Hollywood is a fickle mistress for Broadway. One of the hottest tickets this fall was supposed to be the James Franco‘s Broadway debut, alongside Nicole Kidman, in Tennessee Williams’s Sweet Bird of Youth, directed by the openly gay David Cromer (Our Town, House of Blue Leaves).
Alas, the show must not go on.
Franco’s publicist confirmed on Monday that he is no longer involved in the production, and according to Cromer and The New York Times the show will not be a part of Broadway’s fall season. Kidman is still attached should the production ever get to the Great White Way. In
Youth, a Williams classic from 1959, tells the story of the gigolo Chance Wayne (the role Franco was attached to play) and his relationship with aging movie star Alexandra Del Lago (Kidman). The play was previously performed on Broadway with Paul Newman and Geraldine Page in the lead roles, which they re-created for the 1962 film adaptation. (Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon brought the pre-cougar-era drama to the small screen in a less-than-stellar 1980s TV adaptation.)
While we mourn the loss of Franco—who’s probably too busy filming that Oz sequel and defending his dissertation at Yale—there is some good news to report on the Hollywood-hunk-goes-to-Broadway-front: Web-slinging Andrew Garfield is definitely going to be playing Biff Loman in Mike Nichols’s production of Death of a Salesman next spring. The son of put-upon everyman Willy Loman, Biff might not be as sexy a role as Chance but Garfield is definitely just as hot as Franco—if not hotter.
Mymomsaysimawesome
I know I’m supposed to support my gays, but James Franco in a Tennessee Williams play?? Really? And in a part that Paul Newman once played? Franco is not a great actor. unless someone writes him the part of spoiled drug addled rich kid closet case, THAT I think he could play 😉
Ian
I want to see “Franco on Franco”… A play about hot brother-on-brother action… James on Dave… Dave on James…
Jack E. Jett
It is my understanding that he wanted to spend more one on one time with me. Or that is the way I choose to interpet this story.
Lefty
Those boots aren’t really doing much for that suit. 🙁
alan Balehead
He has zero discipline..no wonder he flaked…
huanyingas
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Richard H
A note to the writer of this story. Poor Grammar – – – No need for the ‘s after James Francos name in the opening sentence. tsk, tsk.
MikeE
@Richard H: And yes, “James Franco’s Broadway debut” would require an apostrophe and “s”. His surname is “Franco”.
I would be far more concerned with the superfluous “the” in the sentence! (“the James Franco”?)
Unless you meant after Tennessee Williams’ name? In which case, it is actually acceptable to use either apostrophe Ess or only the apostrophe.
Marcus
@Mymomsaysimawesome: Why did I laugh out loud at this?
Dave
Yeah Franco sucks and his acting is overrated, when’s he finally going to come out as bisexual or gay? He should lay off the coke, opiate pills, and other drugs too.