Antonio Banderas & Director Leveaux to Bring Zorba to Broadway in 2011

As first speculated in January, Spanish sex symbol Antonio Banderas will indeed return to Broadway in Zorba in September 2011. Producer Barry Weissler confirmed the plans to Variety, adding that director David Leveaux, who guided Banderas to a Tony Award nomination in the 2003 revival of Nine, will direct the new production. 

Banderas, who made his Broadway debut as Italian filmmaker Guido Contini in the 2003 revival of Nine is best known for his roles in films such as The Mambo Kings, Desperado, Assassins, Evita, The Mask of Zorro, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Take the Lead and as the voice of “Puss in Boots” in the animated Shrek films.

Zorba tells the bittersweet story of an uptight writer, Basil, and his unexpected traveling companion, Alexis Zorba, a Greek peasant who tries to inspire the scribe with adventures through the Greek countryside. The film Zorba the Greek was adapted from the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, was directed by Michael Cacoyannis, starred Anthony Quinn and won three Academy Awards. The movie was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, while Quinn was honored with a nod for Best Actor.

The film was adapted into the Broadway musical Zorba, featuring music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Joseph Stein, in 1968. Starring Herschel Bernardi in the title role, the production played 305 performances at the Imperial Theatre and was nominated for Best Musical in 1969. Quinn later reprised his original role alongside Academy Award-winning film co-star Lila Kedrova in a 1983 revival of the musical at the Broadway Theatre.

Although Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) was originally mentioned as a director for the new production, five-time Tony nominee Leveaux will now take the lead. In addition to Nine, Leveaux has been represented on Broadway by A Moon for the Misbegotten, Anna Christie, Electra, The Real Thing, Betrayal, Fiddler on the Roof, Jumpers, The Glass Menagerie and Cyrano de Bergerac.