Marcia Milgrom Dodge Helms Revamped BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, Beginning Tonight at Delaware Theatre Company

Delaware Theatre Company will open the new musical, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE this Saturday, with Book and Lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Broadway's LEGALLY BLONDE: the musical), Music by Duncan Sheik (Broadway's SPRING AWAKENING), and directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Broadway's RAGTIME).

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, based on the children's book by Kate DiCamillo, is a new Broadway-bound musical and is poised to become the first Broadway musical starring a live dog as the main character! A gentle, warm and enthralling story about the intimate friendship between a young girl and her dog, WINN DIXIE shows how the smallest act of kindness can ripple into a celebration of community. Young and old, alike, will find their lives changed...because of Winn Dixie.

Benjamin, who co-wrote the score to LEGALLY BLONDE, the musical with composer Laurence O'Keefe, recently won an Outer Critics Circle Award for her play THE EXPLORERS CLUB, originally produced at the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). "This show is very much driven by our characters and their relationship with our lead character, a dog", says Benjmin, "it's magical when you see these relationships bloom on stage."

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE was originally staged at Arkansas Reparatory Theatre in 2013. DTC's production is a page one re-write, with a new director, Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Dodge, whose work has been seen throughout the USA, Canada, England, Asia, Denmark, and the Middle East, garnished her first Tony Award nomination for RAGTIME in 2010. "Kate DiCamillo describes BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE as "a hymn to dogs, friendship and the South." Our book, lyrics and music certainly honor that description. Nell's words and Duncan's melodies evoke their own particular brand of eclectic Americana."

Sheik, the Tony Award winning composer of SPRING AWAKENING, provides a touching score, a mix of southern rock and gospel themes, for this production. Duncan's current projects include AMERICAN PSYCHO, which announced its plans to transfer to Broadway in Spring of 2016. "I was instantly inspired, and had a pretty clear vision of what the music should be, based on Nell's script, and it's been a great collaboration as we bring this piece to the stage".

"No one in the live theatre has explored the human animal bond, so when you watch an animal performance, you're watching something that's really based in truth," says Bill Berloni, Broadway's dog trainer. Berloni, who got his start in animal training during Goodspeed Opera House's production of ANNIE, has become an avid supporter of animal rights and adoption. He is the Director of Animal Behavior at the Humane Society of New York and was recently honored with a 2011 Tony Award for his work with animals on stage. He currently has eight dogs working on Broadway including dogs in THE AUDIENCE and LIVING ON LOVE. Bowdie, the dog starring in BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, was recently seen on NBC's "PETER PAN: LIVE" as "Nana".

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE will run at the Delaware Theatre Company from April 8th-May 3rd. Single tickets range from $35 to $55 and are on sale now by calling the Delaware Theatre Company Box Office at (302) 594-1100, online at delawaretheatre.org, or by visiting the Box Office at 200 Water Street, Wilmington DE, 19801. Group rates and discounts for seniors, students, and military members are available. Opening Night is April 11th, 2015. Press Opening is April 18th.