Pirate Queen Tix Available to Am Ex Holders, Sept. 20

Tickets for Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's The Pirate Queen, the spectacular new musical from the authors of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, will be available exclusively to American Express Card members beginning Wednesday, September 20th through Ticketmaster. 

The public on-sale date will be announced shortly.

The musical begins previews on Broadway beginning March 2nd, 2007, opening April 5th, 2007 at the Hilton Theatre (214 West 43rd Street, NYC; A Live Nation venue) on Broadway, following a world premiere engagement in Chicago from October 3rd through November 26th, 2006.

Starring Stephanie J. Block as the swashbuckling title character, The Pirate Queen  is a historical musical based on the life of Grace O'Malley (called Grania in the show), a woman "who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, cheiftan, lover and mother in 16th century Ireland," according to press notes. The show "combines classic storytelling and a sweeping score, with the powerful, vibrant traditions of Irish dance and song, to create a modern musical event that is both an historic romance and a timeless epic."

In addition to Block, the musical will star the previously-announced Hadley Fraser (Pacific Overtures and Assassins in the West End) as Tiernan, Linda Balgord (La Cage aux Folles, Passion) as Elizabeth I, and Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown, Side Show) as Dubhdara, with Marcus Chait (Urban Cowboy) as Donal, William Youmans (Wicked, Titanic) as Bingham, and Nick Adams, Richard Todd Adams, Caitlin Allen, Sean Beglan, Timothy W. Bish, Jerad Bortz, Troy Edward Bowles, Grady McLeod Bowman, Rachel Bress, Don Brewer, Kimilee Bryant, Alexis Ann Carra, Áine Uí Cheallaigh, Noelle Curran, Bobbie-Ann Dunn, Brooke Elliott, Christopher Garbrecht, Eric Hatch, Cristin J. Hubbard, David Koch, Timothy Kochka, Jamie LaVerdiere, Joseph Mahowald, Tokiko Masuda, Padraic Moyles, Brian O'Brien, Kyle James O'Connor, Michael James Scott, Greg Stone, Katie E. Tomlinson, Daniel Torres, Jennifer Waiser and Briana Yacavone.

The Pirate Queen will be produced by John McColgan and Moya doherty, both of the Irish dance sensation Riverdance. Frank Galati (Ragtime, Seussical) is the director. The musical, with a score that blends pop, rock, musical theatre and Irish music, will use Irish-step choreography in its scenes of battles and funerals. Mark Dendy of Taboo choreographs.

The Pirate Queen features music by Boublil and Schonberg (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), with music by Schonberg and lyrics by Boublil and John Dempsey (The Witches of Eastwick). Orchestrations will be by Julian Kelly. The musical will also feature sets by three-time Tony Award winner Eugene Lee, costumes by two-time Tony Award-winner Martin Pakledinaz, lighting by four-time Tony Award nominee Kenneth Posner and sound by Jonathan Deans.

The Pirate Queen is based upon the novel Grania-She King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn.

The Pirate Queen castcom recently launched, as well.  It can now be viewed online.  The castcom is "an on-line web communication which gives the cast and creatives an opportunity to tell you their story and bring you, our viewer, behind the scenes on our journey to bring a major new musical to the Broadway stage.  You will get to know our cast and creative team on our daily video diary, with special live broadcasts on key dates."

Tickets will be available exclusively to American Express Card members beginning Wednesday, September 20th online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (212)307-4100.

Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Hilton Theatre (214 West 43rd Street). Ticket prices range from $51.25 to $111.25 (including $1.25 facility fee).

On Broadway, the show will play Tuesday – Saturday at 8:00PM with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00PM and Sunday at 3PM.  Please note, there will not be matinee performances  on Wednesday, March 7th & 14th.  Please check www.ThePirateQueen.com for the preview performance schedule.

Tickets for the world premiere engagement of The Pirate Queen in Chicago are currently on sale at the Chicago Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph Street), the Broadway In Chicago box office at 24 W. Randolph St., the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312)902-1400, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including all Carson Pirie Scott stores, Tower Records, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com.  Single tickets range in price from $28 - $85.

Visit www.thepiratequeen.com and www.broadwayinchicago.com for more information.