Tuesday, October 27, 2009

"Promises, Promises"



Confirming rumors that have been circulating on Broadway during the last two weeks, producers said today that Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes will star in a revival of the musical "Promises, Promises," set to open April 25.

The musical, which is based on the Oscar-winning Billy Wilder film "The Apartment," will open at the Broadway Theatre, according to Playbill.

Chenoweth, who won an Emmy in September for her role in ABC's canceled "Pushing Daisies," will play the role of Fran Kubelik, which was originated by Shirley MacLaine in the 1960 film. Hayes, who is best known for his role in NBC's "Will & Grace," will take the part of Chuck Baxter, originally played by Jack Lemmon.

"Promises, Promises" had its first Broadway production in 1968 and starred Jerry Orbach and Jill O'Hara. The musical features a book by Neil Simon and songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The revival will be staged by choreographer Rob Ashford, who will be making his Broadway directorial debut. Ashford's production of "Parade," starring T.R. Knight, is playing at the Mark Taper Forum.

It's unclear whether the revival will use a revised version of the book that Simon wrote for a 1997 concert staging of the musical in New York.

Rumors of Chenoweth's casting in "Promises, Promises" were published in the New York Post earlier this month. The article quoted a source as saying that a television version of "Promises, Promises" and a DVD release are both likely possibilities.


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