La Cage Aux Folles brings well known faces to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

George Hamilton

 

La Cage Aux Folles will be opening June 5-10, 2012 at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. The show not only brings glitz and glamour but also two well known actors to the stage. Two time Tony Award nominee and Broadway veteran, Christopher Sieber will make his road debut in the role of Albin. Playing his partner, Georges will be well-known television star, George Hamilton.

La Cage Aux Folles tells the story of Georges (Hamilton) the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin (Sieber), who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! La Cage Aux Follesis a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together… stay fabulous… and above all else, stay true to themselves!

Christopher Sieber

 

For more information about the show, or to purchase tickets, please visit OrlandoBroadway.com

The Abbey’s First Theater Production is Now On-sale!

BREAK THROUGH is an eye-opening production about society’s barriers and the amazing true stories of bringing them down. Devised by UCF students, the play is composed of true stories, research and interviews from the LGBT community, transformed into a heart-rending piece that exposes the everyday secrets of what it’s like to be queer in America in the 21^st century.

There will be three performances of the show: Friday, August 26 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, August 27 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

BREAK THROUGH: Bringing Down the Barriers is more than just a play. It’s an idea, a belief, a mission to end the silence of LGBT indignations, civil right violations and the hate-motivated stigmas that plague the community.

100% of the proceeds from BREAK THROUGH will benefit The Zebra Coalition, a non-profit organization that provides services and safe spaces to troubled LGBT youth.

General admission tickets are $13.50 and $9.50 student tickets. There are also 50 VIP tickets for the Saturday 8 p.m. performance for $31.50. VIP tickets include VIP seating and a reception immediately following the performance at The Abbey in which VIP patrons will receive complimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres and a gift bag.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com. For more information visit www.AbbeyOrlando.com.

Don’t Miss the Chance to Get Your 2011-2012 FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Season Tickets!

The 2011 – 2012 FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando subscription series is going to be a family affair in Orlando! The sensational 2011-2012 season boasts some of the hottest shows direct from Broadway including the uproariously funny new musical comedy THE ADDAMS FAMILY, the 2010 Tony winner for Best Musical Revival LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and Time Magazine’s Best Musical of the Decade BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL!  The season also features timeless favorites including the triumphant return of Disney’s masterpiece THE LION KING, the stunning new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC and the new 25th Anniversary production of LES MISÉRABLES. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.OrlandoBroadway.com , by calling 1.800.448.6322 (M – F, 10a.m. – 5p.m.) or in person at 100 S. Eola Drive, Suite 100, Orlando, Fla. 32801 (M – F, 10a.m. – 5p.m.).

Prices for the six-show season range from $170 – $600, depending on performance time, day of week and seating location selected.  There are a variety of reasons to join the family of FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando season tickets holders, including:

• Premium seat locations for all six season shows
• Priority and additional ticket purchase offers prior to public onsale
• Complimentary ticket exchange and replacement services
• Broadway Bon Appétit dining discount offers

Tickets to individual shows in the 2011 – 2012 Season are not available for purchase at this time.  All shows will be performed at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre.  Current season ticket holders should expect their renewal packets to arrive via USPS no later than February 25.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. This magnificently macabre new musical comedy is created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and Olivier Award-winning director/designers Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter) with creative consultation by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks. Come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you.  THE ADDAMS FAMILY will creep into town November 1^st – 6^th, 2011.

The breathtaking new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC is based on the 2008 Tony Award® winning Lincoln Center Theater production, directed by Bartlett Sher. Based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples — US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young local native girl Liat — and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Considered by many the finest musical ever written, the score’s songs include such classics as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “A Wonderful Guy.” SOUTH PACIFIC will soar into Orlando December 6 – 11, 2011.

 

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25^th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.  This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The New York Times calls this LES MISÉRABLES “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful.”  The Star-Ledger says “a dynamically re-imagined hit.  This ‘LES MISÉRABLES’ has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: ‘Les Miz’ is born again.” LES MISÉRABLES will inspire Orlando audiences once again January 17^th – 22^nd, 2012.

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is the joyous celebration of one boy’s journey to make his dreams come true. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL will enchant the dreamer in everyone. Based on the international smash-hit film, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is brought to life by a phenomenal cast of 45 and the Tony Award-winning creative team featuring director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall, along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls “HIS BEST SCORE YET!” BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL will dance its way into Orlando’s heart February 15 – 26, 2012.

The most eagerly awaited return, Disney’s THE LION KING, once again leap onto the stage for the show’s triumphant return to Orlando. Visually stunning, technically astounding and with a musical score like none other ever heard. Giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap, and as the entire savannah comes to life, the music soars and Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. THE LION KING is the Tony® Award-winning Broadway sensation that Newsweek calls “a landmark event in entertainment.”  The New York Times says, “There is simply nothing else like it.” Patrons will marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by a cast of more than 40 actors and wonder at the inspiration of award-winning director Julie Taymor, who created visual images for this show that will be remembered forever. The pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands feature an unforgettable score, including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar®-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” THE LION KING roars into Orlando April 17 – May 13, 2012.

Winner of three Tony Awards® including the award for Best Musical Revival, this hilarious new production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES was the biggest hit of the 2010 Broadway season, leaving audiences in stitches night after night! LA CAGE tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! LA CAGE is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together, stay fabulous, and above all else, stay true to themselves!  LA CAGE AUX FOLLES will grace the Orlando stage June 5^th – 10^th, 2012.

The 2011 – 2012  FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Season is as follows:

THE ADDAMS FAMILY:  November 1 – 6, 2011

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s  SOUTH PACIFIC:  December 6 – 11, 2011

LES MISÉRABLES:  January 17 – 22, 2012

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL:  February 15 – 26, 2012

THE LION KING:  April 17 – May 13, 2012

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES:  June 5 – 10, 2012

 

For more information on the 2011 – 2012 Season, or to order online, log onto http://www.OrlandoBroadway.com.

Nickelodeon presents STORYTIME LIVE!

For further information:

Amanda Norvell/407.841.4675

amanda@truemktg.com

NICKELODEON BRINGS Storytime Live!

TO ORLANDO AUGUST 4 – 5, 2010

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, JUNE 25 at 10:00a.m.

Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets! and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan Featured in Brand-New Stage Production

ORLANDO, Fla. – June 21, 2010 – Nickelodeon and FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando bring Storytime Live!  to Orlando for four performances only, August 4 – 5, 2010.  Storytime Live! is the first-ever live family theatrical tour featuring characters from four of the current top-rated preschool shows on television today : Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets! and Ni Hao, Kai-lan;.  Preschoolers and their parents can see their favorite Nick Jr. characters come to life in one action-packed on-stage adventure hosted by Nick Jr.’s Moose A. Moose and Zee.  The tour will visit more than 70 cities in 2010.

Tickets for Storytime Live! in Orlando start at $16.00 and can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647. For more information, visit www.nicklivetour.com.  

Storytime Live! will play Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre Wednesday, August 4^th at 4:00p.m. and 7:00p.m. and Thursday, August 5^th at 10:30a.m. and 7:00p.m.

Each segment of Storytime Live! takes kids and their families on a different brand-new adventure, whether its leaping into Fairytale Land with Dora and Sleeping Boots, journeying through Filthingham with The Backyardigans, hopping into Wonderland with the Wonder Pets! or jumping on clouds with Kai-lan and the Monkey King. 

The Storytime Live! creative team comes with a diverse theatrical background and includes: Director Sam Scalamoni (Associate Director: Lestat and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway); Scenic Designer Josh Zangen; Costume Designer Patrick Bevilacqua (Thomas and Friends: A Day at the Circus, Costume Designer;); and Choreographer Wendy Seyb. 

Additionally, the creative teams for each of the Nick Jr. shows featured are part of the production, including: contributions from Sascha Paladino, head writer for Ni Hao, Kai-lan; Janice Burgess, creator of The Backyardigans;  Josh Selig, Billy Lopez and Little Airplane Productions, Inc for Wonder Pets and Valerie Walsh-Valdes, co-creator of Dora the Explorer.  

Nickelodeon has produced several of the top quality theatrical and touring shows for kids and their families which have drawn more than 2.5 million attendees in 12 years. 

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B)

FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is presented by Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees established to ensure the continued presentation of quality touring Broadway productions and the promotion of arts education throughout the state of Florida.  FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is given promotional support by WKMG Local 6. For more information, visit www.FloridaTheatrical.org .

Broadway Across America (Producer) is owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 40 North American cities. Under the supervision of Beth Williams (COO & Head of Production), Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world.  Recent productions include Hair, West Side Story, Memphis and the West End production of Breakfast At Tiffany’s.  Upcoming Broadway productions include the return of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Million Dollar Quartet and Minsky’s.  Touring productions include Nickelodeon’s Storytime Live featuring Dora the Explorer and Dreamgirls.  For more information on Broadway Across America or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. 

###

CHICAGO IS BACK IN ORLANDO AND IT’S PURE ENTERTAINMENT

Tickets On Sale Friday, April 30 at 10:00a.m.

Now celebrating 13 glorious years of girls, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO is now the sixth longest-running musical production in Broadway history … and shows no sign of ever slowing down!

CHICAGO will play Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre Tuesday, June 15 through Sunday, June 20, 2010 with evening performances at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m., a Sunday matinee at 1:00 p.m., and a Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for CHICAGO go on sale Friday, April 30 at 10:00a.m. and start at $34.00. Tickets can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

Murder. Greed. Corruption. Violence. Exploitation. Adultery. Treachery. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

The national tour is directed by Scott Faris and choreographed by Gary Chryst.  Walter Bobbie is the director of the original New York Production and Ann Reinking was the original choreographer in the style of Bob Fosse. CHICAGO features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer. The production also features orchestrations by Ralph Burns, supervising music direction by Rob Fisher.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, CHICAGO has become a worldwide phenomenon with productions in 24 countries and 11 languages since 1996.
 
The record-breaking London production of CHICAGO continues to hold the record as the longest-running American musical in West End history.  CHICAGO is also on tour throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as international tours in Australia and the United Kingdom.

CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree. Time Magazine calls it “A Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing” and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO “Broadway’s Most Electrifying Show.”

CHICAGO will return to Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on June 15, 2010 and play through June 20, 2010. Tickets for CHICAGO go on sale Friday, April 30 at 10:00a.m. and start at $34.00. Tickets can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.

FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is presented by Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees established to ensure the continued presentation of quality touring Broadway productions and the promotion of arts education throughout the state of Florida.  FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is given promotional support by WKMG Local 6. For more information, visit www.FloridaTheatrical.org .

Broadway Across America is owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced the Broadway productions of HAIR, WEST SIDE STORY and Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS.  Upcoming productions include MINSKY’S, PROMISES, PROMISES, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET and the West End production of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S.  Touring productions include Nickelodeon’s STORYTIME ADVENTURES featuring Dora the Explorer and DREAMGIRLS. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

###

World of ‘Xanadu’

By Jay Handelman

Published: Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.

‘Xanadu” may be the silliest idea for a Broadway musical in ages, but it is an inspired piece of campy fun that breezes through a fast-paced 90 minutes in a tour that stopped this week at Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The musical, based on a flop 1980 movie musical that starred Olivia Newton-John, is about the efforts of a demi-god (or muse) to help an airheaded street artist realize his dream to open a roller disco, where all the arts come alive at night.

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane puts a clever twist on the story with lots of tongue-in-cheek jokes — even about the show itself.

And it is well-built around songs by Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, including “Suddenly,” “I’m Alive,” “Magic,” “All Over the World” and “Have You Never Been Mellow.”

By the end you’ll believe we are all magic.

As staged by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Dan Knechtges, the show has a spirited and flamboyant style that prompts one of the muses to describe the musical as “a kiddie show for 40-year-old gay men.”

But the appeal is far broader than that.

Anika Larsen channels Newton-John and puts her own roller-skating spin on the role of Clio, who masquerades as an Australian named Kira to inspire Sonny Malone. Larsen glides across the stage in her roller skates with ease and sings in a dreamy, ethereal voice.

She is well-matched with strong-voiced Max von Essen as the California artist with a surfer dude’s tone, who laughs at jokes he doesn’t get but knows where his art and heart are.

The supporting cast is led by a vibrant Larry Marshall as Sonny’s business partner Danny, and Natasha Yvette Williams and Annie Golden as Clio’s cackling “evil woman” sisters. The cast also includes some fine tap dancing from Jesse Nager.

Bubbling under the surface of the frivolity is a wonderful message about the value and importance of creativity and the arts in making life worthwhile and leading us to our own personal version of paradise.

Flop movie makes successful theater

HeraldTribune.com

By Jay Handelman
Published: Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.

Some people in the theater community were convinced that the creative team turning the flop movie “Xanadu” into a Broadway musical were bound for disaster.

How wrong they were. The movie that starred Olivia Newton-John as a Greek demi-goddess who inspires a painter to achieve his dream and open a roller disco turned into a surprise hit.

“Can a musical be simultaneously indefensible and irresistible?” The New York Times wrote in 2007. “Why, yes it can. Witness ‘Xanadu,’ the outlandishly enjoyable stage spoof of the outrageously bad movie from 1980.”

The musical has been roller skating across the country for the last year and arrives in Sarasota for two performances Tuesday and Wednesday at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

For Anika Larsen, a fan of Newton-John and the movie when she was young, playing Kira “is a little girl’s dream come true.”

She stars opposite Max Von Essen as Sonny and Larry Marshall as the Greek god, Zeus, and other more earthbound characters.

Larsen said the musical has several things going for it, starting with the Electric Light Orchestra hits by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, including “Magic,” “Suddenly,” “Have You Never Been Mellow?” and “All Over the World,” among others.

But the music could only take audiences so far, and Larsen said that playwright Douglas Carter Beane “did an extraordinary job of taking the movie and making it into such a smart and clever and hilarious piece of theater. It’s a joy to say these lines every night.”

The show is played with tongue in cheek on some levels and with earnest seriousness on others.

“You would expect it in a roller disco musical that I could be playing a part with such a strong journey,” Larsen said in a telephone interview from Dallas. “She starts as a demi-goddess and by the end she’s gone through an incredible roller coaster and become in touch with her humanity.”

There’s also something of a serious message within all the silliness.

“The show says gorgeous things about the importance of art in society. One of the most beautiful lines that Kira says at the end is that she wants to ‘remind mankind that there’s something greater than wealth or fame and that is the human experience rendered comprehensible through art.’ Every night when I say that, I am almost moved to tears.”

She shed some tears during rehearsals for the Broadway production, trying to learn the choreography on skates.

“I had Rollerbladed for years before I did the Broadway company, and I thought I was good to go,” she said. “But when I got to rehearsals I realized it is very different than roller skating, and no one had ever asked me to dance on Rollerblades.”

She came to “Xanadu” after learning how to be a puppeteer for “Avenue Q.”

After the “Xanadu” tour ends in a few weeks, she said friends have suggested that her next show will have her “playing a puppeteer on skates.”

Xanadu’s next stop…Dallas!

Dallas Summer Musicals bring ‘Xanadu’ to town

11:08 AM CDT on Monday, April 5, 2010

By LAWSON TAITTE / The Dallas Morning News
ltaitte@dallasnews.com

One of the big Broadway talking points two seasons ago was how one of the biggest movie flops in history became a modest hit on the Great White Way: Against all odds, Xanadu was the little musical that could.

The stage version ran for 512 performances on Broadway. The national tour arrives at Fair Park Music Hall for the Dallas Summer Musicals on Tuesday.

Although star Olivia Newton-John was a hot property coming off the mega-hit Grease and the score by Jeff Lynne (the Electric Light Orchestra) and John Farrar spawned five top-20 singles, the 1980 film was a career-busting disaster of legendary proportions.

The songs eventually propelled Xanadu into cult status, a kind of scrawny younger sibling to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In 2001, a live lip-synced version was playing in Los Angeles. The people putting it on hadn’t bothered to obtain the rights, so it quickly got shut down.

But not before Robert Ahrens, a baby-faced young movie producer with off-Broadway management experience, saw the bootleg theatrical version. Ahrens had learned to love the score from the hit album, but had been disappointed when he actually saw the movie on VHS. Now he was seeing unexpected potential in the material.

“I thought, ‘What if we allowed it to be what it wanted to be?’ ” Ahrens says. “There was a spirit to it, although with the original screenplay, you more or less had to infer a plot.”

Ahrens did his due diligence and obtained the theatrical rights from all five rights holders. With those in hand, the next step was to find someone who could actually create an entertaining story and dialogue to support all those songs.

The producer approached Douglas Carter Beane, then known primarily as the author of As Bees in Honey Drown. Since then, he has written The Little Dog Laughed for Broadway and London and the new musical, Give It Up!, that the Dallas Theater Center premiered in January.

It took a certain amount of persuasion, but Beane finally consented. The playwright highlighted the Greek mythological background of this story of a muse who returns to Earth to inspire a young man to open a roller disco. Two more goddesses – emphatically comical – have been added to the roster of characters. Oodles of jokes mask what New York magazine calls the “aggressively self-aware romanticism” of the story.

“I like doing musicals more than plays because it’s much more of a communal effort,” Beane says.

Despite a lot of advance skepticism, the Broadway version of Xanadu did surprisingly well with the critics. “We got beaten up in the industry and in the chat rooms. It was really great to get those reviews – we were pretty shocked,” Ahrens says. “After they came in, we knew we had a fighting chance.”

Finally, the show scored four 2008 Tony Award nominations, including best musical and best book. Lots of insiders were frankly rooting for it against the less-fizzy In the Heights.

In New York, Xanadu played in the smallest house on Broadway. It will be interesting to see whether its slender, witty charm can fill the cavernous Music Hall.

SPRING AWAKENING Tickets On Sale Friday at 10:00a.m.

WINNER OF 8 TONY® AWARDS INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL COMING TO ORLANDO’S CARR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE MAY 18 – 23, 2010

Tickets On Sale Friday, April 2

“An unexpected jolt of sudden genius!” – Clive Barnes, New York Post

Broadway’s most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award®-winner in years is coming to Orlando, Fla.  SPRING AWAKENING, the 8-time Tony Award® winning Broadway musical, will open at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre playing for eight performances beginning May 18 and is presented in Orlando by FAIRWINDS – Broadway Across America – Orlando.

Tickets for SPRING AWAKENING go on sale Friday, April 2 at 10:00a.m. and start at $34.00. Tickets can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

SPRING AWAKENING will play Tuesday, May 18 through Sunday, May 23, 2010 with evening performances at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m., a Sunday matinee at 1:00 p.m., and a Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m.

SPRING AWAKENING swept the 2007 Tony Awards® winning eight out of its eleven nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Book (Steven Sater), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Duncan Sheik), Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams), Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher Jr.).

Hailed as the “Best Musical of the Year” by the NY Drama Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle and the Tony Awards®, SPRING AWAKENING has emerged as the most talked about new musical on Broadway.

“Broadway may never be the same. This brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns, restores the mystery and the thrill to that shattering transformation that stirs in all of our souls.” – Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

Based on the infamous 1891 Frank Wedekind play, SPRING AWAKENING features an electrifying score by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics Steven Sater, direction by Michael Mayer and choreography by the award-winning Bill T. Jones.

Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19^th century Germany, SPRING AWAKENING tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. Haunting and provocative, SPRING AWAKENING celebrates an unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.

“A miracle that must be seen to be believed … The best new musical in a generation.” – John Heilpern, The New York Observer

Set design is by Christine Jones, costume design is by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan.

SPRING AWAKENING opened on Broadway on December 10, 2006 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Co.  The original cast recording of SPRING AWAKENING won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.  SPRING AWAKENING is produced by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and the Atlantic Theatre Co.

SPRING AWAKENING contains mature themes, sexual situations and strong language.

Click on and watch the video!! www.springawakening.com

 For more information please visit www.springawakening.com.

Tickets for SPRING AWAKENING start at $34.00 and can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is presented by Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees established to ensure the continued presentation of quality touring Broadway productions and the promotion of arts education throughout the state of Florida.  FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is given promotional support by WKMG Local 6. For more information, visit www.OrlandoBroadway.com.

Broadway Across America:  Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities.  Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world.  Broadway Across America most recently produced Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS on Broadway, while current and upcoming productions include WEST SIDE STORY, BLITHE SPIRIT, MINSKY’S, and the DeafWest production of PIPPIN.  Broadway tours include DORA THE EXPLORER, FROST/NIXON, SPAMALOT, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

 ###

XANADU – BROADWAY’S SURPRISE HIT MUSICAL HITS THE ROAD!!

Tickets On Sale Friday, March 12 at 10:00a.m.

Producers Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith, Brian Swibel, Sara Murchison and Dale Smith proudly present the musical adventure XANADU, makings its Orlando premiere at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on April 27, 2010 and playing through May 2, 2010.  XANADU, described as “Heaven on Wheels” by The New York Times is based on the Universal Pictures’ cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. 

 Tickets for XANADU go on sale Friday, March 12 at 10:00a.m. and start at $34.00. Tickets can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

 XANADU will play Tuesday, April 27 through Sunday, May 2, 2010 with evening performances at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m., a Sunday matinee at 1:00 p.m., and a Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m.

 This hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure set in the year 1980, follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens to inspire the greatest of artistic achievements – the first roller disco!  Along the way she falls in forbidden love with a mortal and chaos abounds when her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation. 

 Douglas Carter Beane has written the book for XANADU based on the film of the same name. The score, by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, includes the hits, “Magic,” “Xanadu,” “Party All Over the World” and “I’m Alive” — all top 20 Billboard hits.  Lynne wrote and produced all of the music of Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O). Farrar was also responsible for most of the hits that were performed by Olivia Newton-John in the 1970’s. With Direction by Christopher Ashley and choreography by Dan Knechtges.

 XANADU features scenic design by Tony Award winner David Gallo, costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, sound design by T. Richard Fitzgerald and Carl Casella, projections design by Zachary Borovay, wig and hair design by Charles LePoint and musical direction by Eric Stern.

 For more information visit:  www.xanaduonbroadway.com

 Tickets for XANADU go on sale Friday, March 12 at 10:00a.m. and start at $34.00. Tickets can be purchased at the FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

 FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is presented by Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees established to ensure the continued presentation of quality touring Broadway productions and the promotion of arts education throughout the state of Florida.  FAIRWINDS Broadway Across America – Orlando is given promotional support by WKMG Local 6. For more information, visit www.FloridaTheatrical.org .

 Broadway Across America is owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced the Broadway productions of HAIR, WEST SIDE STORY and Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS.  Upcoming productions include MINSKY’S, PROMISES, PROMISES, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET and the West End production of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S.  Touring productions include Nickelodeon’s STORYTIME ADVENTURES featuring Dora the Explorer and DREAMGIRLS. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

# # #