Sierra Boggess to star in Rebecca

Posted on November 12, 2011 by admin

It’s now official that Sierra Boggess who played Christine in Love Never Dies in London, will be in Rebecca on Broadway!

Sierra Boggess 218x300 Sierra Boggess to star in Rebecca

Sierra Boggess as Christine

Sierra Boggess is one of the most popular leading ladies currently in both New York and London so having her name confirmed in the Rebecca musical can only add to the likelihood of a successful production on Broadway.

The great news about Sierra Boggess has been reported on the Rebecca Facebook page and confirmed by numerous articles in the US and international press.

The New York Times explained:

Sierra Boggess (“The Little Mermaid,” “Love Never Dies”) has been cast to play the second Mrs. de Winter in a Broadway production of “Rebecca,” a musical version of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel, the producers announced on Wednesday. They also said they had nailed down the Broadhurst Theater for the musical, no small feat given that producers of several shows must jockey for available theaters in an unusually tight real estate market on Broadway.

while BroadwayWorld has it as:

the new musical REBECCA, based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier novel, will open on Broadway Sunday, April 22 at The Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). Previews will begin Tuesday, March 27. Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid, Love Never Dies, Master Class and as Christine in last month’s 25th Anniversary Concert of The Phantom of the Opera in London) will play the lead role of “I”. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks…..

Sierra Boggess (“I”) recently starred in London’s West End in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies as Christine Daaé, a character which she also played in The Phantom of the Opera in Las Vegas. She recently reprised that role in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Phantom at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Sierra was last seen on Broadway in the MTC revival of Master Class. She also appeared on Broadway as the title character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid and in the City Center Encores! production of Music in the Air. Concert appearances: BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and Broadway by the Year at Town Hall. Recordings: Symphonic recording of Love Never Dies and the original cast album for The Little Mermaid.

Sierra Boggess received Drama Desk and Drama League nominations for her starring role as Ariel in the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid, and most recently appeared on Broadway in the revival of Master Class earlier this season. She also originated the role of Christine Daae in Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, and received an Olivier Award nomination for her work in the musical. She also played Christine in last month’s 25th Anniversary Concert of The Phantom of the Opera in London.

Here’s a crowd video of Sierra Boggess singing Love Never Dies courtesy of theatre breaks youTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTHqBoo_4tc

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Rebecca The Musical Broadway Opening Announced

Posted on July 15, 2011 by admin

The producers have just announced that the musical Rebecca which is based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier novel will open on Broadway next year on April 22nd  2012 at a Shubert Organisation theatre, yet to be announced. Previews will begin on Tuesday, March 27 2012.

Sierra Boggess (currently starring in Master Class on Broadway and soon to appear in the Phantom of The Opera 25th Anniversary Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall) is in negotiations to play the role of Maxim de Winter’s new wife “I.”

Rebecca has original book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, music by Sylvester Levay, English book adaptation by Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard), English lyrics by Hampton and Kunze and direction by Michael Blakemore (Kiss Me, Kate; City of Angeles; Noises Off) and Francesca Zambello (Little Mermaid). Multiple Tony-nominated director/choreographer Graciela Daniele is in talks to do the musical staging for the show.

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Rebecca The Musical in New York

Posted on March 28, 2011 by admin

Love Never Dies star and London West End diva Sierra Boggess recently left the UK  and headed back to New York to take part in a reading for Rebecca the Musical which is due to open there later this year.

The latest production plans call for a REBECCA premiere on Broadway in the Fall of 2011.

reb3copy 300x200 Rebecca The Musical in New York

Rebecca the Musical

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Rebecca – missing?

Posted on December 8, 2010 by admin

Rebecca, the musical which is taking to the London stage next year is not the first attempt at putting the story to music. Back in 2004 there was an Australian version written by Victor Kazan with music by Kevin Purcell. Purcell  worked  for Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd-Webber in the 1990s and had hopes that their version would get backing.  Their production attempted to recreate the sinister atmosphere of the book but in stark contrast to all other versions they actually cast someone to play the ghost of Rebecca.

rebecca Rebecca missing?

Rebecca - the film version

It will come as no surprise, and can hardly be described as a spoiler, to remind you that in the book and the film Rebecca herself never appears. She’s there only in the way others talk about her, her house full of her personal possessions and of course her painting. Any ghost is strictly in our and the new Mrs de Winter’s imagination. It’s part of the power of the plot that we spend quite a lot of the time waiting for something supernatural to happen. Meanwhile tension and atmosphere build up and frightens us far more than any trickery or an onstage ghost ever could.

Here’s a little taste of the evil Mrs Danvers from the Austrian production:

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Rebecca The Musical

Posted on November 28, 2010 by admin

Rebeccathemusical Rebecca The Musical

Rebecca the musical

Rebecca The Musical a new musical version of Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca is to replace Flashdance at the Shaftesbury Theatre next Spring. The show was first produced in Vienna’s Raimund Theater in September 2006 and has been a huge hit in several European versions already.

The Story of Rebecca

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again………

If you haven’t read du Maurier’s original novel then you have almost certainly seen Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film (which won an Oscar for Best Picture.) The film has been endlessly replayed on television and is a total classic.

Rebecca is the story of Maxim de Winter  and his young, second wife. It is also the story of Manderley, the magnificent house,  that forms the setting for most of the action. The new Mrs de Winter is so shy and innocent she seems almost childlike. If the production sticks to the book and film we never learn the second Mrs de Winter’s first name. Out of her depth and out of her class the young woman tries to befriend the only people around her, the servants.

She soon discovers that her predecessor, Rebecca, was very different. The housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, makes it clear that really there could only ever be one Mrs de Winter and that she can never match up.  Maxim, interesting and attentive before they arrived at Manderley, seems cold and distant. And so the scene is set for a production with not only great music but a cracking plot.

Speculation about the casting of Rebecca

There have been no official casting announcements.  There is a rumour  and let’s be clear it is just a rumour – that Sierra Boggess might play Mrs de Winter. Sierra workshopped the role in the second UK workshop of Rebecca in October 2010 but this may mean nothing. The musical score is varied, ranging from chorale to ballads and would be perfect for  her much acclaimed soprano voice. Sierra might enjoy the challenge of playing the timid, quiet Mrs de Winter. She is currently starring as Christine in Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre but her contract is set to end on March 12th 2011.

In some ways more interesting will be who gets the role of Mrs Danvers. It will need to be someone with a fine voice and the ability to lend just the right amount of menace to the role.

The Music of Rebecca

Rebecca The Musical 300x85 Rebecca The Musical

There are several video extracts of the European productions that give a strong flavour of the show.

Or this one:

There’s no date been announced yet for when Rebecca The Musical will open in London but we’re really looking forward to seeing the new show as soon as possible next year.

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