Photo Flash: Strange Tree's Musical THE DEAD PRINCE Through 12/22

The Strange Tree Group, in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is pleased to kick off its 2013-14 Season with the world premiere of THE DEAD PRINCE, an original, rambunctious, fairly-family-friendly, fairy tale muzikal, with book, music and lyrics by Jeff Award-winning playwright Emily Schwartz and directed by Lifeline ensemble member Paul Holmquist. THE DEAD PRINCE plays November 17 - December 22, 2013 at The DCASE Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.strangetree.org. The press opening is Friday, November 22 at 7:30 pm. Check out a first look below!

THE DEAD PRINCE features: Cory Aiello, Elizabeth Bagby, Dan Behrendt, Scott Cupper, Michael Thomas Downey, Kate Nawrocki, Stuart Ritter, Amber Vaughn Robinson, Sarah Scanlon, Zachary Sigelko, Ann Sonneville, Jen Starewich and Thomas Zeitner.

Epic, goofy, comedic and romantic, THE DEAD PRINCE follows the story of a put-upon princess who is told by every magic mirror in the land that her true love has died and the two were destined never to meet: for he was dead and she alive! We join the play on the day she discovers it is possible to sneak across the void and steal him back; but does pulling someone from the brink do more damage than you think? A musical comedy full of corpses, bat attacks, horrible misunderstandings and quests... glorious quests.

In the tradition of the smash hits Mr. Spacky and The Mysterious Elephant, THE DEAD PRINCE showcases Strange Tree's patented mash-up of literary styles, which playfully bend the rules of normal theatrical narrative while drawing on the deep (and deeply eccentric) musical talents of the Strange Tree ensemble. Lively, inventive, and completely original, for the past nine years Chicago''s Strange Tree Group has playfully toyed with the entire notion of storytelling, featuring a hand-made "twigs and twine" aesthetic replete with bright bursts of magical realism in highly detailed, audience-interactive environments.

The production team for THE DEAD PRINCE includes: Joe Schermoly (scenic design), Delia Baseman (costume design), Rebecca Jeffords (lighting design), Michael Huey (sound design & original incidental music), Zachary Sigelko (music arrangement), Kitty Campbell (props design), Matt Engle (fight choreography), Noah Ginex and Sarah Scanlon (puppet design), Nic Belanger (technical director), John Kelly (master electrician), Sarah Luse (production manager) and Becky Bishop (stage manager).

Photos by Emily Schwartz