A torrid tale of destiny, duty, and forbidden love set among Egypt's ancient pyramids, Aida is a musical drama adaptation from the myth that inspired Giuseppe Verdi's Italian-language opera of the same name. Originally
titled "Elaborate Lives: The Legend of AIDA", the production had its world premier at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia with the production running from September 17 to November 8, 1998. A new, revised production
opened on December 9, 1999 at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago. The Broadway production, named "Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA", ran at the Palace Theatre between March 23, 2000 and September 5, 2004 for a total of
1,852 performances. Aida was nominated for five Tony Awards at the 2000 ceremony. It won 4 of the categories including Best Original Musical Score (Elton John), Best Actress in a Musical (Heather Headley as Amneris),
Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design. Elton John, Tim Rice, and the Aida 2000 Original Cast Recording were also honored at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards with the award for Best Musical Show Album.
Based on actual events, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas depicts occurrences that happened just outside of La Grange, Texas in the early 70’s. Edna Milton (renamed Mona Stangley in the stage production) had run a
“boarding house” for many years, never causing any problems, always paying double the taxes required for businesses in the town and had been a great contributor to local organizations. Marvin Zindler (renamed Melvin P.
Thorpe in the stage production), broke the news segment about the alleged house of prostitution in July 1973 as part of his Action 13 news segment. Soon the small town was turned upside down from the invasion of
reporters and television media from all over the state. With pressure mounting from conservative groups and the government, the city officials and law enforcement of La Grange are put in an awkward position.
The charm, honesty and simplicity of the script mirrors the Country Western music styling that is also used in the show. Through these characteristics we are able to relate and identify with the Mona and her girls
andappreciate their humanistic qualities despite their seedy profession. Though on the surface the subject matter may seem risqué, the show touches on thought provoking topics such as judging someone’s character
based on their life choices, society’s role in dictating what is acceptable and the personal impact that is created as a result of these issues.
Fiddler on the Roof originated in the stories of Tevye the Dairyman written by Sholom Aleichem. The story recounts the struggle of a father trying to keep his family intact while balancing his religious values in the midst of
ethnic persecution. What makes Fiddler unique from the string of Broadway standards that were produced during the 1960’s is that the story pulls the audience in, almost inviting them to participate in the Orthodox Jewish
traditions and customs. It also gives great insight into the need of the European Jews to follow these customs, not only for religious purposes, but as a means of survival. Relying heavily on the sense of community and the
worth of all individuals within them, these villages or “shtetls” thrived and blossomed into remote havens where unity was of the most importance. This lifestyle continued until the Relocation began around the turn of the
century, which eventually scattered these small-town Jewish families and friends all over the world. Also helping to transport us to Anatevka in 1905 is the rich, ethnic orchestration that supplies the heartbeat to the show,
bringing it to life in a way that sets it apart from any other musical comedy.
Jesus Christ Superstar depicts the last seven days of Christ’s life on earth, touching on all the major events, from before His arrival in Jerusalem to The Crucifixion. The story follows the basic outline of the Gospels of The
New Testament.
What makes Jesus Christ Superstar unique is not the depiction of Christ, but rather the predominant involvement of Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene. Their involvement in the New Testament was limited until their
interaction in events that related directly to Christ. Judas is mainly mentioned in the list of Twelve Disciples until the incidents that led to the betrayal and His death. Mary Magdalene is mentioned only briefly until the
Crucifixion and the events that followed. In Jesus Christ Superstar, these individuals, especially Judas, is an essential part of the story. To create personalities within historic individuals, where reliable research is limited
or contradictory, is a difficult and challenging task, especially when the subject is religious in nature. Both Judas and Mary are traditionally thought of as either possessing or transitioning from a sinful nature, but they must
had held some redeeming qualities to be in the presence of Christ for extended amounts of time, and to have been involved with Him on a more personal level.
Another difficult task is of depicting Jesus as a physical being, with limitations just like every other human being, and of taking away all aspects of external intervention. Jesus Christ Superstar is written in such a way that
all preconceived notions, from all realms of debate, are left vague. This leaves the viewer to decide for themselves what happened after His physical death, and what was His actual involvement with entities other than
humans during His life on Earth. In short, it is the story of a man with a strongly held conviction of what was right and wrong who understood He had specific goals to accomplish that went against the trends of the time.
We have combined the abilities of many talented performers and production staff to bring this story to life, adding a strong presence of dance throughout the entire show, placing it in a semi-traditional setting with modern
components. This specific production was not set in motion to debate, convince, or make a statement, but to bring to life Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s version of the life of Jesus while relying on traditional
materials to add depth and context. We hope you enjoy this production and your experience while patronizing ACLO’s 2006 Season.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice’s version of Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors is a stylized, witty, and zany musical taken from the story of the Biblical character born in 1740 BC. It was originally written as an end of
term school concert for the choir boy program at Colet Court School in London and was first performed on March 1, 1968. The entire production was only 15 minutes long. After expanding the show to 30 minutes, some
additional performances, and an original cast recording produced in 1969, Webber and Rice decided that Joseph had gone as far as he could go and shelved the project to begin work on Jesus Christ Superstar. After the
success of Superstar, Joseph was given more interest, expanded to 40 minutes and marketed as the follow up to Webber and Rice’s first big show. The show began it’s 7 month West End Run in 1973 through out which
time additional cuts and additions where made until the show was over an hour long. During that same year, the show had it’s first New York premiere and opened on Broadway in 1981. In June of 1991 the show opened
at the London Palladium in it’s newly expanded 2 hour, 2 act format and thus began the newly founded interest in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
We are proud to present to you our version of Joseph with a cast of 55 talented performers who will take you from his youth in Canaan to his adventures in Egypt. A story that appeals to all ages through it’s campy humor,
energetic music and message of faith, Joseph is bound to become one of your all time ACLO favorites.
The story goes that Kiss Me Kate was conceived in the mind of producer Saint Subber in 1935 while working as a stagehand for the Theatre Guild's production of The Taming of the Shrew. Subber noticed that the stars of
the show, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, had a backstage relationship that was almost as tempestuous as the one they had on stage while portraying Shakespeare's famous quarelling couple. Cole Porter was hired to
write the score and lyrics and the show would eventually become his most successful work and helped bolster his sinking career.
ACLO has wanted to produce a Cole Porter musical for several years. Kiss Me Kate seemed the strongest candidate since it has not been produced recently within the surrounding theater community. The show also
contains different styles of music that reflect the on stage scenes of The Taming of the Shrew (having an almost operetta sound) and the backstage activity (which are more standard Cole Porter). This opposition in musical
styles became the main focus for all artistic decisions on how the visual elements, blocking and choreography would communicate the changes from on stage to offstage locations while complimenting the changes in the
musical score. ACLO was also able to obtain the rights for the revival version of Kiss Me Kate which contain a better and shorter written script, updated orchestrations, and also contain the Porter gem “From This Moment
On” This song was added to the screen adaptation but was not in the original stage production. ACLO is very excited to present to our patrons this long awaited Cole Porter classic.
Man of La Mancha premiered on Broadway on November 22, 1965. It quickly became the hottest ticket in town with theater goers and received all the top theater awards for the season, being named best musical by the
New York Drama Critics Circle, The Outer Circle, the Variety Poll and Saturday Review as well as receiving 5 Tony Awards. La Mancha ended its long run in June 1971 after amassing a total of 2,328 performances both on
and off Broadway.
Based on The Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, the musical adaptation (book by Dale Wasserman, music and lyrics by Joe Darion & Mitch Leigh) combines actual events from the life of Cervantes with
fictional events taken from his original story depicting the adventures of Alonso Quijana. Quijana, after transforming himself into a dauntless knight, sallies forth into the world to right all wrongs, becoming Don Quixote
de La Mancha. Cervantes, arguably Spain’s most well-known writer, began to write the stories of Don Quixote while imprisoned for poor accounting and investing practices in his post as tax collector for the city of Granada.
After being released, he completed the first volume in 1604, which garnered immediate success. He soon began work on a sequel, but a quickly released version by an author named Avellaneda was already receiving
attention. Avellaneda pirated Cervantes’ characters, creating his own epic of Quixote’s adventures. At 67, Cervantes released the sequel to his original story building upon elements from Avellaneda’s version as well as
creating an adventure for Quixote where he searches for an enemy who has stolen his identity.
Since Cervantes’ original story was published, generation after generation have been fascinated by Quixote’s struggle to better both himself and the world in which he lives. We are deeply touched by this eccentric idealist,
and although sometimes his attempts seem puny and pathetic, we are left with little doubt as to the purity of intent that he instills in his self-imposed crusade. His ability to see “see beauty where there is only trash” and to
“add some measure of grace to the world” in the face of the hostile, greedy and cynical world in which he lives warms the heart of anyone whose spirits were ever raised by the prospect of the underdog winning against all
odds.
Meredith Wilson's Music Man opened at the Majestic Theater in New York on December 19, 1957. The show starred Robert Preston who was making his first appearance not only on Broadway, but in a musical. The show
won Tony Awards for Best Musical Actor (Preston), Featured Actress (Barbara Cook as Marian), Featured Actor (David Burns as Mayor Shinn), Author (Wilson and Lacey), Composer-Lyricist (Wilson) and Conductor-Musical
Director (Herbert Greene).
In many ways Music Man is an autobiographical piece. Wilson's hometown of Mason City, Iowa becomes River City, Iowa (population 2,212), the song Lida Rose was named after Wilson's Mother and Aunt and Wilson
himself was a flute and piccolo soloist with John Sousa's concert band (1921-1923).
Music Man takes us back to July 4th 1912. It is a time when isolated pockets of small towns were developing throughout the country, complete unto themselves with limited contact from the outside world. Henry Ford's
Model T was just beginning to make an impression but the most common mode of transportation was still horseback or train. News traveled slowly and was usually spread by word of mouth or telegraph. This slower
paced lifestyle, dictated by the confines of its time, was the ideal environment to allow any smooth-talking salesman to meander into town and cause chaos. With its small town idiosyncrasies and larger than life
inhabitants, River City reflects early America at its inception, both picturesque and innocent, its citizens possessing a naiveté that is unheard of in modern American society.
Music Man is a Broadway Classic that has wonderfully preserved the life-style of middle America shortly after the turn of the century. With its many catch-phrases and references that make up the "small town-ese" spoken in
the show, that are long absent from modern day usage, it transports us back to a more youthful and innocent time. 100 years from now, will future generations be saying the same about Rent?
Inspired by the life of Charlemagne, Roger Hirson’s book uses fictionalized historical characters and a troupe of actors led by the mysterious “Leading Player” to take us through a young man’s journey of self-awareness as
he enters adulthood. Set in a majestic, yet farcical, Holy Roman Empire, Pippin is a tongue-in-cheek romp through 770AD in which our hero is heir to the vast kingdom, his father, Charlemagne the Great, has conquered,
and will someday lay at his feet. Prince Pippin struggles with that awesome responsibility as he is faced with the choices that come along with growing up. Steven Schwartz’ (Wicked/Godspell) music and lyrics capture the
soulful flare of Motown in the 60s and 70s, underscoring the plight of the young man in his search for an identity and a more lasting happiness. Bob Fosse (considered by many to be the ultimate dance master of musical
theater), developed an original concept--- utilizing dance, rather than dialogue, to tell portions of the story in multiple vignettes, eloquently capturing the sexual and personal freedom explored in the late 60s with his unique
dance rhythms and style. A difficult show to execute due to the intricacy of dance required, Pippin is not produced often, but the story remains relevant to anyone who has struggled with the journey from adolescence to
adulthood.
Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theater in New York on April 25, 1991. The musical is based on the popular children's story written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1909. The show garnered Tonys for Best Book and
Best Actress (11-year-old Daisy Eagan as Mary Lennox). One critic noted, "It is one of the most aggressively pretty shows ever to grace the Broadway stage." The show ran for 706 performances and closed on January 1993.
Almost every child knows of the adventures of Mary Lennox. The orphaned girl from India who is brought to live with her reclusive Uncle Archibald in Yorkshire and is left free to wander the vast gardens at Misselthwaite
Manor. Added in the stage production is the spiritual influence of Mary's dead family and friends, who guide her along her adventures and help her bring closure to a family that been torn apart by loss and misery. Also
helping Mary along the way are characters that introduce her to Hindu and Celtic traditions, which assist her in understanding the beauty of nature and the powers of strength and healing.
For ACLO, mounting The Secret Garden has been an adventure in itself. It has been a challenge to create a production that honors all the details and components added by the stage author and lyricist Marsh Norman and
composer Lucy Simon. With a very talented cast and production team, I feel we have done the script justice in communicating the powers of perseverance, humanity, and love that are embodied in the story.
