The above picture is of Doug with actor Andrew Hill Newman. If history had operated accordingly, Andrew was to have been the first understudy to take over Doug’s role in “Merlin.” However, many of you don’t need this website to tell you that “Merlin” was a somewhat tumultuous production with many ups and downs. Many ups and downs!

Not least of which was Doug wanting to take an extended vacation in the middle of the play’s busy holiday season. So, rather than deal with the blowback of falling ticket sales, it was decided by the production team and the Nederlander Organization to cut their losses and shut the production down altogether. 

Despite all the intense preparation Andrew Hill Newman did for the role, this picture is all that remains of his time with one of the most complex musicals ever mounted on Broadway.