India's First Broadway-Style Musical MUGHAL-E-AZAM Begins Houston Performances Next Weekend

For three short nights this July (14th - 16th), the very first original Broadway-style musical ever written and produced in India will make a stop on its first North American tour to Houston's very own Brown Theatre at the Wortham Center. Based on the 1960 Bollywood film of the same name directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji, this stage adaptation of Mughal-e-Azam is a ground-breaking new musical and love letter to South Asian history and legend.

The original Indian production, which premiered in 2016, was also produced by Pallonji and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan to bring to life the spectacle and wonder of Deepesh Salgia's creative vision for the show. The Asian production graced the stages of Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, where it was met with rave reviews from audiences, critics, and fans of the original film alike.

Requiring over 350 cast and crew members combined to bring the show to life, MEA brought in production experts to bring their show to live and to make India's first large-scale Broadway-style musical a real contender amongst the touring companies of Broadway shows. As a result, the show garnered an impressive seven Broadway World India Awards in 2017, including "Best Play," "Best Ensemble Cast," "Best Direction of a Play," and four others for lighting, costumes, sets, and choreography. MEA was nominated for a total of 14. The creative team comprised Drama Desk Award-winning lighting designer, David Lander, Emmy-nominated projection designer, John Narun, and Helen Hayes Award-winning production designer, Neil Patel. Additionally, over 550 costumes were designed by Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra for the production, which boasted reimagined choreography from the 1960 film.

This colorful production transports audiences back into the era of the Mughal Empire to tell a love story as familiar to Indians and their Eastern neighbors as Romeo & Juliet is to the West. The Quint referred to the show as "Indian theatre's coming of age" which "succeed[s] in giving the audience its own [...] set of timeless memories." MEA's North American tour beautifully brings to the Western World all the treasures, history, legends, and arts of its Eastern counterpart.

"In the glorious era of the Mughals, Emperor Akbar's desire of a son is fulfilled Mughal-e-Azam, a colossal of theatrical marvel Some movies always take your breath away leaving a historical mark on you, and Mughal-e-Azam is one of them. Who knew that such a spectacular movie could be turned into a musical play."
-- MEA official website

The North American tour is presented by Bollywood Entertainment who have partnered with the Indo- American Association (IAA) Houston's longest running 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and promote the performing arts of the Indian subcontinent. IAA donors and patrons receive a 25% discount on tickets to MEA, as well as prime tickets to four upcoming productions in Houston, including the forthcoming India: The Musical.

Tickets can be purchased now by clicking here.

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