Whistle Down the Wind Tour to Launch in Houston in Sept.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind will launch its first-ever U.S. National tour September 9 through 22 at Houston's Hobby Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2007-08 Theatre Under the Stars season and then continue on to major cities across America including Seattle, Hartford and Sacramento. Directed and produced by Bill Kenwright, the musical is based on the much-loved film and comes direct from a recording-breaking West End engagement and United Kingdom sell-out tour.   Casting for the national tour is now underway and will be announced shortly.

"Featuring a host of award-winning songs including the Boyzone smash hit 'No Matter What,' Whistle Down the Wind tells the story of a young Louisiana girl who finds a mysterious stranger hiding in her barn. When she asks his identity—the first words he utters are 'Jesus Christ;' and it's as if all her prayers have been answered. While the townspeople are determined to find the escaped felon, she and her friends vow to protect him from the outside world," state press notes.

"This new American premiere production partners renowned top rock lyricist Jim Steinman (Meatloaf's classic album "Bat Out of Hell," Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart") and award-winning composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats, Evita, Joseph…) to create a melodic and haunting score that was inspired by the indigenous sounds of the American South – blues, gospel, country and rock 'n' roll. With a book by Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Whistle Down the Wind combines award-winning songs and epic storytelling for an extraordinary tale about the transformative power of love."

Bill Kenwright heads the United Kingdom's largest independent theatre and film production company. He has produced countless shows in London's West End, on UK tour and on Broadway. As a director, his credits include Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and Willy Russell's Blood Brothers. He was nominated for a London Theatre Critics' award for West Side Story and a Tony award for Blood Brothers in New York.

Whistle Down the Wind will feature costume and set design by Paul Farnsworth, choreography by Henry Metcalfe, musical direction by David Steadman, lighting design by Nick Richings and sound design by Ben Harrison.

For tour itinerary and booking details click here.

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