by Brian Olsen. @BrianOlsenBooks.
NEW YORK, NY - Citing the difficulties in bringing original material to Broadway, the producers of the new musical Chugging Along have announced that they will be canceling the production in order to go straight to the show’s first Broadway revival.
“New musicals are a gamble,” explained lead producer Stu Diamond, setting down his well-worn copy of Venture Capitalism and the Arts. “But people love the classics! So we’re giving audiences what they want and shutting down the original production a little earlier than scheduled by canceling the opening performance, the closing performance, and all the performances in between. Oh, and previews.”
Executive producer Diana Halloran agreed, further explaining the innovative approach to what would be both her first and second Broadway credit.
“Why delay the inevitable?” she asked while overseeing the dismantling of the set and the reinstalling of the exact same set. “Les Misérables was revived only three years after closing. Dreamgirls, less than two! And we all know Phantom will be back any minute. We’re just getting ahead of the trend.”
The revival’s director, J.D. Tawney, looked forward to the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Beth Downing, the original production’s legendary director.
“Chugging Along is a gem of the American stage, beloved by all those who saw its first read-through or its two music rehearsals,” said Tawney, checking his watch impatiently while he waited for Downing to vacate the rehearsal studio. “This new production will capture all the magic of the original but with the sensibilities of the modern day. I know it’s risky to mess with the classics, but times change, and audiences are more sophisticated now than they were earlier this same year.”
“I’m a little disappointed,” admitted original star Eric Milano, who hadn’t finished highlighting his lines in his script. “Also a little confused. They keep talking like the show happened and wasn’t canceled halfway through the first week of rehearsals. Am I eligible for a Tony or not?”
Casting for the upcoming production has yet to be announced, but when asked who was being considered for the leading role, casting director Lynne Washington commented, “It’s a revival, so obviously Hugh Jackman.”