COMPANY Joins Palm Beach Dramaworks' Musical Theatre Masters Series

Company, the Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, will replace the previously announced concert presentation of Carousel in the highly anticipated Palm Beach Dramaworks' Musical Theatre Master Series. Company runs from August 7-18 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 Clematis Street). First up is Man of La Mancha, which will play its originally announced dates of July 10-21. Directed by Clive Cholerton, the classic musicals will play two weeks of performances.

Company (1970), which marked the beginning of the legendary artistic partnership between composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim and director Harold Prince, is considered the first concept musical. Based on 11 one-act plays by George Furth, who adapted his material for the musical, Company consists of a series of vignettes in which a 35-year-old bachelor named Bobby observes and interacts with his married friends as he struggles to make a commitment. The original production was nominated for a then record-setting 14 Tony Awards and won 6, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Director. Paul Reekie is the musical director for this concert presentation.

The full-lengh concerts of Company and Man of La Mancha will feature both the book and the score, and will be performed with limited instrumental accompaniment and minimal staging and design.

The Tony Award-winning Man of La Mancha is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth-century masterpiece "Don Quixote," about a madman and self-appoinTed Knight errant who sets out to perform heroic deeds. The show, with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion, takes place in a Seville prison where Cervantes is awaiting trial, and is performed as a play within a play. Man of La Mancha opened in 1965, ran for 2,328 performances, and has become one of musical theatre's most enduring works. The show's most famous song, "The Impossible Dream," beautifully captures the piece's message of hope. Caryl Fantel is musical director.

For 13 years, Palm Beach Dramaworks has brought to the Palm Beaches a distinguished roster of plays under the guidance of William Hayes. Palm Beach Dramaworks is a non-profit, professional theatre and is a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the South Florida Theatre League, Southeastern Theatre Conference, Florida Professional Theatres Association, Florida Theatre Conference, and the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.

Performances are scheduled Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. All tickets are $35.00. Student tickets at $10 and group rates for 20 or more are also available. The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, open Monday from10AM to 5PM, Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM to 6PM, and Sunday from 11AM to 5PM, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.

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