It's Thursday, darlings, and that, of course, on here, means Bitch Of The Week. In show business, a profession where bitches are a dime a dozen (like law and politics!!!!!) this week's winner takes the cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Meet Ben Sprecher. He is a theater producer, and owner. Now, he was never a world beater like David Merrick, or Hal Prince, when the latter was in his Producer mode. But he had some respectable credits--the revival of "A Moon For The Misbegotten," which starred Kevin Spacey and Eve Best (though I will stick to Jason and Colleen, loves!!!!!!!) and ownership of the Promenade, Variety Arts, and Little Shubert Theatres.
Nothing in this background, short of ultimately producing a certifiable blockbuster, was going to propel Mr. Sprecher into the annals of Theatre History. That is, before he decided to produce the musical version of "Rebecca." Now, maybe he hoped this would be some kind of a blockbuster, though I had my doubts from the beginning. But, as it turns out, even though "Rebecca" will not see the lights of Broadway, Sprecher will make theatrical history, not just by becoming this week's winner of the Raving Queen Bitch Of The Week Award, but for running what is, unquestionably, Broadway's first certifiable Ponzi Scheme.
All of which, when the dust settles, could turn out to be more interesting, dramatically, than the musical itself, had it been mounted. Along with Mr. Sprecher, a Long Islander from Islip, New York, Mark C. Holton, has been credited with steering Mr. Sprecher to Paul Abrams, the once alive, now deceased so-called investor--if, indeed, he ever did exist at all.
And I don't believe he did. I think Sprecher saw dollar signs at "Rebecca's" potential, (which shows a lack of critical acumen) and launched into the production thereof without any investors at all. With such top flight folk as director Michael Blakemore, and actors Karen Mason and Howard McGillin signed on, one has to wonder what they thought they were in for, especially as the show kept changing leads and its scheduling kept being pushed back. Just who is being taken for a ride here???????? And by whom???????? By none other than Mr. Sprecher. Now, I can't say if he was pilfering money, but it seems he was lying to his cast and crew about money being available--which means if they have not been paid yet, none of these folk, outside of litigation, will ever see a red cent. With what it takes to land a job on Broadway these days--honey, I know!!!!!--you commit yourself to a year, and then kaput!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr. Sprecher has a lot to answer for. Bernie Medoff, forever synonymous with the phrase Ponzi Scheme, was motivated by good, old-fashioned American greed. Despicable, but it makes an odd kind of sense. I cannot fathom what Mr. Sprecher's motive was, outside of blind stupidity.
Which is now going to come back and bite him on the ass!!!!!!!!! And I hope the actors and staff that signed on to this sunk ship take a big financial bite out of him, too. Hey, Julie Taymor must be feeling terrific this morning; at least her debacle of a show got mounted!!!!!!!! This show never saw the light of the rehearsal studio!!!!!!!
What a Bitch Ben Sprecher is!!!!!!!!! There is hardly a more perfect candidate for this week's winner than he! I am reminded of one of Sharon Tate's famous lines from the classic "Valley Of The Dolls," which applies here--"Gee, honey, I'm sorry! That old witch ought to be boiled in oil!"
Ben Sprecher is not so much boiled, as his goose is cooked! As stated, he may never eat lunch in this town again, but this Bitch Of The Week is looking good right now to being fed as the main course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Throw in some carrots and celery, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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