New Musical Princesses Goes From Seattle Direct-to-Broadway!
The 5th Avenue Theatre Makes Schedule Adjustments
New Seattle Show Dates: August 9 — 28, 2005
Broadway Previews Begin: Late September, 2005
Broadway Opening/Press Night: Late October, 2005
SEATTLE — The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to announce that the new musical Princesses the final show in The 5th Avenue's 2004-2005 season, is moving direct-to-Broadway in late September, 2005. As part of the Princesses producing team, and host for the out-of-town pre-Broadway world premiere, The 5th Avenue Theatre is adjusting its own show dates to accommodate the new schedule, which includes Broadway previews beginning in late September 2005, and an opening night the third or fourth week in October 2005. The 5th Avenue Theatre is adjusting the original May/June dates to a three-week run from August 9-28, 2005.
"We believe strongly that Princesses will grow up and do big things on Broadway! Since the success of Hairspray, which won eight Tony Awards in 2002, The 5th Avenue has emerged as a national leader in the development of new musicals. Now Broadway producers frequently seek us out as partners to help bring significant new works like Princesses to the stage. This date change allows Princesses to move directly from The 5th Avenue to Broadway and once again Seattle audiences can see Broadway's next hit musical, with the original Broadway cast, before anyone else in the country," says David Armstrong, producing artistic director for The 5th Avenue Theatre.
The 5th Avenue Theatre has mailed letters to subscription ticket holders announcing the new show dates. New tickets will be sent to subscribers in early April. Tickets go on sale to the general public April 22, 2005.
Princesses is inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved Victorian novel, A Little Princess, about the changing fortunes of a penniless orphan at a girl's boarding school. Turning the novel on its head, the Broadway-bound Princesses tells the story of a clique of teenage girls at a private school who would rather shop, listen to pop music and talk about boys - anything but put on a fusty old play of A Little Princess. That is, until America's hottest action hero drops in to direct it. All the girls are starstruck, except for one ã his neglected daughter. Will she finally have a chance to get her father back, or will Hollywood give him a better offer? This innovative musical-within-a-musical blends contemporary pop and traditional theater tunes for a delightfully comic look at father-daughter relationships.
Special guests from the creative and producing teams will be participating in a PRINCESSES SPOTLIGHT NIGHT highlighting the "making of a new musical." It is currently being scheduled for late May.
The creative team for Princesses is a blue-chip roster of multi-award-winning and nominated (Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy) talents. The book is by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, writers and creators for such notable TV series as Cheers, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life and Benson. The concept, direction and lyrics are by David Zippel whose lyrics have won him the Tony Award for City of Angels, two Academy Award nominations for Hercules and Mulan, as well as several Grammy nominations, and more. Zippel is also noted for having written the Tony nominated musical The Goodbye Girl with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon.
Rounding out the team is Matthew Wilder, a songwriter and performer who has written and produced for such artists as Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson and P. Diddy. As a composer, producer and singer for Disney's animated feature Mulan, Matthew Wilder was nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Score in a comedy or musical and Best Song.
Tickets to Princesses go on sale April 22, 2005 and range in price from $18-$70. Subscribers can purchase tickets at a discount. Tickets are available over the phone through Ticketmaster at (206) 292-ARTS (2787), online at ticketmaster.com or in person at any Ticketmaster Ticket Center as well as The 5th Avenue Theatre Box Office, 1308 5th Avenue 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 theatre. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theatre opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film, and has provided entertainment to Northwest audiences for over 75 years. The resident 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company, established in 1989, is a non-profit organization dedicated to producing and presenting live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the community. With its 26,000 season subscribers, it ranks among the nation's largest and most respected musical theater companies. Audi dealers of the Puget Sound region are the official automobile sponsor of The 5th Avenue Theatre's 2004-2005 season.
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 unique artistic, architectural and historic legacy.
Please contact Jennifer Rice, Public Relations Manager, at 206-625-1418 with questions or to schedule individual interviews. Photos will be available in mid-July 2005.
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PRINCESSES SHOWTIMES
Tuesday Evening 7:30 pm
Wednesday Evening 7:30 pm
Thursday Evening 8:00 pm
Friday Evening 8:00 pm
Saturday Matinee 2:00 pm
Saturday Evening 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinee 1:30 pm
Sunday Evening 7:00 pm*
*There is no evening performance on Sunday August 28th
PRINCESSES SHOW SPONSOR: Boeing
2004-2005 SEASON SPONSOR: Audi Dealers of the Puget Sound area