Livent’s Show Goes On

Early Monday morning, Richard Maltby Jr., director of the new musical “Fosse: A Celebration in Song and Dance,” called the show’s associate producer Marty Bell to ask him what he thought about the reviews. Produced by Livent Inc., the Broadway-bound musical due to arrive at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre on Oct. 14 had just had its world premiere in Toronto on Sunday, and the critics had been respectful. (“In the main--nothing but good news,” reported the Toronto Sun.)

“Marty told me that he thought they were pretty good,” recalled Maltby in a telephone conversation from his Connecticut home on Wednesday. “But that there was this other news that was going to dwarf them.”

The “other news” was that Bell had learned at 6 a.m. Monday that he had been named “acting creative director” of Livent, replacing Garth Drabinsky, the flamboyant, free-spending impresario who founded the Toronto-based, publicly traded live entertainment company that owns and/or operates a network of theaters across North America and created such lavish mega-musicals as “Show Boat” and “Ragtime.”

In June, a new management team, headed by Michael Ovitz and investment banker Roy Furman, took over the financially ailing company, demoting Drabinsky from chairman to vice chairman and chief creative director. But on Monday morning, following an emergency meeting, Livent’s board voted to suspend Drabinsky and his chief fiscal lieutenant, Myron Gottlieb, alleging “serious irregularities in the company’s financial records.” Already reeling from a $50-million loss reported for the 15-month period ending this March, the new managers announced in a statement that they were “virtually certain” that the company’s financial results would have to be restated, going back to early 1996.

Both Drabinsky and Gottlieb were immediately locked out of their offices and various Livent executives were sent out to do damage control as trading in the company’s shares was halted on the Toronto and Nasdaq exchanges. On Thursday, Drabinsky’s future became even cloudier when newspapers reported that the former chief executive had allegedly kept two sets of financial records, one of them secret, in order to cover up losses.

“Marty assured me that ‘Fosse’ would continue as planned, that the situation should not have an adverse effect on any of Livent’s projects,” Maltby said. But the director admitted that the show’s future was his second--not his first--concern on hearing the news.

“My first thought was, ‘How shocking for Garth not to be there any longer.’ I don’t know about the finances, but as an artistic enterprise, Livent is an extension of Garth.”

*

Indeed, in the continuing and volatile aftermath of the suspensions, the buzz in the theater world among producers and creative personnel--many of whom are involved with Livent projects--is how the company will now fare without its charismatic, visionary, egomaniacal and prickly creative leader. And, perhaps more important, what will happen to the extensive roster of shows either already on the boards or in development. In addition to “Fosse,” that also includes “Barrymore,” the Christopher Plummer one-man show, which opens at the Ahmanson on Sept. 9.

Livent also has expensive productions of “Ragtime” and “Show Boat” currently on the road, and their box-office returns have been somewhat disappointing. In November, “Parade,” a new play by Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning playwright Alfred Uhry and directed by Harold Prince, is scheduled to open at the Vivian Beaumont theater in a co-production between Lincoln Center and Livent. Also in various stages of development are “Seussical,” inspired by the work of Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel); “The Sweet Smell of Success,” directed by Nicholas Hytner with an original score by Marvin Hamlisch; and a restaging of the classic Rodgers and Hart musical “Pal Joey.”

“We’re in one of those scary periods,” said lyricist Lynne Ahrens, who with composer Stephen Flaherty is at work on “‘Seussical,” following up their Tony-winning songs for “Ragtime.” “I’ve spoken to both Marty [Bell] and Roy Furman [Livent current chairman and CEO] and have been assured loudly and clearly that they’re excited and enthusiastic about going forward. Personally, I will really miss Garth, he’s a powerhouse, but I think Marty’s terrific. He was the one who brought ‘Ragtime’ to Garth and who brought us in on the project.”

Bell has been Drabinsky’s closest associate at Livent since 1993, having been hired by Drabinsky after stints in the nonprofit arena and as a commercial Broadway producer (“Precious Sons”). He is widely respected for his acumen and savvy in helping Drabinsky shepherd projects to fruition.

“Marty’s a facilitator with an eye for spotting talent,” said Gordon Davidson, producing director of the Ahmanson. “Garth was a showman and these qualities are not necessarily where Marty lives, but I think he’ll bring people together, support them and give them more room. He’s stepping out of Garth’s shadow at an interesting moment for the company.”

While how long Bell may serve as acting creative director at Livent is uncertain--Furman could not be reached for comment Thursday--in Monday’s statement announcing the suspensions, the CEO did appear to go out of his way to mention Bell as the creative link between Livent’s past and future. Bell, 49, clearly sees the current situation as an opportunity to prove himself.

“I’ve been present at every meeting with every creative artist, so it’s been an easy transition in that regard,” said Bell when reached Wednesday in Toronto, where he was overseeing a reading of “The Sweet Smell of Success,” featuring actor Ed Harris.

The producer was emphatic that the company’s even more straitened financial circumstances--the uncovered financial irregularities, as of now, are said to run to about $5 million and additional losses are expected to be recognized--would not cause Livent to pull the plug on any of the announced projects; those include a recently concluded agreement to restore and refurbish the historic 500-seat Times Square Theater on 42nd Street adjacent to the company’s Ford Center for the Performing Arts, where “Ragtime” has been a virtual sellout since opening last January.

“They’ll be pulled off only if they’re not good enough,” Bell said. “I think the bad times are behind the company.”

Despite such optimism, the current picture doesn’t look all that great for the company. While the Broadway production of “Ragtime” has been grossing nearly $900,000 a week, the London production of the show, which had been set to open in January, has now been postponed for at least a year because of financial considerations. The touring company of “Ragtime,” which will open Livent’s new Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago this fall, was forced to curtail its run in Vancouver by a month due to dwindling box-office returns and, according to sources, the company never made good on a promised $20,000 in enhancement money to the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor in return for first consideration on commercial rights to “House,” a new two-act play by Terrence McNally and Jon Robin Baitz, which premieres there Saturday.

“We remain hopeful, but it’s all too new to know whether or not certain projects will play or not,” said Gilbert Parker, literary agent for McNally, who won a Tony for his adaptation of “Ragtime” and who is revising the book for “Pal Joey” for Livent. “I think we saw signs of change coming all along, and now I think there is a question as to whether the London production of ‘Ragtime’ will happen. I know they’ve made reductions in the budget for the show in the West End but I’m not sure it could be done within those restrictions.”

*

Livent is also committed to providing $2.5 million as its part of an equal co-production deal with Lincoln Center Theater for “Parade,” and Lincoln Center officials say that although they have not yet received that money, they are not worried--the company expects the money to be delivered in eight payments, to begin in a couple of weeks. “We’re utterly confident that ‘Parade’ will proceed as planned,” said Andre Bishop, Lincoln Center Theater’s artistic director. “The sets are being built as we speak.”

In Los Angeles, the Ahmanson has no financial investment in either “Barrymore” or “Fosse”--Davidson describes the theater as a co-presenter with Livent of the shows, which are part of the theater’s subscription series. But Davidson said that he had many discussions with Livent’s Drabinsky, as recently as last Sunday, about future co-productions between the theaters, particularly in the development of new plays.

“We’re not providing money, but we are providing an audience, a working theater, and in the past, Garth has sought advice from us,” said Davidson, who presented “Show Boat” at the Ahmanson.

Meanwhile, on Broadway, some are saying they saw this coming: “I’ve always felt that Garth put us independent producers in an awkward position, money was no object when it came to signing creative talent,” said Broadway producer Manny Kladitis. “The norm was one full-page ad in the New York Times. Garth took out four. We couldn’t compete. It was always a question, ‘How can he do this?’ ”

The theater world also continues to speculate as to how the new team at Livent will proceed. It is widely expected that the company will go into areas beyond theater where the industry norm means failure for four out of every five productions.

“Given the background of Ovitz, I can’t believe that he is simply going to do theatrical productions,” said Steven Levy, a Broadway producer. “Livent’s committed to theater simply because they own theaters and they have to fill them with something, but they will have to diversify.”

Many also say that if Drabinsky does not return, it will be the end of the kind of old-fashioned showmanship and the loss of an engine for developing new work in the theater. “That’s been Livent’s most important accomplishment,” Davidson said, “and in the case of revivals of ‘Show Boat,’ doing it carefully and with great deliberation and respect. Garth also brought the plus and minus of doing something lavishly. Hopefully, they can still do it. But it’ll have to be a little less lavish, a little more fiscally responsible, maybe one [production], not three.”