Christian Hoff Rests Hoof; Understudy Risch Goes On Nov. 22-23
By Kenneth Jones
23 Nov 2008
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Christian Hoff
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| photo by Aubrey Reuben | The Nov. 22 preview matinee of Roundabout Theatre Company's Pal Joey at Broadway's Studio 54 was cancelled due to a foot injury sustained by star Christian Hoff, who plays the title character.
Understudy Matthew Risch was prepped to go into the evening performance Saturday night and is also expected to play on Nov. 23, while Hoff recovers.
"Due to a minor foot injury sustained during last night's (Friday)
performance, Christian Hoff has been advised by his doctor to rest through
the weekend," according to a statement released late on Nov. 22. "We hope he will be back early next week."
The new revised revival of the 1940 musical by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, John O'Hara and new book writer Richard Greenberg stars Hoff (a Tony Award winner for Jersey Boys) as a Chicago nightclub hoofer with dreams of owning his own joint. His ticket to that goal is a rich married lady (played by Tony winner Stockard Channing) who is bewitched, bothered and bewildered by him.
Previews began Nov. 14 toward a Dec. 11 opening.
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Tony-winning director Joe Mantello (Assassins, Wicked, Take Me Out) stages the new production.
Tony nominee Martha Plimpton (Top Girls) plays Gladys Bumps, a club performer.
The new Greenberg script based on O'Hara's original (and on O'Hara's short stories) reinvents some scenes, situations and characters, and some songs by composer Rodgers and lyricist Hart have been reassigned or restored.
Audiences can expect to hear a song for Joey that was cut prior to the 1940 Broadway premiere (it's called "I'm Talking to My Pal"). Also interpolated into this revival (according to the Playbill of the first preview) are the Rodgers & Hart songs "Are You My Love?" from the 1936 film "Dancing Pirate" and "I Still Believe in You" from the 1930 musical Simple Simon.
Pal Joey is a limited engagement through Feb. 15, 2009. The musical is produced in association with Marc Platt.
Music direction by is Tony Award winner Paul Gemignani, with choreography by Tony nominee Graciela Daniele (Ragtime).
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