La Jolla Gears Up for 'Palm Beach' World Premiere

La Jolla Playhouse's two-time Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Des McAnuff kicks off the 2005 Season directing the World Premiere of Palm Beach, The Screwball Musical. Written by Robert Cary and Benjamin Feldman with music by David Gursky, lyrics by Cary and designed by a team of Playhouse and Broadway veterans, Palm Beach is a fast-moving and sophisticated musical comedy inspired by the madcap screwball movies of the 1930's. It runs at the Playhouse from May 31 – July 10, with an official opening night on Sunday, June 12.

"Palm Beach is a musical that I've been excited about for some time," said McAnuff. "David Gursky, Rob Cary, and Ben Feldman make up an important emerging creative team in American musical theatre. They're superbly skillful and have created a new musical that is not only wickedly funny, but also surprisingly pertinent. It is their inspired idea to create a musical using the genre of the American screwball comedy. We have assembled a great team of designers and a first-rate cast for this project that we have long been waiting to do."

Palm Beach, The Screwball Musical captures the energy and style of its era with a refreshingly contemporary wink. The year is 1939 and the winter Palm Beach social season seems the perfect chance for Liz, a jilted New York showgirl, to marry her way into the lap of luxury. Little does she know that her chosen beau's family has as many skeletons in its closet as diamonds in their jewelry box.

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