'Pirate Queen' Special, Hosted by Byrne, Airs March 12

Monday nights are traditionally a "dark" night for Broadway, but tonight, March 12 at 9 pm, musical theatre fans can tune in to WLIW21 New York Public Television for exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the highly anticipated musical, with the broadcast premiere of "The Pirate Queen: A New Musical – A Broadway Journey."

"Hosted by Gabriel Byrne, The Pirate Queen: A New Musical – A Broadway Journey follows the story of two legendary musical theatre teams – Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, creators of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon; and Moya Doherty and John McColgan, the producers of Riverdance – as they journey to bring Grace O'Malley's story to the Broadway stage," state press materials.

"The documentary follows the creative team, cast and crew from their earliest days of rehearsals in Dublin and New York, to their opening at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, through the moment they embark upon their Broadway premiere.  The documentary includes powerful performances recorded at rehearsals and during the Chicago run. 

The new Broadway musical The Pirate Queen, which begins previews March 6 and officially opens on April 5 at the Hilton Theatre, tells the real-life story of legendary Irish Chieftain Grace O'Malley (Stephanie J. Block): a compelling, inspiring heroine who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, chieftain, lover and mother in 16th century Ireland.   To protect her people and save her one true love, O'Malley must confront the one woman more powerful that her: her fierce rival, Queen Elizabeth I of England."

Producers Moya Doherty and John McColgan and members of the cast will be live in the WLIW21 studio during the premiere broadcast to share their personal stories of working on the production, and they will have a special ticket offer for WLIW21 members.  Viewers who want to support WLIW21's commitment to musical theater and Irish culture can call 1-800-767-2121 or log onto www.wliw.org to make a donation.

WLIW New York is the fourth most-watched public television station in the United States, with an average weekly cumulative audience of 1.9 million households in the New York metropolitan area.  As a resource for public television stations, WLIW distributes live daily broadcasts of BBC World News, as well as the weekly financial series "Consuelo Mack WealthTrack."  WLIW is a leading producer of PBS fundraising specials including the VISIONS aerial series, cultural documentaries celebrating the cultural diversity of America, and music specials. For more information, visit wliw.org.

Tickets are currently available online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (212)307-4100. Tickets are now available at the Hilton Theatre Box Office (213 West 42nd Street, NYC).

● Ticket prices range from $51.25 to $111.25 (including $1.25 facility fee).

● Student rush tickets: a limited number of tickets will be available two hours prior to each performance at the Box Office only; Proper student ID is required and there is a limit of two tickets per person.  Please check www.ThePirateQueen.com for more information.

Photo of Stephanie J. Block by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.