Once again, the words "David Merrick Presents . . ." will adorn a Broadway theater marquee.
The producers of "State Fair" say that Merrick, the legendary Broadway impresario, has joined the producing team for the musical, a stage adaptation of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein movie.The show is scheduled to open at the Music Box Theater on March 27.
Merrick, 83, the producer of the original "Hello, Dolly!," "42nd Street" and dozens of other shows, has not been represented on Broadway since the ill-fated musical "Oh, Kay!" in 1990.
He had a stroke several years ago that left him partly paralyzed and unable to speak clearly.
Philip Langner, who runs the Theater Guild, one of the original commercial producers of "State Fair" on stage, said Merrick had agreed to invest $1 million in the show, a contribution that will allow "State Fair" to expand its marketing campaign.
The investment will raise the show's cumulative price tag on the road and in New York to $4.5 million, Langner said.
"He's bringing a million dollars into the capitalization, and that gives us a nice additional cushion that will enable us to do additional advertising and all sorts of good things," Langner said, adding that the deal was signed Thursday at the Music Box Theater.