The 101 Dalmatians Musical
makes its Dallas Premiere December 1-20, 2009 <
Presented by Dallas
Summer Musicals
edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Music Hall at Fair
Park
 This year, one of
the world’s greatest classic tales hits the stage for the first time with
THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL.
In
keeping with the spirit of the beloved original story,
THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL
promises a quirky, upside-down view of the world, where the audience is
allowed to see life from a dog’s point of view.
The
stage musical will transport theatergoers into an exciting and altogether
fantastic reality that gives grand license for song, dance and spectacle.
In addition to the bevy of talented human actors,
THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL will showcase fifteen talented
Dalmatians, many of which were rescued from animal shelters across the
country and given a new lease on life with this starring role, making this
an even more, truly inspiring rags to riches story.
THE 101 DALMATIANS
MUSICAL
follows Dalmatians spouses Pongo and Missis Pongo who are living the good
life in London with their “pets” Charles and Catherine Dearly. When their 10
puppies are suddenly “dognapped” by the villainous Cruella de Vil, they
summon the help of a vast network of dogs and set off to rescue their pups.
There’s a happy ending for all with laughter, mayhem and music along the
way.
“We are
thrilled to be bringing the beloved classic story of
101 Dalmatians to life and to
audiences across the country this fall,” said Lee D. Marshall, Co-Founder of
Magic Arts & Entertainment/Tix Productions. “The inspiration for the
production’s unique and delightful concept came directly from re-discovering
the original 1957 novel. Now over 50 years later, the
101 Dalmatians tale continues to
bring joy to families and we are confident our talented creative team will
inspire theatergoers of all ages through
THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL’s
unique story-telling, amazing new music and tremendous performances.”
Director Jerry Zaks added, “We felt it was very important to accurately
portray the look and feel of the original book, -- which tells the story
from the dog’s point-of-view -- in a way that translates to the stage.
Humans will be presented in a heightened form of dress and scale so as to
appear larger than life, and the actors who play the animals will thus seem
more human than their humans. As for the lovable Dalmatians, they will have
no ears, no paws – but rather a clever use of costumes in a black-and-white
palette that will immediately set them apart from the human characters.
THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL is a
universal tale about a parent’s love for their children and how they must
band together during a difficult time.”
The
show’s lively contemporary score and soundtrack was composed by Grammy
nominated and People’s Choice Award winner Dennis DeYoung. As former
singer of the legendary rock band STYX, DeYoung composed such unforgettable,
timeless hits as “Babe,” “Come Sail Away,” “The Best of Times” and “Mr.
Roboto.” With THE
101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL, he brings his pop rock flair to an array of
original songs destined to become popular material to kids and adults alike.
These include: “One-Hundred-and-One Dalmatians,” “Twilight Barking,” “One
True Love,” “Cruella Always Gets Her Way” and “Be A Little Braver.”
"I love
having the opportunity to give musical life to the outrageous Cruella De Vil,
what composer wouldn't? (Mozart perhaps, but I digress). But more
importantly to try and create a score that will stay with the audience long
after they have left the theater. As in days of old, musical theater music
should aspire to be relevant both in and out of dramatic context. With that
in mind, it might be time to start teaching your dogs to sing," said Dennis
DeYoung, composer and co-lyricist for
THE 101 DALMATIANS
MUSICAL.
Based
on the beloved book by Dodie Smith, THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL is a one-of-a-kind adventure for the
entire family about what it means to be family, canine and courageous. The
musical is led by an award-winning creative team including four-time Tony
Award winning director Jerry Zaks (A
Bronx Tale, Smokey Joe’s Café, Guys and Dolls), acclaimed bookwriter and
co-lyricist
BT
McNicholl (Billy Elliot, Spamalot, The
IT Girl), and Dennis DeYoung, founding member of the legendary rock band
STYX, on board as composer and
co-lyricist.
Heading the cast of 30
is Drama Desk Award-winning actress Rachel York who will play the infamous
Cruella De Vil. Featuring James Ludwig as Pongo, the cast also includes Chip
Abbott, Joel Blum, Sammy Borla, Jeff Scot Carey, Kristy Cavanaugh, Lydia
Clemente, Piper Curda, Joseph Dellger, Madeleine Doherty, Ashley Blair
Fitzgerald, Julie Foldesi, Garrett Hawe, Michael Thomas Holmes, Robert
Anthony Jones, Kevin C. Loomis, Erin Maguire, Mike Masters, Neal Mayer,
Catherine Missal, Ah-Niyah Yonay Neal, Catia Ojeda, Clark Kelley Oliver,
Chuck Ragsdale, Gabriel Rush, Molly Sorohan, Kendra Tate, Kristen Beth
Williams and Emma Zaks.
THE 101 DALMATIANS
MUSICAL begins
in Minneapolis in October 2009 and is traveling to major markets and venues
across the country including a three-week engagement in April 2010 at the
WaMu Theater at New York City’s famed Madison
Square
Garden. The
musical is produced by Magic Arts & Entertainment/Tix Productions, Troika
Entertainment, and international producer Luis Alvarez. Tour and ticket
information is available at
www.the101dalmatiansmusical.com.
Even the Dogs are
Talented
THE 101 DALMATIANS
MUSICAL also
features a
surprise grand finale
showcasing the tremendous talents of the professional and rescued Dalmatians
that will leave audiences cheering.
The dogs
were all trained by one of the world’s foremost animal trainers, Joel Slaven,
who has worked extensively with Jack Hanna on such featured films as
Ace Ventura Pet Detective and
That Darn Cat.
Note to editors:
The show’s producers
have created a special home for these extraordinary canines while on tour.
The dogs will travel in style in a one-of-a-kind customized bus being hailed
as a “rolling doggie palace.” Equipped with a grooming station and portable
playground along with two trainers, these Dalmatian darlings will be treated
like royalty. After the tour, the rescued dogs will continue to live a
well-pampered life as they will be either placed in loving homes or will
continue to live on Joel Slaven’s sprawling Florida ranch.
Ticket Info
Tickets can be
purchased at
www.ticketmaster.com
by calling
214-631-ARTS or at the The Box Office at 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center.
About Magic Arts &
Entertainment/Tix Productions
Magic
Arts & Entertainment has been bringing hundreds of thousands of people to
their feet each year throughout their 25 years in the entertainment
industry. Led by business partners Lee D. Marshall and Joe Marsh, the duo
began by producing David Copperfield’s first-ever tour in 1983. The
partnership then grew to produce, manage, book and promote a versatile
roster of live entertainment events that expanded to include such
high-grossing concerts such as the North American tours for Janet Jackson,
Cher, N Sync, Britney Spears, Barry Manilow, The Backstreet Boys and many
others. Current tours include The
Magic of David Copperfield, Michael Flatley’s
Lord of the Dance, Mannheim
Steamroller, and Jesus Christ
Superstar staring Ted Neeley.
In
2008, Magic Arts & Entertainment was acquired by the Tix Corporation (Nasdaq:
TIXC),
with
Marshall and Marsh assuming the roles of Co-CEO of Tix Productions, a
newly-formed subsidiary of Tix Corporation.
About Troika General
Management
Troika
General Management has over two decades experience producing shows of all
types and sizes throughout North America and the world. International
venues include Russia, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Korea and
Japan. Troika was most recently involved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland
China with productions of The Sound of
Music, 42nd
Street
and Chicago. Current and upcoming
productions in North America include
Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol,
The 101 Dalmatians Musical,
Jesus Christ Superstar, starring
Ted Neeley and Cats, running “now
and forever.”
About Luis Alvarez
Luis Alvarez, the youngest theatrical producer and director in Madrid, is
responsible for one of the most successful shows in Spain.
101 Dalmatians: The Musical
premiered at the Wonderland Theatre in 2001. In 2002, Mr. Alvarez received
an award for Best Theatrical Producer in Spain. Mr. Alvarez and
101 Dalmatians: The Musical broke
all records for sponsorship deals in Spain. Kellogg’s, Kodak, Iberia, Haagen
Dazs and many other well known companies sponsored the World Premier of
101 Dalmatians: The Musical.
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