holzier. Colin Farrel is now
Oliver Stone's target for the lead, and both Colin and James have been fitted for hair
extensions (an expensive cosmetic application that no production company incurs without
good cause). Both are currently in final negotiation for their roles and when finalized,
then, and only then will the information posted on IMDB be accurate."
To read the full post, click
here. To read the entire thread from the beginning, click here.
Nicole Kidman wins Fashion Icon Award
- Nicole Kidman, who is set to
star in Luhrmann's Alexander the Great, has long been receiving praise for her
excellent cinematic work as well as her elegant fashion sense. AAP today reported
the following article detailing how she will be presented with her latest award (click here for original
source).
"Actress Nicole Kidman has been selected as the recipient of
the 2003 Fashion Icon Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Kidman will receive the award on June 2 at the CFDA's awards gala at The New York Public
Library.
The Oscar winning actress was selected by a vote of the CFDA and a nominating committee of
over 450 fashion designers, retailers and members of the press.
"Nicole Kidman's style, both on and off the screen, has had an undeniable impact on
fashion," Peter Arnold, CFDA executive director, said this week.
"As an actress, she has developed her many memorable characters with an innate
understanding of the artistry of clothes. At the same time, she has elegantly established
her personal style and own iconic presence worldwide.
Kidman, 35, won a best-actress Oscar earlier this year for The Hours. Her films include
2001's Moulin Rouge and the upcoming Cold Mountain, co-starring Jude Law, Renee Zellweger
and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Previous winners of the CFDA Fashion Icon Award include Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn,
Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor."
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17 April 2003
La Bohème in Los Angeles!
- Playbill.com has announced that La Bohème will open in Los Angeles this July! As I have previously reported, Baz and co. are currently prepping a production of La Bohème that will go on tour to selected cities across the US, and Los Angeles is the first city to be announced. The Playbill.com article is called 'L.A.'s Ahmanson Gets Broadway-Bound Never Gonna Dance, Bohème, Millie in 2004' and states:
"Ending the Ahmanson season, opening July 30, is the Baz Luhrmann production of Puccini's opera La Bohème. Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Emanuel Azenberg and Bazmark Live produce the L.A. run which will feature a rotating cast as its Broadway counterpart.
Subscriptions to the 2003-2004 season at the Ahmanson, 135 North Grand Ave (at Temple St.) in Los Angeles, CA are currently available by calling (213) 628-2772 or visiting www.TaperAhmanson.com."
La Bohème in LA was also announced by United Press International in 'Showbiz News':
"A production of Baz
Luhrmann's Broadway hit "La Bohème" will open in Los Angeles this summer.
The production of the Puccini opera will be the fourth and final offering of the season
opening July 30 at the Ahmanson Theatre and playing through Sept. 19. Previews begin July
28.
"La Bohème" opened to rave reviews on Broadway on Dec. 8, 2002, and continues
its run at the Broadway Theatre. The spectacular show premiered in Australia in 1990 and
became the biggest hit in the history of the Sydney Opera House and a sold-out sensation.
"La Bohème" played return sold-out engagements at the Sydney Opera House in
1993, when it was recorded for video, and in 1996.
"When Puccini and his librettists created 'La Bohème,' opera was actually the
popular entertainment of the day," Luhrmann, director of the films "Moulin
Rouge" and "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" has said.
"With our cast of young singers, we hope to tell this story in a way that will appeal
not only to the people who love Puccini's music, but to the younger audiences who may
never have seen an opera before," he explained. "It's always our job as
storytellers to re-enliven that story. To find a new way that it can be received and
embraced again, and that's absolutely what we've set out to address in this theatre, and
most particularly, in this time."
Stone's 'Alexander' progress
Comandante
- Oliver Stone is currently shooting background footage in Northern India, reportedly the Himalayas, for his Alexander film. However, it has been reported today in an article by the New York Daily News that Stone's HBO documentary, Comandante, has been pulled from its scheduled 5 May premiere, and no future airdate has been set. The article called 'Dissent over Castro flick' reports the American network HBO had previously described Stone's project as "an intimate portrait of Fidel Castro and his Cuba", but now feels some of the information in the documentary is misleading and wants the director to update the project. The article concludes:
"What happens to the project now is uncertain. Stone could update the film, but how and when are an issue. Stone is out of the country doing preproduction work on his film "Alexander the Great." A spokesman for Stone had yet to speak to the controversial director about the HBO shift."When he gets back, we will talk to him further about trying to get this done," said HBO's spokeswoman. "We see it now as incomplete."
Will this put back Stone's Alexander shooting schedule? We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, Colin Farrell has been quoted as saying the following in an article called 'Colin Farrell's Great Gay Romp' posted online by ShowBiz Ireland:
"Colin said of his role: "Alexander The Great was bisexual. Back then there was no phrase for that. It was just the way society existed. It was just sexuality and about making love to men and women."
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15 April 2003
Leo not definite for ATG?
- Issei Kato/Reuters
- Yesterday, New York Post.com reported an article called 'Titanic Tussle', which details several of Leonardo DiCaprio's upcoming film projects and the competition these movies face from similar productions. Obviously, one of the movies featured in this article is Alexander the Great. The newspaper reports:
"Moulin Rouge"
director Baz Luhrmann has cast DiCaprio as the lead in a massive epic about the bisexual
Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great, which would co-star Nicole Kidman as Alexander's
mother.
But wait - Oliver Stone has already started pre-production on his own Alexander the Great
movie starring "it" actor Colin Farrell.
Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese, who directed DiCaprio in "Gangs," has lined Leo up
for "The Aviator," a biopic about the eccentric billionaire and germophobe
Howard Hughes...
...But while DiCaprio works on "Aviator," he's losing the edge on the Alexander
movie.
Stone already has done some shooting in the Himalayas on Farrell's Alexander pic, while
Luhrmann spent Friday in Los Angeles, meeting with the film's producer, Dino DeLaurentiis.
DiCaprio may not even get around to making "Alexander," admits his spokesman,
Ken Sunshine.
"Right now, 'The Aviator' is the only definite," Sunshine says."
These comments by Leo's spokesman have created speculation across the web, and many people
are now worried that Leo may indeed pull out of Luhrmann's project.
Personally, I hope that Leo will still be able to do ATG. I must admit, ever since Leo's
involvement was officially confirmed by producer Dino De Laurentiis back in September
2002, I have been wondering how ATG would fit into his busy schedule! However, filming for
ATG is not scheduled to start until the end of 2003, possibly around November. Therefore,
this would give Leo six months to complete work on The Aviator. Hopefully, there
will be more news reported soon that will clear up what Leo's spokesman had to say about
ATG.
Additionally, I'd just like to point out that all cast credits have now been withdrawn
from ATG's IMDb page, except for Leonardo
DiCaprio. Even Nicole Kidman's name has also been removed, despite the fact that her
publicist confirmed her involvement in January 2003. James Holzier's name has also been
removed from the cast list of Stone's Alexander
IMDb page. Basically, it seems that the IMDb has decided to review both of its ATG
pages. As I pointed out in recent updates, the IMDb has been reporting misleading news
about both ATG films for a while now, and it seems they have finally decided to do
something about it by clearing their pages of all information that has been submitted in
the last month or so. Hopefully, both ATG pages will be back up to date with accurate
details as soon as possible.
'The spawn of Gladiator'
- Denver Post photo illustration/Joyce-Marie Andy
- Denver Post.com yesterday reported an article called 'Filmmakers Caesar the moment' that looks at all the "toga movies" that are set to begin production this year. It is similar to previous articles that have been written about the remerging popularity of the historical epic after the success of Gladiator, and contains no new information about either ATG film. However, it was accompanied by the above picture which I found quite amusing. Yes, there with Vin Diesel is the newspaper's illustration of Leonardo DiCaprio and Colin Farrell in Alexander-style head gear!
The Denver Post image may be amusing, but my favourite doctored image that has appeared in the media so far is the one that was included in a Sydney Morning Herald article called 'Clash of the the Titans' back on 2 January 2003. This image has Leo's head digitally placed on a mosaic that depicts the real Alexander riding his horse, and can be found at the top of my ATG Cast and Crew page. :-)
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13 April 2003
Baz and Nic at the GLAAD Awards
Image from official GLAAD website
Photo by Larry Busacca/WireImage.com
- The 14th Annual GLAAD awards were held on 7 April at the New York Marriott Marquis on Broadway. As stated in the official press release, "The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation."
Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman presented the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film Limited Release to Kissing Jessica Stein. Apparently, when they were on stage together, Baz was teasing Nic about winning an award with another director (ie. her Oscar for The Hours), but then Nic summoned support for Baz and Moulin Rouge by getting cheers from the crowd when she asked if they liked the film! For other GLAAD winners and more information about the event, click here to read the official press release at the GLAAD website.
Baz and Nic at the Tribeca Ball
Image from Extra
official website
- The following article was reported on 10 April, and details how Nicole Kidman attended the New York's Trebeca Ball, which was co-hosted by Baz and CM. Click here to read the article at its original source.
"It's an "Extra"
exclusive - Nicole Kidman, starring as the belle of New York's Tribeca Ball.
"Extra" had the only TV crew inside the ultra-posh Gotham Hall as Nicole
attended the star-studded soiree, which was co-hosted by her "Moulin Rouge"
co-horts Baz Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin and underwritten by Hermés.
Hermés president Robert Chavez tells "Extra" the evening raised $500,000 for
the New York Academy of Art. Meanwhile, Nicole was a work of art herself as she lit up the
room just as she did earlier this week at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Baz Luhrmann tells "Extra" that Nic's shtick at the GLAAD Awards not only stole
the show, she saved it. He says, "The other night we were on stage and the
teleprompter broke. And like she's always able to do, she was able to make the room feel
electric and fantastic. I think that's a great gift."
Baz Interview
Image from Broadway.com
- On 7 April, Broadway.com posted an excellent interview with Baz Luhrmann in which he details his plans for stage versions of Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge, and the upcoming La Bohème tour. He also expresses his thoughts about Chicago and the Tony's. Click here to view the article at its original source. I have also added relevant quotes to my Strictly Ballroom Stage Production and Moulin Rouge Stage Production pages, and the entire interview to my La Bohème News Articles page.
Tony Buzz
- The following snippet is from a New York Times article called 'Making a Play Her Own', which details some of the contenders of this year's Tony Awards. Click here to read the full article.
Singing For a Tony
With a little less than a month to go before the deadline for Tony Award eligibility
— May 7 — some dandy races are already shaping up, including a battle for best
revival of a musical.
With reviews still to come for two contenders, it's almost impossible to handicap the
race, but the revival award will doubtless involve three productions with big names and
big bucks. The first is "La Bohème," Baz Luhrmann's Puccini spectacle, which
opened to a blaze of hype at the Broadway Theater in December. That show received good
reviews, but its hot sales have slackened. "La Bohème" is likely to be in a
showdown with "Gypsy," opening on May 1, and "Nine," which opened last
night. (Review, Page 1 of Weekend.)
On paper each has its pluses and minuses. The toughest sell of the bunch would seem to be
"La Bohème," which as always has the problem of being a) an opera, b) in
Italian and c) an opera in Italian. Mr. Lurhmann's fanciful take on "La Bohème"
— reset in the 1950's with a young, handsome, unknown cast — went over well with
critics. But Tony voters — some 720 producers, theater owners and other theater
professionals from across the country — can be a somewhat stodgy lot, and while
experimentation is encouraged, it isn't often rewarded.
That said, if anyone in the world can sway voters, it is Mr. Luhrmann, who practically
coined the word charm. He was back in town this week from Morocco, where he has been
scouting locations for "Alexander the Great," with Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole
Kidman. He was making the media rounds with his chief designer and wife, Catherine Martin.
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8 April 2003
'Strictly Ballroom' stage version in 2005!
- Luhrmann has revealed that he intends to launch the much-anticipated stage version of Strictly Ballroom in 2005 after he completes ATG. A Playbill Online article called 'Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom to Debut in 2005' reported the following information:
"'I am only a few
weeks away from committing to a musical team,' said Luhrmann, who is now in New York
casting for the U.S. tour of Broadway's La Bohème. 'It will be after Alexander
the Great, so it will be around 2005.'
'Alexander the Great is Luhrmann's next film project. The movie will star
Leonardo DiCaprio as the legendary Macedonian conqueror, and co-star Nicole Kidman.
Luhrmann said he recently returned from Jordan where he was scouting locations with the
King of Jordan in the royal's Black Hawk helicopter."
The full article has been added to my SB Stage Production
page, which I plan to update as further news is reported about the project.
Oliver Stone ATG update
- On Friday, Dark Horizons reported that, according to Variety, Oliver Stone has started shooting background footage for Alexander in Northern India. Yesterday, I bought the May 2003 edition of the UK Empire magazine, which had a small article entitled 'Oliver Stone's Power Trip.' The following text is a section of the article that is relevant to his upcoming Alexander film and reveals that, despite constant media reports of the 'race' to begin filming ATG, Stone believes there is room for more than one film:
"... but Stone, unfazed by Baz Luhrmann's rival project, is already busying himself with his Alexander The Great movie, to star Colin Farrell. Is there really room for two ATG movies?
'I think yes, because it's a great story,' he says. 'You could do it five or six times because it's a wonderful character, almost Shakepearean. I can't make this into a dog race; it would be too destructive. For us the biggest issue was always the script; I've been on this, off and on, for ten years and I knew we're there with it now.'
Shooting begins in the summer, and though he denies rumours that he will be filming in China, he lets slip that he does have a closely guarded idea for a film to be made there..."
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7 April 2003
As I announced in my last update, I have been offline for the past week while moving from Australia to my new home in Scotland. Today, I have got my lap top back online with newly installed broadband internet, and so updates will now continue to be posted on a regular basis! :-)Maria Hatzis update
- As I reported last month, it has been confirmed that Maria Hatzis will play Leptine in Baz Luhrmann's Alexander the Great. I am now happy to report that lots of photos of Maria can now be found in the photo section her brand new Yahoo group - the Official Maria Hatzis Fanclub. This club was recently established by Maria's mother, Clare, and her agent, Michael Harlington, and will feature regular updates about Maria's upcoming works. I plan to check back regularly and report news about Maria's upcoming projects. The latest news is that Maria will appear in a Footlocher commercial that will air across the US on 15 April. She will appear with basketball player, Jason Kidd.
Another unofficial fanclub has also been established by a fan and is simply called the Maria Hatzis Fanclub. Maria's official website is reported to be coming soon, and I have now added a new photo and a link to Maria's official fanclub in her section on my ATG Cast and Crew page.
New cast members for ATG?
Lesley Ann Warren
- More cast members have recently been add to the ATG IMDb page. All the newly listed actors have not yet been assigned character names, but the new cast credits are as follows:
Mike Garcia, Veronica Linsley, Raymond Manjra, Cameron McPhee, Cristine Seeber, Fahim Shah, Keith Simmons, Joyce Vaught, Carolyn Wallace, and Lesley Ann Warren.
Only two actors have previous film credits listed on their individual IMDb pages. These are Cristine Seeber, who starred in a 1996 TV programme called 'To The Ends of Time', and Lesley Ann Warren (pictured above) who is a very accomplished actress with films dating back to 1965. If anyone has any further information about any of the newly listed actors, please feel free to contact me.
Once again, I have to point out that all names
listed here are not confirmed until an additional source other than the IMDb page
reconfirms the information. This is because the IMDb ATG page has been quite misleading
for a while now. I believe this is because the information posted here is based on
submissions from IMDb users, and these do not seem to be checked by the IMDb before being
posted on this page. This means that people can easily submit misleading information at
will.
For example, the name of T.Atcheson was reported as co-director along with Luhrmann. I am
quite sure that Luhrmann will be helming the director's chair alone, and was not surprised
when Atcheson was later removed from the listing.
Additionally, Maria Hatzis's agent told me he felt compelled to take her name off the
credits entirely when he began receiving abusive, threatening e-mails from IMDb users
through his e-mail address being listed on her IMDb page.
All this obviously means that I must be wary when reporting information listed on the IMDb. I really hope the cast members that have been recently listed on the IMDb page are correct, and I will be researching more into casting over the coming weeks. However, I will not confirm anything listed on the ATG IMDb page until the information is verified by additional sources.
La Bohème to tour the US!
- This fantastic news was reported by Playbill Online in an article called 'La Bohème Tour Will Begin in Summer 2004'. The article begins as follows:
"La Bohème, the striking and stirring new staging of the classic Puccini opera now playing on Broadway, will launch a national tour in summer 2004, director Baz Luhrmann told Playbill On-Line.
Luhrmann is currently in New York City casting for the road company. No specific cities have been announced for the tour, but the director said several are interested. In the coming weeks, he will travel from town to town to discover which theatres are suited to housing an engagement of the uniquely designed La Bohème."
Click here to read the full article, and feel free to contact me if you hear any further news about this exciting tour!
News of a national La Bohème tour comes after recent reports of poor ticket sales for the show, with the current world situation playing a major factor in this. The producer of La Bohème has been quoted as saying, "It's scary. The first weekend after the war things looked OK, but now things are really slowing down. There's a whole lot of shows on the bubble."
However, in the article linked above, Baz Luhrmann reassures us all in his response to current events and their affect on Broadway by saying:
"Snow. Strike. The war. Could you kick the theatre any more? But Broadway is incredibly resilient. Our world has such heaviness. It's time to get out and drink some wine, eat some food, see some theatre and have some life. There's always going to be conflict from now until we die, so let's get on with it."
"It's been a test for absolutely everybody. It only shows that the work itself, the shows, the care and the passion have to be that much greater. You can't be in any way complacent about it."
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