Just finished a phone chat with Tom Smedes, the first-time Broadway producer committed to getting “Ace” to Washington, D.C.’s National Theatre in March – and then hopefully on to Broadway. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life – that a) it will happen and b) it will be successful.”
“Ace,” of course, is the musical about a troubled kid who discovers his heritage in his dreams. It’s by Cincinnati native and CCM grad Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor and had a successful run at Playhouse in the Park a year ago.
Smedes fell in love with “Ace” when he saw it in its San Diego run at the beginning of 2007. Smedes already has Off-Broadway’s “Naked Boys Singing” on his list of credits. When he saw “Ace,” Smedes knew it was a winner. “It appeals to everyone.”
“It’s the right season, both on Broadway and politically” (“Ace” is, after all, about America at war), says Smedes, to make his first foray onto the Great White Way. He means to sneak in between monoliths “Young Frankenstein” and “The Little Mermaid” with a little-show-that-could.
Smedes is fearlessly raising “$7-8 million.” At the moment he’s “creeping toward $1 million,” but some good news is that Live Nation (that’s the company that owns BroadwayAcrossAmerica) made an investment. Of course, now Live Nation is changing hands, but that’s another story.
While the price tag is “daunting,” Smedes says, “I’d like to have it all raised by the end of the year. But that’s probably unlikely.“ He figures he just has to have the money collected by the show’s D.C. opening.
The reason he’s telling me all this is he wants me to tell you. Any investors out there? E-mail or call me, I’ll connect you.
Jackie Demaline
