6 Broadway Shows That Delayed Opening

4. “Show Boat”

The show was originally supposed to open in April 1927, with the established cast of Elizabeth Hines, Guy Robertson and Paul Robeson (pictured). But, when rehearsals were delayed due to writing, the cast was released from their contracts. Hines sued producer Florenz Ziegfeld for the sum of $200,000, for a broken contract—she lost. The problems didn’t end there, however. Once “Show Boat” was ready for the stage, Ziegfeld found himself in a predicament. “Show Boat” was supposed to be at the Lyric Theatre, but Ziegfeld thought the stage was too small. Already playing at the brand new Ziegfeld Theatre was the musical “Rio Rita.” The producer decided to just switch the shows, meaning that “Show Boat” didn’t officially open until December 1927.

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