Race, Money and Broadway: How ‘Great Comet’ Burned Out
Then, just as the Broadway production was beginning previews, an unseemly — and, to many, preventable — dispute erupted, as Mr. Kagan went to war with Ars Nova over
that nonprofit theater’s insistence that he honor a signed promise to describe the show in the Playbill as “the Ars Nova production.” He argued that the provision was no longer binding; Ars Nova filed suit; Mr. Kagan backed down.
#PierreOrPerish @GreatCometBway
Mr. Onaodowan described his time with the show as “a very difficult experience.”
“They led me to believe I was going to be doing less than I was,” he said, “and then,
over time, I was given more and more material with not enough time to prepare.”
In separate interviews, neither Ms. Chavkin nor Mr. Onaodowan would talk about their interactions.
“We didn’t win the Tony for best musical,” Mr. Kagan said, “and it became clear we would not survive without a celebrity.”
The producers had once hoped that the show would become enough of a hit to continue without a star.
