LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST Opens Tonight in The Park

The Public Theater's new musical LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, the second show of The Public's 2013 free Shakespeare in the Park season at the Delacorte, officially opens tonight. Directed by Alex Timbers, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST will feature songs by Michael Friedman with book adaptation by Timbers and will run through Sunday, August 18.

The complete cast of the new musical LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST features Daniel Breaker (King of Navarre), Kevin Del Aguila (Dull), Colin Donnell(Berowne), Rachel Dratch (Holofernes), Andrew Durand (Boyet), Kimiko Glenn (Maria), Jeff Hiller (Nathaniel), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Jaquenetta),Justin Levine (Moth), Patti Murin (Princess), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Dumaine), Bryce Pinkham (Longaville), Charlie Pollock (Costard), Caesar Samayoa (Don Armado), Maria Thayer (Rosaline), and Audrey Lynn Weston (Katherine). The non-equity ensemble features Michael R. Douglass, andBradley Gibson.

All performances of LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Free Shakespeare in the Park is one of the most important programs that The Public provides and is at the heart of founder Joe Papp's vision to create theater for all. In the last 50 years, more than 5 million people have enjoyed performances at the Delacorte.

Bank of America continues its leadership sponsorship in support of The Public's mission to keep Shakespeare in the Park free.

In LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, romance, revelry and enchanting music ignite in this contemporary yeT Lovingly faithful musical adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy. The King and his best buds decide at their five-year college reunion to swear off the joys of women. But when four cute, clever girls from their past show up, they're forced to reconsider all of that nonsense! Smart, sexy, outrageous, and irreverent, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST is a madcap celebration of true love and coming of age. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST was developed in collaboration with Les Freres Corbusier.

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by ACME Sound Partners, and choreography by Danny Mefford.

The Public Theater has a long history of premiering new musicals at the Delacorte that have made a strong impact on the landscape of musical theater and are still performed around the world today. The first musical adaptation of Shakespeare's work at the Delacorte was Two Gentleman of Verona, The Musical which premiered in 1971 with music by Galt MacDermot, lyrics by John Guare, and direction by Mel Shapiro. The Broadway transfer won the 1972 Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book. The acclaimed musical was later revived at the Delacorte in 2005 with a cast that included Norm Lewis, Rosario Dawson, and Renee Elise Goldsberry, and was directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. In 1980, The Public produced the musical The Pirates of Penzance, featuring Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith, at the Delacorte. It later transferred to Broadway and won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes premiered at the Delacorte in 1985, featuring George Rose, Donna Murphy, Judy Kuhn and Betty Buckley, and was directed by Wilford Leach. The Broadway transfer won the 1986 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, Best Lead Actor and Best Direction of a Musical. In 2008, The Public Theater revived the musical HAIR, first created by The Public in 1967, for an acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park run that included Jonathan Groff and Will Swenson, and was directed by Diane Paulus. The Broadway transfer won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival.

Photos by Joan Marcus