Broward Center Features Marc Kudisch, Linda Eder in CIRQUE DREAMS BROADWAY, 3/24

For 20 years, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts has brought the best of Broadway to South Florida and now adds to this tradition with the world premiere of Cirque Dreams Broadway, featuring Linda Eder and Marc Kudisch, directed by Neil Goldberg, Thursday, March 24 at 8 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

Cirque Dreams Broadway is a memorable Broadway journey re-imagined through awe inspiring feats, visual spectacle and songs performed by two of the brightest stars of the Great White Way. This amazing new stage spectacle comes to life for the first time ever at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

"Cirque Dreams Broadway blends theatrical innovation and breathtaking presentation into a story of some of the greatest shows on Broadway. It's a fitting celebration for the Broward Center's 20th anniversary," said Kelley Shanley, Broward Center president and CEO. "This will be a unique opportunity for South Florida to experience the newest cirque performance and at the same time join in the celebration of the Broward Center which over the past two decades has served as a creative catalyst in our community. We are delighted to partner with the talented Cirque Dreams team in a project that will bring some of South Florida's great musical theater moments to life in imaginative ways. Innovation, collaboration, and building community connections are at the heart of what we do, and Cirque Dreams Broadway is a perfect example of how this philosophy comes to life on stage."

Created by South Florida's own Cirque Dreams founder and Broadway director Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Broadway will star Linda Eder (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel) and three time Tony-Award® nominee Marc Kudisch (Nine To Five, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). Kudisch returns to Fort Lauderdale where he grew up and received a bachelor's of fine arts degree from Florida Atlantic University.

The international cast which features world class performance artists from the Cirque Dreams phenomenon will be joined by local South Floridians engaged through a talent search for "Annie," Oliver's "The Artful Dodger" and musical theater performances that will accompany Cirque Dreams live artistry. Additionally, a South Florida marching band will be choreographed into one of the most memorable Broadway stage spectacles.

Expect to see award-winning Cirque Dreams fashion designs blended with authentic Broadway costumes from the most extensive collection of original Broadway memorabilia staged by South Florida's Costume World Broadway Collection.

Cirque Dreams Broadway will reinvent the business of show business with tributes to The Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, CATS, Hairspray, Chicago, La Cage Aux Folles and over a dozen more Broadway sensations. Soar down memory lane in a theatrical experience that transcends Broadway and imagination.

Cirque Dreams Broadway creator and director Neil Goldberg explains his inspiration for the project. "Broadway first moved me as a child," he said, "and although my journey since has been filled with a variety of entertainment genres and imagination, Cirque Dreams Broadway is the embodiment of them all. What better place to premiere this dream realization for the first time, than in my hometown and on stage at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts."

Broadway Across America- Fort Lauderdale has been a partner in presenting the Broadway Series at the Broward Center since the beginning. "It has been a thrill to witness the success of the Broward Center over the past 20 years. We were fortunate to begin our partnership with the Broward Center with the spectacular production of The Phantom of the Opera as its inaugural presentation on that stormy night in February of 1991. The Broward Center has become one of the premier performing arts centers in the country, and we are proud to have a long-term partnership in place with this incredible organization," said Susie Krajsa, EVP-Presenting, Broadway Across America.

Tickets are $19, $39, $59, $79 and $99 and are available through the Broward Center's box office at 954/462-0222 or www.BrowardCenter.org. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, TAM Airlines, Sun-Sentinel and Comcast are proud sponsors of the Broward Center. All dates, programs and artists are subject to change.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, now in its 20th anniversary year, is one of America's premier performing arts venues. Presenting more than 700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons, the Center showcases a wide range of exciting cultural programming and events, and offers one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, serving more than 150,000 students annually. In 2007, the Broward Center was named the Cultural Embassy of Broward County in recognition of its success in linking cultural activity with the region's economic development. The Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop, and secure the future of the Broward Center. The Broward Performing Arts Center is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit www.BrowardCenter.org.

The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Consortium is a cultural partnership between the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Grand Opera, Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Historic Stranahan House Museum. It is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Neil Goldberg's imagination has entertained more than 50 million people worldwide. His Cirque Dreams brand of shows have appeared in theaters, casinos, theme parks, at sea and on Broadway. As both creator and director, he has garnered critical acclaim from USA Today, The New York Times and Associated Press to "CNN," "Today Show" and "Fox & Friends." The Cirque Dreams franchise includes a growing number of popular Cirque Dreams brand shows nationwide : "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," "Cirque Dreams & Dinner," "Cirque Dreams Illumination," "Cirque Dreams Pandemonia" and the recent multiple company tours of "Cirque Dreams Holidaze", including a first time ever engagement at the famed John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. "Pop Goes The Rock" by Cirque Dreams will debut Summer 2011 at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, CT followed by a 2012 North American tour. "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," the first and only show of its kind to appear on Broadway in 2008, featured 1980's pop icon Debbie Gibson in 2010, is currently performing in Busch Gardens Tampa and will revolutionize live theatre in 2013 with the first ever "3D" live theatrical stage production. For more information, visit www.cirqueproductions.com.

Broadway Across America (Producer) is owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 42 North American cities. Under the supervision of Beth Williams (COO & Head of Production), Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Recent Broadway productions include Promises, Promises; Million Dollar Quartet; La Cage aux Folles; Memphis; West Side Story; The Merchant of Venice; The Scottsboro Boys and the upcoming How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. Also upcoming is the West End production of Million Dollar Quartet and the US touring production of DreamWorks' Madagascar Live. For more information on Broadway Across America please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.