Photos: The Pirate Queen Opening Night

By: Walter McBride Apr. 06, 2007

The new Boublil and Schönberg musical The Pirate Queen, starring Stephanie J. Block as the swashbuckling title character, opened at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd St.) on April 5th after beginning previews on March 6th.

The Pirate Queen "combines classic storytelling with a sweeping score and joyous dancing to celebrate the real-life story of legendary Irish Chieftain Grace O'Malley: a compelling, inspiring heroine who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, chieftain, lover and mother in 16th Century Ireland. To protect her people and save her one true love, O'Malley must confront the one woman more powerful than her…her fierce rival, Queen Elizabeth I of England," state press notes. The show stars Block, Linda Balgord, Hadley Fraser, Jeff McCarthy, William Youmans and Marcus Chait.

The show, was written by: Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, and commissioned and produced by Moya Doherty and John McColgan, the producers of Riverdance. The new musical is directed by Tony Award-winner Frank Galati with musical staging by Graciela Daniele.

The creative team also includes John Dempsey (Witches of Eastwick) who has co-written the lyrics; Richard Maltby, Jr., (Miss Saigon, co-lyricist; Ain't Misbehavin', conceived/direction), who worked with the writing team on book and lyrics. Jul Ian Kelly, orchestrator, vocal arranger and musical supervisor and director; three-time Tony Award-winner Eugene Lee (Wicked), who sets the scene from the deck of the ship which Grace captains, to the court of Queen Elizabeth I where the two remarkable women once met; two-time Tony Award-winner Martin Pakledinaz (Kiss Me, Kate) designing the costumes; four-time Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Wicked) creating the lighting design; Jonathan Deans (Ragtime) creating the sound design.