Woody Allen’s ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ Canceled

Goodspeed Musicals has canceled its planned presentation of the musical version of Woody Allen’s 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway, replacing it with the Jazz Age musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone.

The non-profit organization announced the change in its 2018 slate on Thursday. The production was originally set to be staged by Holiday Inn director Gordon Greenberg and to run from Sept. 21 through Nov. 25.

“After careful consideration and conversations with community members, trustees, staff and artists, we have decided to cancel our production of Bullets Over Broadway,” Goodspeed executive director Michael Gennaro said in a statement. “In light of the current dialogue on sexual harassment and misconduct, the author of Bullets Over Broadway, Woody Allen, has come under increasing scrutiny. Ongoing reports in the media have made this situation even more difficult and complicated and this led us to reconsider the appropriateness of producing the show. I believe this is the right decision for Goodspeed to make as an organization and we are pleased to be able to produce The Drowsy Chaperone as a welcome addition to our season.”

The Goodspeeds‘ 2018 schedule was initially announced in late September 2017. One month later, allegations printed against Harvey Weinstein in The New York Times and The New Yorker set off a wave of accusations against other figures in media, and reignited interest in Dylan Farrow’s claims that her father, Allen, had sexually abused her as a child. In December Farrow wrote an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times asking why her father had been “spared” from the “Me Too” movement, and one month later she appeared on CBS This Morning to discuss her allegations.

The Bullets Over Broadway musical premiered in New York in 2014, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, who had a massive previous hit with The Producers. However, the show, which was Allen’s first stab at adapting a musical, met with lukewarm reviews and closed after just four months.

The Drowsy Chaperone will run at the Goodspeed from Sept. 21 through Nov. 25. Ticket buyers who have already purchased tickets for Bullets Over Broadway will be able to see The Drowsy Chaperone at the same dates and times, Goodspeed Musicals said.

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