Palm Beach Dramaworks Continues Musical Theatre Masters Series With MAN OF LA MANCHA, Beginning 7/10

Following a sold-out engagement of Camelot in concert this past January, Palm Beach Dramaworks is proud to announce the next two musicals in their new Musical Theatre Masters program. Man of La Mancha will kick off the summer series on Wednesday, July 10 and run through July 21, with Carousel up next from Wednesday, August 7 through August 18 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 Clematis Street). Directed by Clive Cholerton, the legendary musicals will play two weeks of performances.

"The response to Camelot exceeded our expectations," says Producing Artistic Director William Hayes. "We discovered that audiences are delighted by our format because they get to see full-length versions of classic shows in a new way. There's very little staging, minimal design, and limited instrumental accompaniment. We really concentrate on the book, the music, and the lyrics, and when you're dealing with timeless shows - like Camelot, Man of La Mancha, and Carousel - there are vast rewards to be had by presenting these pieces in such an intimate setting."

The Tony Award-winning Man of La Mancha is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth-century masterpiece "Don Quixote," about a madman and self-appoinTed Knight errant who sets out to perform heroic deeds. The show, with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion, takes place in a Seville prison where Cervantes is awaiting trial, and is performed as a play within a play. Man of La Mancha opened in 1965, ran for 2,328 performances, and has become one of musical theatre's most enduring works, with four Broadway revivals and countless productions all over the world. The show's most famous song, "The Impossible Dream," beautifully captures the piece's message of hope. Caryl Fantel will serve as musical director.

Carousel (1945), the second show by the team of Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics), was named the best musical of the twentieth century by "Time" magazine. Based on Ferenc Molnár's Liliom, a 1909 play about a ne'er-do-well carousel barker, Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the locale from Budapest to Maine and proceeded to write the most innovative and intricate show of their entire collaboration. The beautiful score includes such standards as "If I Loved You," "June is Bustin' Out All Over," and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Musical director duties will be handled by Paul Reekie.

For 13 years, Palm Beach Dramaworks has brought to the Palm Beaches a distinguished roster of plays under the guidance of William Hayes. Palm Beach Dramaworks is a non-profit, professional theatre and is a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the South Florida Theatre League, Southeastern Theatre Conference, Florida Professional Theatres Association, Florida Theatre Conference, and the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.

Performances are scheduled: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. All tickets are $35.00. Student tickets $10 and group rates for 20 or more are also available. The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, open Monday from 10AM to 5PM, Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM to 6PM, and Sunday from 11AM to 5PM, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.