Photo Coverage: Pirate Queen Meet & Greet

The new Boublil and Schonberg musical The Pirate Queen, starring Stephanie J. Block as the swashbuckling title character, will drop anchor at the Hilton Theatre for preview performances beginning February 23rd, 2007 and an opening night on March 22nd.  The Pirate Queen will first play Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre from October 3rd through November 26th, 2006.  Cast members and creative team recently gathered for a press meet and greet.

The show is a historical musical based on the life of Grace O'Malley (called Grania in the show), a woman "who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, cheiftan, lover and mother in 16th century Ireland," according to press notes.  In addition to Block, the musical will star the previously-announced Hadley Fraser (Pacific Overtures and Assassins in the West End) as Tiernan, Linda Balgord (La Cage aux Folles, Passion) as Elizabeth I, and Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown, Side Show) as Dubhdara, with Marcus Chait (Urban Cowboy) as Donal, Áine Ui Cheallaigh as Evleen, and William Youmans (Wicked, Titanic) as Bingham.  The Pirate Queen will be produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty, both of the Irish dance sensation Riverdance. Frank Galati (Ragtime, Seussical) is the director. The musical, with a score that blends pop, rock, musical theatre and Irish music, will use Irish-step choreography in its scenes of battles and funerals. Mark Dendy of Taboo choreographs.

The Pirate Queen features music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), with music by Schonberg and lyrics by Boublil and John Dempsey (The Witches of Eastwick).

Single tickets are available from Ticketmaster.  To order by telephone, call the Broadway In Chicago Ticketline at (312) 902-1400.  For group sales, call (312) 977-1710. Visit www.thepiratequeen.com for more information on the show.

 
Moya Doherty and John McColgan

Mark Dendy and Frank Galati

Stephanie J. Block

Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil

Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and John Dempsey

Moya Doherty, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Stephanie J. Block, Frank Galati, and John McColgan

Alain Boublil, Stephanie J. Block, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Frank Galati

Alain Boublil, Stephanie J. Block, Hadley Fraser, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Frank Galati

Alain Boublil, Jeff McCarthy, Hadley Fraser, Linda Balgord, Stephanie J. Block, Marcus Chait, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Áine Ui Cheallaigh, Frank Galati, and William Youmans

Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block

Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block

Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block

Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block

Eugene Lee, Frank Galati, Mark Dendy, Carol Leavy Joyce, Martin Pakledinaz

Back: Back: Eugene Lee, Frank Galati, Mark Dendy, Tara Young, Juliian Kelly, Martin Pakledinaz; Front: Rachel Bress, Paul Rubin, Carol Leavy Joyce

Linda Balgord and Stephanie J. Block

Stephanie J. Block, Hadley Fraser and Linda Balgord

Stephanie J. Block, Hadley Fraser and Linda Balgord

Stephanie J. Block, Moya Doherty and Linda Balgord