New York City Broadway Theater Guide

Is He Dead?

Broadway Comedy

Previews  November 8 2007
Due to Open  November 29 2007
Strike Hiatus  November 10-29, 2007
Opened  December 9 2007
Closed  March 9 2008

Run  13 previews & 105 performances

Producers

Bob Boyett, Roger Berlind, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergere, Elisabeth Morten, et al

Creative

Mark Twain author
David Ives adaptation
Michael Blakemore director

Martin Pakledinaz costume design
Peter Kaczorowski lighting design
Peter J Davison scenic design
David Van Tieghem sound design

Synopsis

In mid-1800s Paris a group of young artists are being victimized by art dealer and, well, let's say loan shark, Bastien Andre. Many owe him big bucks francs. Papa Leroux -- father to Marie, girlfriend of Millet; and Cecile, girlfriend of Chicago --  is in a pretty sticky sticky situation. Andre has a fancy for Marie and makes it plain that if his feelings aren't requited the Leroux family will have to stretch centimes further than they already are

The young artists have a small exhibition of works but are finding it very difficult to sell anything at a good price. Then the gaslight flames on: What artists' works sell for expensive prices? Dead ones, of course!

And that's why Jean-Francois Millet morphs into Widow Daisy Tilloue

And the fun begins

The Road to Broadway

This would certainly made our Lost in Development hall of fame if we had been around back then. Twain wrote Is He Dead? in 1898 while living in Vienna. He had relocated his family there in 1987 so his daughter Clara could study piano with Theodor Leschetizky

Dead was the first work Twain started over the prior few years that he completed. He was quite excited about it. Wanting to see it quickly staged he sent it to London and friend Bram Stoker who, try as he might, couldn't find a taker for it. And efforts to bring the play to a New York stage also fell through...

...until this production, the world premiere, only 109 years after the play's writing