Originally written as a star vehicle for the Andrews Sisters, Over Here! opened on Broadway in 1974 to rave reviews and packed houses, and shuttered suddenly when a lawsuit between the producers and Patty Andrews surfaced. The show is being groomed for a London opening in the fall of 2007, at a theatre to be announced.
The show is an homage to the tight harmonies and smooth vocal stylings of the Andrews Sisters, and the big-band era. The Andrews Sisters had 46 songs in the Billboard Top 10 over their career, from 1935 until 1953. They are still the best-selling female vocal group of all time, brushing aside the likes of the Spice Girls, TLC, and Destiny's Child. The musical comedy is known for its original stars, and the fact that the original production was produced, directed, designed and choreographed by the same team that put Grease on stage for the first time.
Stars like John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Marilu Henner, Ann Reinking and Treat Williams were part of the original cast as well. Each of those actors have become well known stars of stage and screen. Travolta and Jackson starred together in Pulp Fiction, and Ann Reinking is known for her work in the film version of Annie, and the Broadway hit, Fosse. Treat Williams recently starred in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, and Marilu Henner starred on the TV show Taxi.
Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line) and Frances Ruffelle (Les Misérables), who were part of the cast of the scheduled London production, are going to be in Toronto headlining the show. McKechnie is known for her starring role in the original production of A Chorus Line and Company. In recent years, she has performed in Gypsy in various regional productions.
Rumour has it that the show will open in June 2007 at the Elgin Theatre, playing through the summer. The production team is in Toronto now casting the show. One actor who went through the auditions this week said that "it's going to be a great show - the dance and music is fantastic".
Andrew Jarrett's Swingtime One Ltd. is the lead producing group and Tony Stevens will be directing and choreographing the production.
It's going to be a busy summer for Toronto theatregoers, with shows like We Will Rock You, and A Midsummer Nights Dream playing in town, combined with the Stratford and Shaw Festival seasons, the Toronto Fringe and Summerworks thrown into the mix.
