The Pirate Queen Featured on NY1 on February 14

Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's The Pirate Queen, will be featured on NY1 on Wednesday February 14th beginning at 11:15AM and repeated throughout the day. Tune in for a sneak peak into rehearsals for the new Broadway musical and interviews with the authors, producers, director and lead cast members. The epic new musical from the Tony Award-winning authors of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, will begin previews on Broadway beginning March 6th, 2007, opening April 5th, 2007 at the Hilton Theatre (213 West 42nd Street, NYC; A Live Nation venue). 

Commissioned and produced by Moya Doherty and John McColgan, the producers of Riverdance, the musical "combines classic storytelling with a sweeping score and joyous dancing to celebrate the real-life story of legendary Irish Chieftain Grace O'Malley: 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 than her…her fierce rival, Queen Elizabeth I of England," according to production notes.

The new musical is directed by Tony Award-winner Frank Galati with musical staging by Graciela Daniele. The creative team also includes John Dempsey (Witches of Eastwick) who has co-written the lyrics; Richard Maltby, Jr., (Miss Saigon, co-lyricist; Ain't Misbehavin', conceived/direction) will work with the writing team on book and lyrics. 

The creative team also includes: Julian Kelly, orchestrator, vocal arranger and musical supervisor and director; three-time Tony Award-winner Eugene Lee (Wicked), who sets the scene from the deck of the ship which Grace captains, to the court of Queen Elizabeth I where the two remarkable women once met; two-time Tony® Award-winner Martin Pakledinaz (Kiss Me, Kate) designing the costumes; four-time Tony® nominee Kenneth Posner (Wicked) creating the lighting design; and Jonathan Deans (Ragtime) creating the sound design.

The cast of 42, is led by Stephanie J. Block (Grace O'Malley), Hadley Fraser* (Tiernan), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Marcus Chait (Donal), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara) and William Youmans (Bingham). 

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).

The Pirate Queen 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, 21st and 28th.  Please check www.ThePirateQueen.com for the preview performance schedule.