Sanborn Brings His 'KING DAVID' Musical to Promise Theatre 4/9 - 6/27

After 12 years of SRO performances in theatrical venues on
five continents, actor/writer/composer David Sanborn will bring his
acclaimed stage musical King David (www.kingdavidmusical.com) to New
York theater audiences on April 9 for a limited engagement through
June 27 at the Promise Theater, 316 East 91st Street, in Manhattan. It
is a family-oriented musical that has been acclaimed by more than
50,000 people on five continents since its premiere performance on
June 12, 1997 at the University of Nations in Hawaii.

The epic Biblical story of King David comes alive with a
"cast" of Hollywood's biggest stars as Sanborn, in a tour de force
performance, impersonates the voices of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sean
Connery, Jimmy Stewart, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Robert DeNiro,
Antonio Banderas, Gene Kelly, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey and others to
depict key characters in this epic Biblical tale. The production,
taken word-for-word from a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, is
set to music by Ellen and David Sanborn.

KING DAVID will be performed Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, and Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM. All
tickets are $45 and may be obtained at either www.kingdavidmusical.com
or www.theatermania.com. For further information, call 212/352-3101 or
(toll-free) 866/811-4111.

"We decided to write this script because King David is
our favorite warrior-poet," says David Sanborn who collaborated with
Ellen Sanborn. "In many ways, his Psalms are his intimate diary. We
loved the idea of writing a musical that adapted the very lyrics that
David recorded when he faced his various trials. As we researched the
story, we realized no one could really compete with the vibrancy and
poignancy of the dialogue recorded in the most popular book in
history."

The script was edited word-for-word from the Jewish Publication
Society and the New King James translations. The Sanborns discovered
very little difference in these two widely accepted translations by
Jews and Christians, so they decided to pick and choose between the
two for the most effectively-phrased lines of dialogue.

(More)

King David to Open at Promise Theater

2-2-2

Once the script and score were near completion, and they
realized they had more than 20 characters to bring to life on stage,
the Sanborns were confronted with a dilemma: how to do this
efficiently and effectively? The solution they arrived at was simple:
why not cast the show with an all-star cast of Hollywood actors, past
and present? Since David is a master of impersonation - he had more
than 50 under his belt, among them his favorite actors - it was
decided he would do all the roles, or at least as many as possible.

The next problem: how to choose which star performers for
each role? According to David Sanborn, the first -- and most obvious
-- casting solution was Arnold Schwarzenegger as Goliath. The rest of
the casting was done through the "traditional" audition system with
his parents - Ellen, the show's director, co-writer and co-composer,
and his father Art Sanborn, a distinguished published author - as the
"casting agents."

In the end, in addition to Schwarzenegger as Goliath, they "cast"
Sean Connery (as the prophet Nathan), Jimmy Stewart (as Jesse, David's
father), and Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Billy Crystal, Kirk
Douglas, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Danny Kaye, Gene
Kelly, Tom Hanks, in other key roles. Over the years, like most
long-running shows, there have been "cast" replacements, including the
addition of Antonio Banderas, Matthew McConaughey and Christopher
Walken as David's advisors.

KING DAVID was directed by Ellen Sanborn. David M. Sanborn
and Ellen Sanborn wrote the script and the original score. David
Onn-San is the Orchestrator and Associate Arranger; Bernard Fox, is
the Sound Designer; Matthew Miller, the Lighting Designer; and
Elizabeth 'Lisa' Richards, the Costume and Scenic Designer. The
Production Stage Manager is Melanie T. Morgan.

The Marketing Director is Leanne Schanzer, Leanne Schanzer
Promotions, Inc. The Concept/Graphic Designer is Helen Dean Design.
Publicity and Press by Les Schecter, LS Public Relations.

The producers are Felicia M. Lopes, Eastern Gate
Entertainment; Ellen Sanborn, Sanborn Productions; and Joseph Callari.