A tour of the musical Copacabana starring Jon Lee is hanging in the balance after the producers have cancelled a number of dates following reports of late payments to cast and suppliers.
The Barry Manilow musical has cancelled a planned run in Newcastle at the Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre this week, with three shows in Bournemouth pulled at the end of last week. There are two more planned dates at Blackpool Grand next week from 10th-15th November and Billingham Forum on 17th-22nd November which are in doubt.Blackpool Grand was unable to confirm that the run would be taking place.
The shows producers are Antony Stuart-Hicks and Paul Leno, who were behind the failed tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2013 where the management for Darren Day, who starred in that production are starting legal proceedings to recoup money owed to him, with musicians threatening to do the same. Stuart-Hicks and Leno are producing Copacabana through Dancing Fool Theatrical. They also run Ash Productions Live, which produced Spelling Bee and is a co-producer of Copacabana, alongside the Harlow Playhouse.
A spokesman for Equity confirmed that it was involved in assisting members of the show following news of the cancellations.
The producers said that “circumstances beyond our reasonable control” had resulted in the Bournemouth run not being completed.
Thom Southerland directed the show, but his agent has requested the show’s producers remove his name from the credits, claiming sections of the musical were redirected without his consent and a cast member was replaced without any consultation.
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