“FINDING NEVERLAND” PRODUCER
HARVEY WEINSTEIN
WINS “RIEDEL CHALLENGE”
NEW YORK POST COLUMNIST
MICHAEL RIEDEL
ADMITS DEFEAT
AFTER “FINDING NEVERLAND”
EARNS THE LOVE OF 96% OF ITS AUDIENCE

Cambridge, MA - In reaction to a piece written by New York Post journalist Michael Riedel criticizing the new musical Finding Neverland, the producers of the show found out that Riedel had not seen the show and had been writing speculatively.

Riedel was invited by producer Harvey Weinstein to come to the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge and see the show for himself. Weinstein set Riedel a challenge: if less than 80% of the audience did not love the show, Weinstein would do the ALS ice bucket challenge. However if 80% or more of the audience loved it, Riedel would have ice dumped on him. The show was surveyed and the results were verified by accounting firm Ernst and Young.

A resounding 96% of the audience voted they loved the show and so Riedel, watched by a large crowd that gathered, was elegantly doused by Weinstein.

In an impromptu conversation with Riedel after the show, Weinstein joked that Riedel should stay in Boston to have a heart operation - to have a heart put IN. Weinstein challenged Riedel to champion the theater in his column and the hard work done by actors, directors and producers. He encouraged Riedel to see shows, to understand the process, rather than annihilate with bitchy gossip.

Riedel was a good sport and was charming and gracious. He admitted to giving the producers of Wicked the wrong advice when they opened out of town that they should probably not proceed with the production.

In a move to support the charity, Weinstein said he would write a $50,000 check for ALS.

Attached is a photo of Michael Riedel admitting defeat and being doused with ice water, in front of a large crowd that had gathered to hear the results.

“ F I N D I N G N E V E R L A N D ”
WILL OPEN ON BROADWAY
AT THE LUNT-FONTANNE THEATRE
ON APRIL 8, 2015

Photo credit: Evgenia Eliseeva