5th Avenue Season Opens with Bombay Dreams, Where Bollywood Meets Broadway
Tickets On Sale Now at Brand New In-House Ticketing Web Site: 5thavenue.org
Performances: September 12 - October 1, 2006
Opening/Press Night: September 14, 2006, 8:00 pm
Fact Sheet |
Timeline | Production Photos
SEATTLE - The 5th Avenue Theatre kicks off its 2006-2007 Season with the National Tour of BOMBAY DREAMS, a dazzling stage spectacle set amid India's bustling Bollywood film industry. Seattle's sizeable South Asian population, as well as anyone who loves to be entertained, will be blown away by the musical's pulsating rhythm, Technicolor beauty and exotic milieu. BOMBAY DREAMS is the first show in the 2006-2007 Season and the first show where customers can purchase tickets online directly from The 5th Avenue Theatre. The 5th Avenue Theatre no longer uses Ticketmaster. At the brand new Web site, www.5thavenue.org, customers can compare stage views from different seating sections, choose between various ticket options and browse through loads of background information on the shows and Theatre. Helpful Seattle-based 5th Avenue phone center employees are available to answer questions, sell season subscriptions and aid with single ticket purchases. The Merrill Corporation is the official Seattle sponsor for BOMBAY DREAMS.
BOMBAY DREAMS tells the story of a handsome young man from the slums of Bombay who dreams of fame and romance. By day he works as a tour guide and by night he aspires to become a Bollywood star. This musical journey is an exploration of the importance of cultural heritage, the price of success, the bonds of friendship and the power of true love. BOMBAY DREAMS opened on June 16, 2002 in London and ran for two years, closing on its second anniversary on June 16, 2004. It then played on Broadway from April 29, 2004 to January 1, 2005. It received three Tony Nominations for Costume Design, Choreography and Orchestrations.
Seattle is the final stop on the National Tour of BOMBAY DREAMS, and the musical's lush score, glittering costumes and exotic dance numbers will be right at home in the exquisite and opulent 5th Avenue Theatre. The lavish sets include a giant fountain that drenches the cast in a spectacular "Busby Berkely-esque" production number. Much like Berkeley's extravagant film musicals, BOMBAY DREAMS is about spectacle, charisma, color and choreography. The idea for the BOMBAY DREAMS emerged when Shekhar Kapur and the musical mastermind Andrew Lloyd Webber became entranced by the allure of Bollywood movies and the music of India's most celebrated and popular composer, A. R. Rahman (The Lord of the Rings: The Musical). Bollywood is the epicenter of the thriving South Asian film industry and Bollywood films tend to be song and dance extravaganzas complete with comedy and dare-devil thrills. The plots are usually melodramatic and frequently employ familiar story lines such as: star-crossed lovers, angry meddling parents, love triangles and conniving villains.
The tour cast for BOMBAY DREAMS includes Sachin Bhatt (The Asian/European tour West Side Story, Aida at the Gateway Playhouse) as Akaash; Sandra Allen (Broadway�s Sunset Boulevard, Flower Drum Song) as Rani; Reshma Shetty (West Side Story, La Boheme, Don Giovanni) as Priya; Deep Katdare (CSI: Miami, Law & Order, Broadway�s Bombay Dreams) as Vikram; Aneesh Sheth as Sweetie; Christine Toy Johnson as Kitty DeSousa; Suresh John as Madan and Marie Kelly as Shanti. Ensemble cast members are: Enrique Acevedo, Tia Altinay, Nita Baxani, Shane Bland, Wendy Calio, Sujana Chand, Tiffany Cooper, Aaron Coulson, Diane Angela Fong, Monica Kapoor, Namita Kapoor, Stephanie Crain Klemons, Jeremy Leiner, Garrick Macatangay, Kenneth Maharaj, Anil Margsahayam, Skie Ocasio, Desmond Osborne, Christopher Quiban, Kristian Richards, and Rommy Sandhu.
BOMBAY DREAMS is directed by Baayork Lee. Lee has originated roles in the Broadway musicals A Chorus Line and The King and I. She has worked in five continents around the globe including Italy, Korea, Japan and the U.S. Musical Director Kevin Farrell has worked on Broadway on Cats, Fiddler on the Roof and Peter Pan. Choreographer Lisa Stevens has worked on numerous shows on and off Broadway and also many films including The Phantom of the Opera and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Scenic Designer Kenneth Foy has designed the Houston Grande Opera�s acclaimed multimedia productions of Carmen, Madame Butterfly and Pagliacci. Foy's credits include on and off Broadway productions and the Emmy award-winning Pulitzer documentary Moment of Impact.
Tickets to BOMBAY DREAMS are priced from $20 to $73. Tickets are available over the phone by calling (206) 625-1900 or toll free (888) 5TH-4TIX, online at 5thavenue.org or in person at the box office in downtown Seattle. There is no service charge when purchasing tickets in person at The 5th Avenue Theatre Box Office.
The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle�s premier musical theater. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community. The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of 23,000 and an annual attendance of more than 200,000. It ranks among the nation's largest and most respected musical theater companies. The theater is committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy. Visit 5thavenue.org. Audi Dealers of the Puget Sound region are the official automobile sponsor of The 5th Avenue Theatre�s 2006-2007 Season.
Please contact Jennifer Rice, Public Relations Manager, at (206) 625-1418 with questions or to schedule individual interviews.