FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 1, 2005
Workshop Set For Pirated!
(New York City, NY ) - The date has been set and the wheels put in motion for a Pirated! workshop far away from the Big Apple, out west. But a typical workshop it is not.
Mills Theatrical announced yesterday that it had finalized a deal, nearly six months in the making, to workshop Pirated! at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Though the university is where the musical was originally developed, WSU has not had the show on its stages or theatres in more than a decade.
The university's interest in adding the musical to its upcoming performing arts season came as a surprise to Pirated! bookwrite/lyricist Jim Christian. The award-winning musical is presently optioned for Broadway. Christian, who is also slated to direct the show on Broadway, contacted Mills Theatrical with the possibilities of doing a workshop at the university with a live audience. Workshops are typically conducted in a studio rehearsal space without the full development of sets, costumes, lights, etc. An extensive discussion ensued with the New York creative team. In the end it was decided that such an effort could be a great move far beyond just a workshop.
Utilizing preliminary set, costume and lighting elements, the creative team and university faculty/staff will spend more than a month in rehearsals to fine tune the elements of the book, music and lyrics. Equity actors are scheduled to be cast in the leading roles of Roger, Constance and Daniel. The show will then go up on the stage for two weeks as a part of the university's regular performing arts season. "Having an audience in a workshop setting is unusual, yet to our advantage", says Michael Mills, producer for Pirated!. "It's already a great piece for the stage, but this unique mix of workshop with a live audience allows us to test the material for reaction, flow and feel, where you normally cannot. The objective here is to fine tune the elements and prep it for Broadway."
The idea for equity performers began early in the discussion process. Don Frantz, General Manager for the show, encouraged adding them to the workshop mix as it would strengthen the ability to develop the lead characters and the show. The goal will be to bring name equity actors to the workshop process and take them to with the show to Broadway.
Having a New York team come to the university is not a foreign thing. The performing arts facility is home to a national touring road house for equity and non-equity shows. Most of the faculty and staff are professionally involved with local unions outside of their teaching responsibilities.
The workshop will begin February of 2006. The show will run March 3-11, 2006 in the Allred Theatre on the Weber State University campus.
######
Press Contact:
Jay Michaels
Mills Theatrical, LLC
Tel: 718-874-8415
Fax: 718-874-8481
Email: jmichaels@millstheatrical.com
___________________________________________________
Home | Show | History | The Team | Photos/Video | News | Contact
Copyright 2008 Mills Theatrical, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
