Dessa Rose Creators Ahrens and Flaherty Host Free Pre-Performance Talk at Lincoln Center March 9

Lincoln Center Theater's Platform Series, a forum for public discussion between Lincoln Center Theater artists and interested theatergoers, continues its 2004-2005 season on Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 pm with a pre-performance talk with lyricist and book writer, Lynn Ahrens, and composer, Stephen Flaherty, who are the creators of the new musical, DESSA ROSE, currently in previews and the latest production of Lincoln Center Theater's 20th Anniversary Season.

Platform Series events take place between the matinee and evening shows on Wednesdays, from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm, in the lobby of the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65th Street). Admission is free and open to all; however, seating in the lobby is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis only, beginning at 6:00 pm. (Speakers and schedules are subject to change. Call 212-362-7600 to confirm on the day of the event.).

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty return to Lincoln Center Theater where their musicals A Man Of No Importance and My Favorite Year were first produced. Their Broadway credits include Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics' Circle Awards, two Grammy nominations), Seussical (Drama Desk and Grammy nominations), Once on This Island (Tony nomination; Olivier Award for Best Musical, London) and they also collaborated on the off-Broadway musical, Lucky Stiff, and the film, Anastasia (two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations). Stephen Flaherty composed the music for the Broadway production of Neil Simon's Proposals. His concert work includes With Voices Raised and Ragtime Symphonic Suite. Lynn Ahrens wrote the lyrics to A Christmas Carol which was presented annually at Madison Square Garden and which was recently adapted for television by NBC. She is the winner of an Emmy Award and received four Emmy nominations for her work on the classic children's show "Schoolhouse Rock." Their new musical which was developed at Lincoln Center Theater is based on the novel by Sherley Anne Williams, which tells the fictional story of two real women -- a runaway slave (played by LaChanze) and an abandoned wife (played by Rachel York) who embark on an unexpected and dangerous journey through the pre-Civil War South.

Lincoln Center Theater's platform series was introduced in the summer of 1998. Transcripts of the previous talks are available on-line at www.lct.org.