'Mask' Musical, Directed by Maltby Jr., to Premiere in AZ

Mask, a new musical drama based on the 1985 Peter Bogdanovich film about a facially deformed boy and his tough biker mother, will have its premiere at the Arizona Theatre Company as part of the theatre's 2007-2008 season.

The show will be presented November 24th-December 15th in Tucson, and December 31st-January 20th, 2008 in Phoenix.

Richard Maltby, Jr., who is currently on the writing team of Broadway's The Pirate Queen and who has directed Ring of Fire and Aint' Misbehavin,' among other shows, will helm the production.  Mask will feature a book by the film's screenwriter, Anna Hamilton Phelan, as well as music and lyrics by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (Smokey Joe's Cafe).

Mask starred Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott, Laura Dern and Estelle Getty.

The theatre's 2007-2008 season will also include Hershey Felder's George Gershwin Alone (Tucson, Sept. 12th-Oct. 2nd; Phoenix, Oct. 11th-28th; Jeffrey Hatcher's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tucson, Jan. 12th-Feb. 22nd, 2008; Phoenix, Feb. 7th-24th, 2008), To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted by Christopher Sergel from the novel by Harper Lee (Tucson, March 1st-22nd, 2008; Phoenix, March 27th-April 13th, 2008), and Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House (Tucson, April 5th-26th, 2008; Phoenix, May 1st-18th, 2008).

Another fall season show will be announced.

Visit www.arizonatheatre.org for tickets and more information.