The Elaine Stritch cottage industry goes on.
The theatre veteran, solo star and Tony Award winner is in discussions to publish her autobiography, according to sources. The book would be based on her hit Off-Broadway-to-Broadway show Elaine Stritch at Liberty, in which the actress dealt candidly with the highs and lows of her crowded career and turbulent personal life. It could not be learned which publishing house Stritch was considering.
In other news, a U.S. tour of At Liberty seems to be firming up. The show would play selected cities beginning in January 2003, after Stritch has concluded an eight-week London engagement.
As reported earlier, Elaine Stritch at Liberty will land at the Old Vic in London on Oct. 1 for an Oct. 9 opening. Sally Green and Mark Goucher will produce the run. The show won the 2002 Tony for Special Theatrical Event.
Talk of the London gig had been in the air for months. The potential is high for a repeat of the actress' commercial and critical success Off Broadway and on. Stritch relocated to London for a good number of years in the middle of her career—a subject covered is her autobiographical show. There she appeared in many plays, as well as a British television show "Two's Company." In addition, At Liberty has been praised by several London papers, with drama critics making special trips to Manhattan to review the production.
As in Manhattan, Stritch will play a limited schedule of five shows a week. An extension of the run is possible. George C. Wolfe will again direct the piece, which was put together by Stritch and critic John Lahr.
Designers are Riccardo Hernández (set), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting), Paul Tazewell (costume) and Acme Sound Partners (sound).
*
Elaine Stritch At Liberty opened at The Public Theater Nov. 7, 2001, to rave reviews. Previews began Oct. 26. The show broke box office records at The Public for how quickly tickets sold and was extended three times.
After a couple weeks of previews, beginning Feb. 6, Elaine Stritch at Liberty officially opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on Feb. 21.
*
D.A. Pennebaker, the famed documentary filmmaker, has begun work on a movie about Elaine Stritch. Nothing official has been announced, but Pennebaker and his crew have been busying themselves shooting footage of the actress around New York City.
Pennebaker began his career in the '60s with a series of well-received documentaries on rock figures, including "Boy Dylan—Don't Look Back," "Jerry Lee Lewis—The Story of Rock 'n' Roll," and "Monterey Pop." His recent works include "The War Room," about Bill Clinton's successful 1992 campaign for the presidency; "Startup.com," about the doc.com crash; and "Moon Over Broadway," about the theatrical journey of Ken Ludwig's Moon Over Buffalo. He previously filmed Stritch in his documentary about the recording of the Company cast album.
