Rebecca Musical, Starring Sierra Boggess, Cancels Spring Broadway Run

The previously announced Broadway production of the musical adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, starring Sierra Boggess, has been canceled. The show was set to play the Broadhurst Theatre beginning March 27, with an official opening night planned for April 22.

“It is with great disappointment that we have made the decision to postpone the Broadway debut of this phenomenal musical until next season," lead producer Ben Sprecher said in a statement. "Rebecca is a grand and spectacular musical requiring substantial capitalization, and it’s no secret that in this very negative economic climate, raising money for Broadway has become even more difficult and laborious than it has historically always been.   We are very close to meeting our financial goal, but we just ran short of time to complete capitalization with rehearsals slated to begin in two weeks. We feel that Rebecca is too special of a musical to short change in any way. It is our responsibility to the creators of this show, to our cast, our partners, our investors and our vendors that the complete financing is in place before rehearsals begin. Rebecca on Broadway must have the proper chance to continue the successful track record it currently enjoys worldwide. My co-producers and I remain very committed to bringing this wonderful show to New York next season."

Based on the classic novel (later turned into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock), Rebecca is the story of Maxim de Winter, his new wife (“I”) and Mrs. Danvers, the controlling and manipulative housekeeper of Maxim’s West Country estate of Manderley, where the memory of his first wife, the glamorous and mysterious Rebecca, still casts a shadow.

In addition to Boggess the cast was to include Boggess' real-life fiancé Tam Mutu as Maxim de Winter, James Barbour as Jack Favel, Karen Mason as Mrs. Danvers, John Dossett as Frank Crowley, Donna English as Beatrice de Winter and Nick Wyman as Giles. Rebecca features an original book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, music by Sylvester Levay, English book adaptation by Christopher Hampton and English lyrics by Hampton and Kunze.Michael Blakemore and Francesca Zambello were set to serve as co-directors.

The show premiered in 2006 in Vienna and went on to productions in Budapest, Bucharest, Helsinki, Stuttgart, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Tokyo.