The lead producer of the doomed Broadway musical “Rebecca” said Sunday it is now clear that four people he thought were “investors” in the show never existed.
Producer Ben Sprecher had said a mystery investor,“Paul Abrams,” who supposedly pledged $2.5 million for the show, suddenly died of malaria in London in August.
Sprecher had been led to “Abrams” by shadowy Long Island businessman, Mark Hotton, who told him Abrams died before he could hand over the dough, sources have said.
There also were three other investors Hotton told Sprecher about who supposedly promised another combined $2 million for the show, the sources have said.
But “following an extensive search over the last week, I can now confirm that there is no evidence whatever that “Paul Abrams” or any of the other three investors brought to this production by Mr. Hotton, ever existed,” said Sprecher’s lawyer, Ronald Russo.
The lawyer said they conducted an investigation in both the US and England.
Hotton was previously hit with a civil fraud lawsuit for allegedly selling at least $1.69 million in bogus debt for collection to a brokerage firm.
The suit was dismissed because Hotton filed for bankruptcy.
The failed production of “Rebecca’’ is now the subject of an FBI probe.