Rebecca sets dates for Broadway premiere

The previously cancelled Broadway premiere of the new musical Rebecca, based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier will open at the Broadhurst Theatre on 18 Nov 2012, following previews from 30 Oct 2012.

The musical was originally scheduled to open at the Broadhurst theatre on 22 Apr 2012, but was cancelled due to difficulties raising capitalization.

Based on the classic Daphne du Maurier novel (and 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.

The musical features original book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, music by Sylvester Levay, English book adaptation by two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard), English lyrics by Hampton and Kunze, and direction by Tony Award-winner Michael Blakemore (Kiss Me, Kate; City of Angeles; Noises Off) and Francesca Zambello (Little Mermaid).

The show's cast will feature the previously announced Karen Mason (Sunset Boulevard, Mamma Mia!) as 'Mrs. Danvers,' two-time Tony Award nominee Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera) as 'Frank Crawley,' James Barbour (Beauty and the Beast, A Tale of Two Cities) as 'Jack Favell,' Donna English (Lend Me A Tenor) as Beatrice de Winter, Nick Wyman (Les Miserables) as 'Giles' and Henry Stram as 'Ben.'

Casting for the leading roles of "I" and 'Maxim de Winter' will be announced in the coming weeks. The roles were initially to have been played by Sierra Boggess and Tam Matu (Maxim de Winter). Boggess will now star in the upcoming musical 'The Prince of Broadway.'

The Broadway production team includes Ben Sprecher, Louise Forlenza, The Shubert Organization, Peter Bezemes, Tony Fusco, Larry Feinman, Nanda Anand and Peter Bogyo by special arrangement with/and based on the Vereinigte Buhnen Wien GmbH production.

Rebecca had its world premiere in 2006 at Vereinigte Buhnen Wien in Vienna, where it played for more than three years. Productions of Rebecca have also played Budapest, Hungary; Helsinki, Finland; Stuttgart, Germany; St. Gallen, Switzerland and at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo.