Rebecca, Starring Sierra Boggess, Books Broadhurst Theatre for Spring Opening

It’s official: Sierra Boggess will play the leading role of “I” in the new musical adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which has booked the Broadhurst Theatre for a run beginning March 27, 2012. Jointly directed by Michael Blakemore and Francesca Zambello, the production will open on April 22. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

Rebecca features an original book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, music by Sylvester Levay, English book adaptation by Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard) and English lyrics by Hampton and Kunze. Graciela Daniele will create musical staging for the Broadway production.

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. The show premiered in 2006 in Vienna and went on to productions in Budapest, Hungary; Bucharest, Romania; Helsinki, Finland; Stuttgart, Germany; St. Gallen, Switzerland and at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo. An NYC industry reading of the show, starring Boggess, Hugh Panaro and Carolee Carmello, was held in March 2011.

Boggess recently starred in the 25th anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She played Christine Daae in the Las Vegas production of Phantom and in the London premiere of the show’s sequel, Love Never Dies. Boggess made her Broadway debut in Zambello’s production of The Little Mermaid and appeared in the recent Broadway revival of Master Class. For Encores!, she starred in Music in the Air.

Rebecca will feature scenic design by Peter J. Davidson, costumes by Jane Greenwood, lighting by Mark McCullough, special effects by Gregory Meeh and projections by Sven Ortel. Musical direction and supervision is by Kevin Stites.

The Broadway production will be produced by 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.