Lesli Margherita, Billy Harrigan Tighe & More to Lead Private Lab Production of New Musical THE BLUE ANGEL, 10/18

The Blue Angel, a new musical based on the Heinrich Mann novel and the 1930 German film classic, will receive a private lab production on Friday, October 18, 2013 in New York City.

This new musical adaptation, directed by BT McNicholl with a book by McNicholl and Jeffrey Sweet and choreography by Joshua Bergasse, will include some of the Friedrich Hollaender's standards such as "Naughty Lola" and "Falling in Love Again," paired with the music of contemporary pop-rock artists. The Blue Angel is presented by Maik Klokow and Mehr! Entertainment, one of Europe's leading theatrical production companies.

The lab presentation stars Lesli Margherita (Matilda) as the vixen Lola, Jonathan Hadary (Spamalot) as Professor Immanuel Rath, and Billy Harrigan Tighe (Pippin) as the student Lohmann. Musical direction is by Nadia DiGiallonardo (Hair, Pippin).

The Blue Angel is best known as the 1930 film classic by Josef von Sternberg which launched the legendary career of Marlene Dietrich. The original story, written by Heinrich Mann in 1905, follows the predicament of Professor Rath, the strict disciplinarian of a boys prep school whose life is unraveled when he encounters the seductive and sensuous Lola, the star of the cabaret "The Blue Angel." Beautiful and calculating, the singer unleashes passions which unmask small-town hypocrisy and lead to a deadly battle between her suitors.

BT McNicholl has directed in both the United States and Europe, with credits including Cabaret, Spamalot, The It Girl and the Broadway-bound play, The Gronholm Method. Jeffrey Sweet is a veteran playwright whose work includes Melissa Manchester's "I Sent a Letter to My Love" and the musical version of Murray Schisgal's "Luv." Joshua Bergasse is best known as the choreographer of NBC's "Smash."

Mehr! Entertainment, founded by Maik Klokow and based in Duesseldorf, has produced a number of long-running hits in Germany, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary in Bochum. Mehr! Has also presented musicals such as Cabaret, Saturday Night Fever, Chicago, Cats and Spamalot. Its recent musical productions Dirty Dancing and Shrek will start touring in 2014. In addition to live entertainment productions, Mehr! Entertainment runs an exhibition hall, operates five prestigious theaters throughout Germany and is building a sixth big venue in Hamburg's Grossmarkt, which will open in fall 2014.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski