Curtains to Open at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on March 22

Curtains, a new, original musical comedy featuring one of the last scores by the legendary songwriting team of Kander & Ebb, will open March 22, 2007 on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street).  Previews will begin February 27, 2007.

Emmy Award-winner David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier," Spamalot) and Tony Award®-winner Debra Monk (Chicago, Redwood Curtain, "NYPD Blue") will star in the production, with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award®-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes.

Curtains is directed by four-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis, also represented on Broadway this season with The Little Dog Laughed and the national tour of 12 Angry Men .  Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

 Producers are Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergère, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group.  Curtains had its world premiere on August 9, 2006 at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Curtains "unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady.  When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation.  But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder."

The production stars David Hyde Pierce as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi and Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein.  Curtains also stars Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ambitious understudy Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling. 

The cast also features John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as nervous investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as lead dancer/ choreographer Bobby Pepper, and Megan Sikora as aspiring dancer Bambi Bernstein.  Additional members of the 28 person cast will be announced shortly.

Set design is by Anna Louizos, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski and sound design by Brian Ronan.  Orchestrations are by William David Brohn.  Dance arrangements are by David Chase.  Music direction and vocal arrangements are by David Loud. Wig and hair design is by Paul Huntley.  Fight direction is by Rick Sordelet.  Aerial effects design is by Paul Rubin.  Make-up design is by Angelina Avallone. 

Tickets will be on sale exclusively to American Express Card members beginning Sunday, January 7, 2007 at www.telecharge.com or by calling TeleCharge at 212: 239-6200.  Public on sale will begin on Sunday, January 21.  Box office at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) will open on Monday, January 22.   

Visit www.CurtainsTheMusical.com for more information.