Is 'Wagon' pulling into PTC?

According to a lengthy article posted Tuesday on the www.playbill.com Web site — a story that Charles Morey calls "very premature" — a trio of outside producers are in discussions with Pioneer Theatre Company about a possible touring or Broadway-bound production of "Paint Your Wagon."

Morey, PTC's artistic director, said he's been interested in producing "Paint Your Wagon" for several years but was quick to note that the current project "is very much in the talking stages."

The outside production team includes Las Vegas-based producer Christopher Allen, Constantine Conte and Larry Spellman. Allen, who produced "Tap Dogs" in Las Vegas and who has also been linked to a possible Vegas-to-Broadway musical based on songs by Harold Arlen, was quoted extensively in the playbill.com article, written by Kenneth Jones.

Morey said he and PTC managing director Chris Lino would be meeting with Allen and his colleagues in about two weeks. "If we can agree with them, then we'll move ahead."

When — or if — the project comes to fruition, Morey said the earliest possibility of a production would be late in the company's 2006-07 season. He speculated that the playbill.com article came about from the others "trying to drum up some interest by tying our name to it."

"Paint Your Wagon" is a newly revised version of Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1951 classic, The 1969 movie version — with a script by Paddy Chayefsky — was also considerably different from the original production, starring non-singers Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood.

The stage production has been produced several times along the Wasatch Front, including the Grand, Sundance Summer Theatre and a number of community theaters. It's also scheduled to be performed next summer at Rodgers Memorial Theatre, Centerville.