We've been tracking the saga here of a touring stage production of A Christmas Carol, which was to have starred F. Murray Abraham, George Wendt, Wayne Knight and James Garner. It was announced by the same folks who mounted the infamous production of the same play last Christmas at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. That version — which starred Christopher Lloyd, John Goodman and a couple of folks who filled in for advertised stars who didn't appear — was the one I described as "a live Bloopers show."
For this year, the same producer-director announced a touring company that was to play Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. It was to feature Mssrs. Abraham, Wendt, Knight and Garner plus, in the original announcement, Stockard Channing and Timothy Hutton. Then Channing and Hutton pulled out or were never signed, depending on which account one believes. Then various cities dropped off the touring plan…and now, it's been announced that Chicago is off and the tour is not happening at all. Anyone surprised?