Franco Dragone Announced as Director for Carmen, the Musical, to Hit Broadway 2006/2007

Robin de Levita, Dragone and The Firm have announced the creative team for CARMEN: The Musical, based on the classic 1845 novel by Prosper Mérimée, directed by Franco Dragone. With music by John Ewbank, and a book by Sarah Miles, a developmental staging will be work-shopped later this year, with a Broadway production targeted for the 2006/07 season.

Over the past two decades, Franco Dragone has brought a new theatrical vocabulary to stages around the world with dazzling imagery that is both thrilling and emotionally moving. For fifteen years he was the creative vision behind Cirque du Soleil's groundbreaking series of spectacles that have truly revolutionized live theater, ranging from such beloved events as Nouvelle Experience (1990), Alegria (1994), Quidam (1996),and La Nouba (1999) to the most popular entertainment in Las Vegas, Mystère (1993) and "O" (1998). He continues to push the boundaries that define "theater" with his record-breaking A New Day...created for pop sensation Celine Dion, and Le Rêve, exclusively commissioned for Wynn Las Vegas. His numerous awards include three Obies and the Los Angeles Critics' Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Composer John Ewbank is one of the most successful songwriters working in Europe today. Along with turning out hit records in the Netherlands for the past 15 years, the English-born, Dutch-raised writer/producer's music can also be heard in numerous European movie scores, including the recent Floris, Zien and Superstition, as well as Quentin Tarantino's True Romance.

Book-writer and Choreographer Sarah Miles studied dance at the Royal Ballet and went on to perform in film, television and on the stage before becoming involved in choreography with the likes of Rob Marshall. Her credits include Blake Edwards' Victor Victoria, Stephen Sondheim's Company, and …Forum (with Nathan Lane).

The producers are led by Robin de Levita Productions, the producing arm of international producer, Robin de Levita. De Levita has produced 20 shows on Broadway and a total of 73 Musicals in the United States, England, The Netherlands, Germany and Spain. He was a board member for Stage Holding and partner of Dodger Theatricals and received 3 Tony Awards and one Lawrence Olivier Award.

Co-Producers of Carmen: The Musical are DRAGONE and entertainment media company The Firm. Franco Dragone established the DRAGONE Group after 10 groundbreaking shows over 15 years with Cirque du Soleil, in order to explore new avenues of artistic expression and fulfill the exciting directing opportunities that were being offered. With President and business partner Louis Parenteau, who had collaborated with Franco over a 10-year period as Executive Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs at Cirque, and offices in La Louvière, Belgium; Montreal and Las Vegas, DRAGONE was born. DRAGONE is a creator of large-scale shows for the international market place, with the capacity to launch, market and maximize the commercial potential for the life of its productions.

The Firm is the largest and most diverse entertainment talent and brand management company in the business. In addition, the company has a film and TV production shingle, Firm Films, which will debut it's film The Exorcism of Emily Rose on Sept. 9 and is experiencing tremendous success with its TV series Criss Angel Mindfreak on A&E. In addition, Firm Films currently has over 30 films and TV shows in various stages of production. The company's talent roster is among the most elite in the business and sports such clients as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Lopez, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Audioslave, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and many others.

Managing Director of Robin de Levita Productions and Associate Producer for Carmen: The Musical is Chris Giordano, a New York based industry veteran. Giordano has developed, produced and managed large-scale theatricals as the Vice President/Producer of Show Development at Radio City/MSG, Executive Vice President/General Manager for Endemol Theatre Productions and General Manager/Production Executive for David Copperfield's Disappearing, Inc.

CARMEN: The Musical is set in the dramatic background of war-torn Spain, featuring one of the theatre's most iconic characters. The raw emotional power of Flamenco is used to tell the story, along with dramatic original contemporary music, shaped with the indelible stamp and vision of one of the most innovative directors of our generation.